Media, community and the creative citizen.
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: Journalism Media and Cultural Studies
Abstract
Every day millions of citizens do something creative, from knitting and genealogy to photography and choirs. These creative citizens, some organised in groups and networks, some not, are the bedrock of the creative economy. As such, they underpin the intangible assets of the "knowledge economy" upon which the UK depends for its prosperity.
At present, there is much that we do not know about our creative citizens. Why do they do what they do? What is the value of their creativity, to them as individuals and to their communities? How is their potential changed by the emergence of communications technologies which permit on-line social networking? Does inequality of digital access undermine this new creative citizenship? Are today's creative citizens capable of providing more local and flexible services, previously delivered by more remote public and private sector organisations? If their work is valued, what interventions and policies would facilitate their growth?
This research seeks to answer these questions by examining three manifestations of creative citizenship:
- hyperlocal publishing groups, writing neighbourhood news most often as a blog site have started to emerge in scores of communities around the UK, sometimes in response to the scaling back of traditional media;
- community-led design, which is increasingly deployed as a means of ensuring that new buildings and other products reflect the needs, creativity and aspirations of the people who will use them;
- creative practitioner communities, which take many forms: here we explore the value-creation that arises between relatively formal communities of this kind and the growing highly informal networks of individual creative citizens, many built around online communications platforms.
Our aim in studying these cases is to generate data and insight about each case, but also to answer the more general questions set out above: what is the value of their work, to these citizens as individuals, to their communities and to wider civic goals?
The background to our interest in creative citizenship arises from the way that on-line communications have enabled inviduals and small groups of individuals to engage more frequently, deftly and in greater depth with many types of organisation. Today, many companies design their products and services in close dialogue with users: this is routine for, say, video games developers, but it is also increasingly true of "smart" manufacturers of cars, toys and other consumer-focused industrial products, using Web2.0 technology. This shift from a "user pays" to a "user makes" approach supports the possibility of a growth in smaller-scale, more flexible and voluntary community services. Nesta, one of our partners in this project, has a laboratory for public service design based upon these principles. Glass-House Community Led Design, another partner, specialises in connecting designers and the widest possible range of stakeholders. The research will produce:-
- improved data on the value, scale and potential of UK hyperlocal publishers and how they interact with traditional media; plus working with our partner (Talk About Local) sharp insights into the conditions likeliest to support the development of successful hyperlocals and the tools needed to achieve this;
- understanding the value, potential and practicalities of community-led design, with a particular focus upon understanding the potential and limitations of digital media;
- an evaluation of everyday, "at home" creative citizenship which provides an indication of its scale and potential, along with insight into the most effective ways of providing gateways between the work of these lone or loosely networked creative citizens and more formal organisations and structures.
Our findings will be of value to policy-makers concerned with the development of the UK creative economy, along with strong communities of place and interest.
At present, there is much that we do not know about our creative citizens. Why do they do what they do? What is the value of their creativity, to them as individuals and to their communities? How is their potential changed by the emergence of communications technologies which permit on-line social networking? Does inequality of digital access undermine this new creative citizenship? Are today's creative citizens capable of providing more local and flexible services, previously delivered by more remote public and private sector organisations? If their work is valued, what interventions and policies would facilitate their growth?
This research seeks to answer these questions by examining three manifestations of creative citizenship:
- hyperlocal publishing groups, writing neighbourhood news most often as a blog site have started to emerge in scores of communities around the UK, sometimes in response to the scaling back of traditional media;
- community-led design, which is increasingly deployed as a means of ensuring that new buildings and other products reflect the needs, creativity and aspirations of the people who will use them;
- creative practitioner communities, which take many forms: here we explore the value-creation that arises between relatively formal communities of this kind and the growing highly informal networks of individual creative citizens, many built around online communications platforms.
Our aim in studying these cases is to generate data and insight about each case, but also to answer the more general questions set out above: what is the value of their work, to these citizens as individuals, to their communities and to wider civic goals?
The background to our interest in creative citizenship arises from the way that on-line communications have enabled inviduals and small groups of individuals to engage more frequently, deftly and in greater depth with many types of organisation. Today, many companies design their products and services in close dialogue with users: this is routine for, say, video games developers, but it is also increasingly true of "smart" manufacturers of cars, toys and other consumer-focused industrial products, using Web2.0 technology. This shift from a "user pays" to a "user makes" approach supports the possibility of a growth in smaller-scale, more flexible and voluntary community services. Nesta, one of our partners in this project, has a laboratory for public service design based upon these principles. Glass-House Community Led Design, another partner, specialises in connecting designers and the widest possible range of stakeholders. The research will produce:-
- improved data on the value, scale and potential of UK hyperlocal publishers and how they interact with traditional media; plus working with our partner (Talk About Local) sharp insights into the conditions likeliest to support the development of successful hyperlocals and the tools needed to achieve this;
- understanding the value, potential and practicalities of community-led design, with a particular focus upon understanding the potential and limitations of digital media;
- an evaluation of everyday, "at home" creative citizenship which provides an indication of its scale and potential, along with insight into the most effective ways of providing gateways between the work of these lone or loosely networked creative citizens and more formal organisations and structures.
Our findings will be of value to policy-makers concerned with the development of the UK creative economy, along with strong communities of place and interest.
Planned Impact
Our ambition is for this work to provide a reference point for evaluations of the scale and potential of the UK creative economy, considered in the light of contemporary media ecologies.
Our target audiences for impact include: UK Government; the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; local government; local enterprise areas; political parties; Creative England; the British Council; the Arts Councils; think tanks; representative and member bodies like the Community Media Association; journalism networks. We will use a range of conventional and more novel communication channels, including:
- a website and blogging platform;
- a range of media products, including best practice guides, platform interfaces and media applications (i.e. mobile phone video noticeboard), targeted to communities;
- academic papers, targeted to academics and policymakers;
- a scholarly book, summarising the research findings in comparison with other research and experiences, targeted to policymakers, academics and practitioners;
- three briefing papers, targeted to communities, practitioners and policymakers;
- two network events - targeted to communities, academics and practitioners;
- three strand-based exhibitions - targeted to practitioners, academics and the general public
- one conference, targeted to communities, academics and practitioners.
The research team itself is rich in impact-generation expertise. Hargreaves (PI) is a former national newspaper editor and respected commentator on media and other issues. His recent (May 2011) review for HMG on intellectual property has given him prominence in the debate about the relationship between the creative sector, regulation and growth. This builds upon his work for the Welsh Government (March 2010) on the creative industries. Dovey (CoI) is a leading academic practitioner in knowledge exchange, through the Digital Cultures Research Centre at the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol. He also has a professional background in media production. Harte (CoI) is a leading figure in the Midlands blogosphere. Greene is an experienced collaborator with high profile companies (e.g. Research in Motion/Blackberry) and has her own diverse influencing network, as is Alexiou. Chapain's strongly interdisciplinary background positions her well in delivering academic impact, including through her work as co-organiser of the Creative Regions in Europe Network (www.creative-regions.eu/) and Summer School (http://nuke.creative.regions.org.uk/).
We have selected partners who have a strong route to market in terms of impact, namely Ofcom, the UK media regulator and provider of much core data on UK media markets; Nesta, the UK's leading innovation-practice body; Talk About Local, a pioneer in scaling up and propagating hyperlocal journalism networks with proven expertise at Cabinet level; and Glass-House Community-Led Design, which has admired expertise and substantial influence in its field. The partnerships involved in the third strand of the project (communities of creative practioners) are South Blessed, Knowle West Media Centre, and the Moseley Exchange. These partners provide channels of impact of a different sort where we are experimenting with behaviour change with our collaborators. South Blessed, a highly informal but innovative video channel based in Bristol, is largely self-generating and self-funded. Documenting its reach and potential will provide a high impact and motivational illustration of what can be achieved by an informal community of creative citizens; this aspect of our work will be influential in communities which lack strong connections to mainstream media and indeed higher education. Moseley Exchange is an urban creative exchange in Birmingham: many other networks like it can be influenced by well researched insight into the way it generates value using the networks that exist both within and between such exchanges. Our partners are our medium.
Our target audiences for impact include: UK Government; the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; local government; local enterprise areas; political parties; Creative England; the British Council; the Arts Councils; think tanks; representative and member bodies like the Community Media Association; journalism networks. We will use a range of conventional and more novel communication channels, including:
- a website and blogging platform;
- a range of media products, including best practice guides, platform interfaces and media applications (i.e. mobile phone video noticeboard), targeted to communities;
- academic papers, targeted to academics and policymakers;
- a scholarly book, summarising the research findings in comparison with other research and experiences, targeted to policymakers, academics and practitioners;
- three briefing papers, targeted to communities, practitioners and policymakers;
- two network events - targeted to communities, academics and practitioners;
- three strand-based exhibitions - targeted to practitioners, academics and the general public
- one conference, targeted to communities, academics and practitioners.
The research team itself is rich in impact-generation expertise. Hargreaves (PI) is a former national newspaper editor and respected commentator on media and other issues. His recent (May 2011) review for HMG on intellectual property has given him prominence in the debate about the relationship between the creative sector, regulation and growth. This builds upon his work for the Welsh Government (March 2010) on the creative industries. Dovey (CoI) is a leading academic practitioner in knowledge exchange, through the Digital Cultures Research Centre at the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol. He also has a professional background in media production. Harte (CoI) is a leading figure in the Midlands blogosphere. Greene is an experienced collaborator with high profile companies (e.g. Research in Motion/Blackberry) and has her own diverse influencing network, as is Alexiou. Chapain's strongly interdisciplinary background positions her well in delivering academic impact, including through her work as co-organiser of the Creative Regions in Europe Network (www.creative-regions.eu/) and Summer School (http://nuke.creative.regions.org.uk/).
We have selected partners who have a strong route to market in terms of impact, namely Ofcom, the UK media regulator and provider of much core data on UK media markets; Nesta, the UK's leading innovation-practice body; Talk About Local, a pioneer in scaling up and propagating hyperlocal journalism networks with proven expertise at Cabinet level; and Glass-House Community-Led Design, which has admired expertise and substantial influence in its field. The partnerships involved in the third strand of the project (communities of creative practioners) are South Blessed, Knowle West Media Centre, and the Moseley Exchange. These partners provide channels of impact of a different sort where we are experimenting with behaviour change with our collaborators. South Blessed, a highly informal but innovative video channel based in Bristol, is largely self-generating and self-funded. Documenting its reach and potential will provide a high impact and motivational illustration of what can be achieved by an informal community of creative citizens; this aspect of our work will be influential in communities which lack strong connections to mainstream media and indeed higher education. Moseley Exchange is an urban creative exchange in Birmingham: many other networks like it can be influenced by well researched insight into the way it generates value using the networks that exist both within and between such exchanges. Our partners are our medium.
Organisations
- Cardiff University (Collaboration, Lead Research Organisation)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Co-funder)
- Moseley Community Development Trust (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Goldsmiths' Community Centre (Collaboration)
- NESTA (Collaboration)
- Glass-House Community Led Design (Collaboration)
- The Mill Community Centre in Walthamstow (Collaboration)
- Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum (Collaboration)
- Talk about Local (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Wards Corner Community Coalition (Collaboration)
- University of Oregon (Collaboration)
- OFCOM (Collaboration)
- Stickyworld (Collaboration)
- Ofcom (Project Partner)
- Knowle West Media Centre (Project Partner)
- The Glass-House Community Led Design (Project Partner)
- South-Blessed (Project Partner)
- Nesta (Project Partner)
Publications
Williams, A
New Forms of Local Journalism
Harte D
Creative Citizens Special Issue
in Cultural Science
Williams, A.
(2016)
Plenary Roundtable Presentation: Future of local and community media
Alevizou G;
(2016)
The creative citizen unbound
Williams A
(2016)
The SAGE Handbook of Digital Journalism
| Title | Creative Citizens - introductory video suite |
| Description | Five short (c 5 minutes) videos were produced early in the project for use in building understanding with the communities where we conducted our research, enabling us also to use this material in showcases and public events (eg the three AHRC showcases in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff). These videos all sit on YouTube and can be readily found via the Creative Citizens website ( www.creativecitizens.co.uk ) or our Facebook page. The videos offer in turn: 1. An overview of the project, narrated by the PI (Hargreaves) 2. An overview of strand one (hyperlocal news) 3. An overview of strand two (user-led design and planning) 4. An overview of the South Blessed creative network work strand 5. An overview of the Moseley Exchange creative network/village work. Other, more specialised video material is referenced elsewhere on this return |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Impact | These films have been shown at events all over the UK and all over the world. They make an excellent introduction to all audiences and are particularly useful in engaging non-academic audiences. The use of video has during the period of this work become much more widespread and our project's intended co-creative 'media interventions' have taken into account a range of media platforms and approaches. These contextual videos as a 'resource' used by academics and community partners have provided a very useful foundation for this aspect of the project. |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Title | Creative Citizens photograph collection |
| Description | A specially commissioned collection of photos of 28 creative citizens from all over the country presented together with statements written by each of the participants. This collection was presented physically at the Connected Communities Cardiff Showcase 2014, the Creative Citizens conference and exhibition at the Royal College of Art (September 2014) and digitally on the Creative Citizens website. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | Too early to say. |
| URL | http://www.creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Title | Creative Citizens podcast - 7 episodes |
| Description | This is a series of seven twenty-minute podcasts with creative citizens from around the UK, about their practice, hosted on Soundcloud. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The podcasts developed audience as part of various engagement activities we were undertaking after the Creative Citizens project, leading to the Creative Citizens Fair. |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/creative-citizens |
| Title | Exchange stories |
| Description | Digital storytelling platform, used by the Moseley Exchange, with the support of the research team, to engage in new ways with their local community. Digital storytelling enables anyone with a story to tell using (mostly still) images and voice to do so. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | This co-created media initiative provided a shot in the arm for a long established arts-minded community, specifically provoking the turning out of attics of some remarkable and much-enjoyed photographs illustrating key points in the community's history, including a visit by the boxer Muhammed Ali. |
| URL | http://stories.moseleyexchange.com |
| Title | Exchange stories: backroom view |
| Description | Video capturing the process of making the Exchange Stories project |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | Resource useful to others considering the use of digital storytelling as a research and engagement tool |
| URL | http://youtu.be?QU78n7-W-ws |
| Title | Goldsmiths Tea Party event videos |
| Description | Two videos created to capture and disseminate a tea party event at the Goldsmiths Community Centre food place cafe. The event aimed to raise awareness about various activities by local groups around the theme of health and well-being |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | Improved links between the community, the community centre and priority themes concerning health and well-being. |
| URL | http://youtu.be/IIRBJkyZLRg |
| Title | Google Hangout - Out of Hours hyperlocal conversations |
| Description | 15 video recordings of Google + 'Hangouts' took place in 2013 to engage hyperlocal practitioners wanting to network and 'talk shop' but finding barriers of time and geography a problem. New relationships were established and positive feedback received. Google Hangout technology makes recording of these 'video-conference' type engagements straightforward and so enabled us to archive this example. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | Strengthening of networks between hyperlocal practitioners and enabled research project team to nurture networks through this social media platform. |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Title | Indigo Babies |
| Description | Indigo Babies is a graphic novel which emerged from a process of co-creation between the research team and South Blessed, a community creative network in South Bristol. As a transmedia publication, it enabled Vince Baidoo, founder and leader of South Blessed, to diversify his creative activities beyond music, film and news in a project conceived by South Blessed. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | Vince Baidoo has described the Indigo Babies project as one which opened his eyes to his true 'transmedia' mission. The project also enabled Baidoo and South Blessed to extend their horizons and to realise an ambitious publishing project, based upon local story and myth, with an income stream from a physical product, as well as a contribution to SB's profile online. |
| URL | http://www.theindigobabies.com |
| Title | Indigo Babies - behind the scenes on a graphic novel |
| Description | Video provides a backstage view of the Indigo Babies graphic novel project (see other entry on ResearchFish) |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The negotiation of the co-creative relationship between the Creative Citizens research team and South Blessed was a long-running, subtle and important affair. Without it, the project could not have achieved its objectives. This short film provides a visual insight. |
| URL | http://youtu.be?QU78n7-W-ws |
| Title | Interactive wall |
| Description | Magnetic blackboard created for use during AHRC Cardiff showcase 2014 and Creative Citizens conference 2014. Board was used to engage people in contributing their definition of 'creative citizen'. These could be added using chalk or a collection of pre-selected magnetic words. The board allowed people to build on and edit the definitions of others thus creating a co-created definition of creative citizenship. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | Successful in engaging many different people in contributing their thoughts on creative citizenship |
| Title | Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum Beermats |
| Description | Beermats and posters communicating the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum online plan |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | Beermats and posters were distributed and used in local pubs and cafes around Kentish Town publicising the online plan. |
| Title | Kentish Town Online Plan |
| Description | An online version of the KTNF neighbourhood plan using the Stickyworld Platform. People are able to search through the various ideas and proposals and leave their own comments or ideas. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | Wider engagement of local residents in the development of the KTNF neighbourhood plan. This has resulted in several policies being revised to incorporate changes collected using the online plan. |
| URL | http://cc.stickyworld.com |
| Title | Midsomer Murder at The Mill Film |
| Description | Collaborative film made during the Midsomer Murder at The Mill event. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | Demonstrated how digital media could be used in The Mill to record and share their activities |
| Title | The Moseley Exchange |
| Description | This video explains the research that the creative citizen project was doing with the Moseley Exchange but also what the Moseley Exchange as a coworking space does - demystifying this type of creative spaces which are on the rise across the World. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | Better visibility of the Moseley Exchange and the research as well as a better understanding of what coworking is. |
| URL | http://moseleyexchange.com/about-us-2/ |
| Title | The Story Machine |
| Description | The Story Machine is a mini-cinema/puppet booth/video camera which enables the community's stories to be told, seen and heard more widely and more easily, through a combination of digital technology and engaging 'low-tech' activities. The Story Machine also has its own specially created page on the Mill Website which is used to showcase all photos collected. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The Story Machine was launched at an exhibition in February 2014, Telling Stories, which encouraged local people to contribute stories of Walthamstow and The Mill, via a postcard wall and interviewing each other using the Story Machine. The Story Machine is now used to document and share their activities providing an ongoing record of everything that happens at The Mill. It has been used at events such as a Junior Reporters' workshop (where young people learned interviewing and reporting skills through using the Story Machine)and at the national Fun Palaces weekend in which the Mill participated. |
| Title | Wards Corner:Stickyworld |
| Description | A 3D Virtual Tour of the Wards Corner (London) community plan is the result of collaboration between the Open University and the Wards Corner Community Coalition. The site was created in order to present the community plan for the Wards Corner site in Seven Sisters, London, and invite feedback and comment from local residents and businesses. The results fed into the council's consultation process for the plan, which received planning permission in 2014. In the Kentish Town Neighborhood Forum, Stickyworld software was also deployed to develop an online version of the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Plan. This was created in order to engage local residents and businesses in thinking about the future of their community and invite feedback and comments on the ideas to be proposed in the plan. For further information see: https://cc.stickyworld.com/home |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | In these two commmunities, significant improvements were made possible in the mechanics and quality of consultation with communities affected by major planning decisions. |
| URL | https://cc.stickyworld.com/room/presentation?roomid=11work/122 |
| Title | creativecitizens web site and social media platforms |
| Description | Wordpress type website, with links to social media: www.creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2011 |
| Impact | This is a hard-working web site, which it would be highly desirable to see continuing beyond the expiry of this award |
| URL | http://www.creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Description | We set out to study 'creative citizens' with a view to understanding the extent to which constantly expanding sources of digital media enhance civic potential, enabling them to deliver greater value to their communities in a very wide field of activities, from health and social care to town planning and news services. We have established that digitally afforded 'creativity' is indeed an increasingly offered and valued aspect of citizenship, but that important and demanding second order questions arise, for example, in establishing measurements of value and encouraging researchers to adapt methods in handling co-creative community partnerships. Building upon the emergence of 'creative industries' in the late 1990s; and the 'creative economy' in the following decade our work establishes the concept of 'creative citizenship' - with implications for many branches of policy in all levels of government. The agenda for creative citizenship covers, inter alia, the emergence of the creative economy as a category relevant to policy debates on innovation and productivity. It sheds light on themes such as education, communications, social wellbeing, political expression, infrastructure, open data, planning, design and the incubation of small companies, freelance networks and the growing army of the self-employed. The project thus aspires to flagship status within the cross-disciplinary Connected Communities programme. Taking the categories suggested for this RF entry, we add the following: - new knowledge: (as above, reflected in a book, a journal special edition and a wide range of domain-specific publications); - methods: useful extensions of 'asset mapping' techniques and experience of purposeful and evaluated co-creation with communities in digital media projects; - online media interventions: greater clarity about potential and limitations, importance of physical/virtual linkages; - multiple collaborations and interfaces with related work, some captured in highly successful conference eg at London RCA September 2014 which staged debate with leading political think tanks, supported by book launch in Parliament (April 2016); - value of transdisciplinary working confirmed, but practical team management and other difficulties also noted for learning. Key project-wide publications: 1. 'First Findings' (2014) downloadable from creativecitizens.co.uk. 2. The Creative Citizen Unbound: how social media and DIY culture contribute to democracy, communities and the creative economy. Ed Hargreaves I and Hartley J, with contributions from across the project's research team. Policy Press, April, 2016. |
| Exploitation Route | We see the immediate and active agents of impact as follows: 1. Our partners and their networks. We already note significant adoption and promotion of our work by partners such as Ofcom, Talk About Local, Nesta, The Glass-House Community Led Design. This is very much as we envisaged it in our bid and is substantially domain-specific with the exception of Nesta's global leadership status in work involving the creative economy. 2. We have probed at the political and policy space, notably in an encounter staged with four of the UK's leading political think tanks at our London conference in September 2014. This helped us to think more clearly about the potential for a 'movement-style' approach to creative citizenship (possibly attractive to political parties) or, more likely, one which collaborates with related projects and actors (eg social enterprise) in a range of sectors or domains, based upon a co-creative ethic necessary in any democratic activity. We are launching our project book, The Creative Citizen Unbound, in Parliament, where the attendance list includes MPs, peers, business, social entrepreneurs and the odd digital celebrity (Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia). 3. We are exploring future funding for the engagement aspect of our work, which we think has further potential. 4. One of our participating universities (BCU) has developed a degree offer based upon creative citizenship. Others have applied our insights in adapted teaching strategies. Cardiff University has launched two major engagement initiatives: The Centre for Community Journalism (aimed at supporting hyperlocal news media needs) and Creative Cardiff (aimed at improving connectivity in the regional creative economy). Both these initiatives have attracted funding from partners outside the university. 4. There are important and even momentous interconnections between the creative citizen project and other projects of the same period. For example, REACT, centred in Bristol, has brought together a consortium of universities, led by UWE and the Watershed arts centre, staging events specific to creative citizenship and DIY culture and enjoying rich feedback loops between these projects, made possible by cross-over of relevant research personnel. In South Wales and South West England, the potential of the creative economy and the collaborative potential of universities and other players has been transformed in the period 2011 to 2016. There are also vibrant legacies in the London planning scene (see domain-specific knowledge contributions) |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Environment,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Description | We have been a very outgoing research team, conducting scores of public events over the 30 months of our programme and maintaining a website, with associated social media platforms, some of which have pushed at the frontier of innovation (eg our early use of the now widespread Google Hangout, which enables partners to share documents whilst engaged in online video-conferencing). Our impacts have been felt in numerous geographic communities as well as in domain-specific and in national and international contexts, academic and non-academic. For example in hyperlocal news media, the research team has been active at the highly influential 'unconferences' of our partner Talk About Local, whilst also contributing directly to the statistical output of another partner, Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, and informing the emergence of the Cardiff Centre for Community Journalism, an engagement programme funded by Cardiff University, with support from Welsh Government and others. Anyone who attended our Creative Citizens Conference at the RCA in London (or accessed it online) would have seen the strong connections into London Design Week, of which it was part. A keynote address by Paola Antonelli, Director of R and D at New York Museum of Modern Art, began by noting the linkage between our project's design identity and the design identity of the Creative Commons Movement. Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive of Nesta, connected his organisation's work under several headings with the concept of creative citizenship, drawing attention to the political re-imagining set out in his recent book, The Locust and the Bee. An epic encounter between the diverse attendees at the conference and the leaders of four London political think tanks added seminally to our insights and ambitions for political take-up of our work. Jean Burgess, the leading social media scholar from Queensland University of Technology, considered a history of Twitter. Meanwhile workshops drew out national and international linkages between creative citizenship and related concepts in the DIY, 'pro-am' space. It is also important to note the overlap between the work of the Creative Citizen project and other work currently being undertaken by members of the research team. During the life of the creative citizens project, Hargreaves (PI) has provided seminal input to the intellectual property/creative economy debate in the UK, Europe and beyond, drawing on creative citizenship thinking (Hong Kong/Australia tour in March 2016); Dovey (Co-I) has been simultaneously running REACT, the AHRC creative economy hub, with countless valuable cross-overs; Alexiou (Co-I) and Zamenopoulos are engaged in a mesh of projects internationally which draw upon creative citizenship and contribute strongly to relevant research methods; as is Chapain (Co-I) in the field of economic and cultural geography. Harte (Co-I) and Williams (Co-i) have become closely and further involved in the development of practice in hyperlocal journalism, one manifestation of which is the Cardiff University Centre for Community Journalism, set up two years ago and the first of its kind in the world. C4CJ is, in part, a result of the creative citizens project, and it has been our partner at key events. More recently, Cardiff University's establishment of a Creative Economy Centre and its emergent role in the City Council's deliberations on economic development would not have happened without this fusion of work around the theme of creative citizenship. At the same time, our early career researchers have cross-pollinated from creative citizens to numerous other points (eg citizen movements in Greece) and will continue to do so. They have given the project its tech edge. Our partners in community-led design (Nesta and the Glass-House Community Led Design, worked with us to produce the Creative Citizens' Variety Pack - 'inspiring digital ideas from community projects'. Glass-House's core work of helping community-led design projects to succeed has drawn directly upon all of the work in this part of the project. We have also engaged directly with numerous other projects and activities during the life of this project. Particularly memorable was our encounter with the DIY Citizens group (based in Canada), but we have frequently met with great examples of creative citizenship previously unknown to us (eg The Reader Project, which promotes reading aloud in groups.). We have influenced and been influenced in countless exchanges of this kind. Hargreaves and Zamenopoulos engaged directly with senior officials from the Department of Communities and Local Government as part of a research council prompted series of exchanges. The project's book: The Creative Citizen Unbound, is due for launch at an event in Parliament on April 19, 2016. n the years 2016-2018, my own (Prof Hargreaves) work has been focused upon a substantial effort in South East Wales to bring the university's resources to help develop and strengthen the regional creative economy. Creative Cardiff (creativecardiff.org.uk), initiatiated by Cardiff University with support from BBC Wales, Cardiff City Council and Wales Millennium Centre, is active, influential, growing and clearly rooted in the creative citizenship theme of the award profiled here. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Citation by Ofcom - hyperlocal publishing |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Quantitative data regarding the scope and scale of Hyperlocal publishing in the UK was supplied to Ofcom and published. The resulted in improved data on local media plurality and supports Ofcom's work in regulating this area. |
| URL | http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr12/CMR_UK_2012.pdf |
| Description | Citation by Ofcom - hyperlocal publishing |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Quantitative data regarding the scope and scale of Hyperlocal publishing in the UK was supplied to Ofcom and published. The resulted in improved data on local media plurality and supports Ofcom's work in regulating this area. |
| URL | http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/telecoms-research/Internet-Citizens-Report.pdf |
| Description | Creative citizens: four political think tanks debate |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | http://www.centreforum.org |
| Description | Connected Communities Follow on Funding Early Career Researcher route |
| Amount | £44,169 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/L013363/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2014 |
| End | 04/2015 |
| Description | ESRC Impact Acceleration Account: Embedding Hyperlocal as Part of the News Ecology in the UK |
| Amount | £10,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2015 |
| End | 11/2015 |
| Title | Asset mapping |
| Description | Asset mapping seeks to help groups (in our case community groups) identify their strengths and weaknesses in pursuing their objectives, enabling a form of gap analysis to be used to strengthen their assets and increase their effectiveness. Our work has introduced novel practices, such as the use of data visualisation, the deployment of 'sticky world' software, and extensive use of co-creative interventions to extend the capability of asset mapping techniques. These techniques have been tested across all of our domain-specific work. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Improved models for asset mapping techniques. |
| URL | http://www.creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Description | Centre for Community Journalism (C4CJ) |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Department | Centre for Community Journalism |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Numerous team members have written blog posts for the C4CJ website, participated in, and spoken at, C4CJ events. Dr Andy Williams, one of our co-investigators, has been made a member of the C4CJ steering committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The C4CJ team has participated in our events (running news cafes and speaking at our conference and at showcase events), published and disseminated our outputs via their website and social media (they maintain an impressive network of producers of, and commentators on, hyperlocal community news), provided us with access to community news producers with whom they have relationships (acting as gatekeepers to research participants), and collaborated on a co-created guide to community engagement for hyperlocal news producers. |
| Impact | Cable, J. and Williams, A. (2014) Community Engagement for Hyperlocal News: A Practical Guide, Cardiff: Centre for Community Journalism. This publication was a co-creative collaboration between the C4CJ, the Welsh-language hyperlocal news site Pobl Caerdydd (which was set up with help from the C4CJ), and our research team. The research involved running collaborative asset mapping exercises with the centre staff and news producers, running an online survey of Pobl Caerdydd audience members, and interviewing a range of community managers in the field of mainstream news provision, community news, and professional public relations. Examples of best practice were collated, analysed, and synthesised into a practical guide for engaging with community members, and encouraging them to get involved with one's community site, for hyperlocal news producers. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Hyperlocal Policy/Research Report and Community Journalism Conference |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Department | Centre for Community Journalism |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Andy Williams successfully applied, along with partners at Nesta and the Centre for Community Journalism (with whom Williams works closely), for an ESRC Impact Acceleration Grant This project took Andy Williams', Dave Harte's and Jerome Turner's definitive research on the social and economic value of the emerging community media sector and critical challenges facing it and, with our partners Nesta, commissioned community news expert and former OFCOM researcher Damian Radcliffe (DR) to write a research-rich report into the current health of the UK hyperlocal news sector. Integral to the report was a targeted set of recommendations and opportunities which have allowed us to cement collaborations, provide concrete proposals, and inform current debates, at a crucial time in the development of this sector (the report was called: "Where Are we Now? UK hyperlocal media and community journalism in 2015" and can be downloaded here: https://www.communityjournalism.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/C4CJ-Report-for-Screen.pdf). The main body of the report covers: the market context; community news content; hyperlocal audiences; community news publisher characteristics; business models and sustainability; democratic deficit issues; media plurality; discoverability of community news; the impacts of community news; and challenges for the future. At the end of each chapter (and aggregated together on p.33) can be found the targeted recommendations for various groups identified by Damian Radcliffe in collaboration with Sara Moseley (SM) and Andy Williams (AW). The other principal key activity co-enabled by this grant was the Centre for Community Journalism's (C4CJ) "What Next for Community Journalism?" conference held at the School of Journalism on 9th September 2015. 165 people attended the event. Around a third were community journalists, a third people with an interest in the sector (from the industry, policy circles, regulatory bodies, etc.), and a third were academics. Attendees came from organisations including the BBC, Ofcom, IMPRESS, Archant Media and the Welsh Government. The event was covered in numerous media outlets including the Guardian, BBC News wales, BBC World service, BBC Radio Wales, and UK and US journalism trade publications. On the day alone the C4CJ Twitter account got 53,300 impressions (more than they normally get in a month). The report was discussed widely at keynote talks and during workshop sessions with attendees, and gained good exposure beyond the conference because of the media coverage we attracted with an ambitious and successful media/social media plan. Meetings and discussions with key strategic partners were held. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Damian Radcliffe was commissioned to write the report (described above), and to contribute towards its launch at the (also above mentioned) conference. The C4CJ and Nesta were partners in the grant application from the ESRC, and also contributed £8,000 towards the costs of commissioning the report and running the conference. In--kind contributions were also made in the form of staff time devoted to the project by the Centre for Community Journalism. |
| Impact | Impacts enabled by the report/conference: Targeted implications and actions were drawn up in the report to inform our work with the following groups/sectors and, in addition to the key plan around a new representative body for the sector (see below under future impact plans), the following represents a summary of how we have used, and continue to use, the report's findings: Policy makers and political parties: The report has formed the basis of discussions with representatives of numerous political parties in Wales, helped by Dr Williams' affiliation with the Media Reform Coalition (which includes policy recommendations from our report in its media manifesto). It has also informed our re-writing of our guide for community journalists to covering the National Assembly elections in Wales co-produced with the Wales Governance Centre. A centrepiece of this initiative will be a launch event at the Senedd where hyperlocals are invited in to cover Welsh national politics from community perspectives. Unfortunately the centrality of Sara Moseley (SM), with her strong contacts and networks in Welsh politics, mean that the planned manifesto impacts of the report had to be de-prioritised, since she left her post in December 2015 and was not replaced. Media Regulators: OFCOM representatives attended our conference, and read the report, and while they valued it as context for their current plans they have informed us that while they wish to be kept updated about research developments, their strategic interest for the near-future will be focussed on commercial and community radio, rather than text-based community news media. The report has given us a strong evidential platform to continue to engage with the nascent post-Leveson regulator IMPRESS. Our research and expertise in the area, along with the networking and discussion opportunities afforded by the launch conference, were important to informing their strategic decision to represent community news publishers as well as more established news organisations. IMPRESS' application to become a "Leveson-compliant" news media regulator is now being considered by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). We have also briefed the PRP on the significance and nature of the Hyperlocal news sector, and have met with them to share the results from our research (using the report) so that they can better evaluate the IMPRESS application. Tech companies and innovation funders: Since SM was so central to discussions with Google our progress in this field has been somewhat stalled, but C4CJ steering group member Richard Sambrook has since had discussions with the company and received indications that while community news operators have been able to apply for funding under the new Digital News Initiative, there will be no specifically ring-fenced funding for hyperlocal news producers. Our main area of success in this regard is the continued involvement of Nesta in C4CJ-led plans, rooted in the report's recommendations, to set up a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Others who are involved at this stage are: Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, the BBC, and academics from across the UK. Hyperlocal and community publishers: The C4CJ has drawn on the report extensively in its routine blog posts and communications with our network of community news producers, and it has been a constant reference point in on-going conversations with hyperlocals. The findings of the report led the C4CJ to update focus areas in the latest manifestation of the Futurelearn/Cardiff University MOOC (specifically the inclusion of the report as a resource in the MOOC, updating key statistics about the size and nature of the sector, and creating new sections on data journalism and live-streaming apps for learners). It has also given us a platform and evidential base with which to engage other hyperlocal support organisations globally, for example in discussions and mutual online publications with bodies such as Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) and Local News Lab in the USA. The BBC: The report was referenced and discussed in the UK-wide BBC Local Journalism Working Group, which is attended by reps from Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press, and the Press Association, along with representatives from the HL news sector. This group has led to the BBC engaging with hyperlocal news producers in new and innovative ways such as: the Local Live initiative (a hashtag linking scheme to improve HL visibility and audiences, directly linked to a DR recommendation, and the BBC opening up its archive of local news, including the ability to search and re-publish BBC content). We have also draw on findings and recommendations in the report in the BBC's regular Hyperlocal Forum meetings, to discuss future BBC support for community news initiatives, specifically their role in supporting a representative body for the sector. Discussions continue with BBC Wales who are now considering a scheme to republish and credit stories picked up by the BBC from community news producers in Wales. Future impact planned: One of the key outcomes of the discussions around report is that the sector would benefit, in numerous ways, from the existence of a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Given that so many of our long-term impact-related aspirations rest on the ability of practitioners to speak and act with a collective voice, and to benefit from increased visibility among policy makers, industry representative, and the general public, the report and consequent discussions with stakeholders have led us to prioritise this as our main medium-term impact goal. Building on the publication of the report we have discussed the possibility of creating a representative body for the sector at various events including our own conference, the BBC hyperlocal forum, and UCLAN's hyperlocal open data conference (where the idea was met warmly by many practitioners). We have also had discussions with the Nesta, Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, and the BBC (who have agreed to support the initiative in various ways). We have now called a meeting of these groups to discuss concrete plans for researching options, consulting widely in the sector, and setting up such a body. We have also looked overseas at other models such as LION Publishers and Local News Lab in the US to inform our thinking around how a representative body may operate. The body, given the provisional name Independent Community News Network (iCNN), would seek to advocate on behalf of the sector, as well as provide backroom support of different kinds. The possible functions of iCNN include: • Collaborative advert selling: grouping together community news publishers by region or even nation to secure shared deals with large corporations such as supermarkets or public sector bodies; • Backroom support: shared services for members, such as legal advice or technical support, as well as training; • Leverage sector-wide discounts/memberships: for example, a heavily discounted membership to press regulator IMPRESS could be included in an annual fee to members; • Sell on content: iCNN could act as an agency in similar style to the Presss Association to sell on community news content to 'mainstream' news organisations ; • Accreditation or 'kite marking': membership could be subject to certain quality criteria, giving members a 'badge' of approval and improving credibility of the sector; and • Advocacy work: advocating on behalf of the sector in a much more coherent way, acting as a central point of contact for policy makers, news industry leaders and technology companies. • Research and development: act as a test bed for investigation into areas such as business and revenue models and digital innovation, sharing learning from the sector. Provide training and information in specialist areas to support sector development. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Hyperlocal Policy/Research Report and Community Journalism Conference |
| Organisation | Nesta |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Andy Williams successfully applied, along with partners at Nesta and the Centre for Community Journalism (with whom Williams works closely), for an ESRC Impact Acceleration Grant This project took Andy Williams', Dave Harte's and Jerome Turner's definitive research on the social and economic value of the emerging community media sector and critical challenges facing it and, with our partners Nesta, commissioned community news expert and former OFCOM researcher Damian Radcliffe (DR) to write a research-rich report into the current health of the UK hyperlocal news sector. Integral to the report was a targeted set of recommendations and opportunities which have allowed us to cement collaborations, provide concrete proposals, and inform current debates, at a crucial time in the development of this sector (the report was called: "Where Are we Now? UK hyperlocal media and community journalism in 2015" and can be downloaded here: https://www.communityjournalism.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/C4CJ-Report-for-Screen.pdf). The main body of the report covers: the market context; community news content; hyperlocal audiences; community news publisher characteristics; business models and sustainability; democratic deficit issues; media plurality; discoverability of community news; the impacts of community news; and challenges for the future. At the end of each chapter (and aggregated together on p.33) can be found the targeted recommendations for various groups identified by Damian Radcliffe in collaboration with Sara Moseley (SM) and Andy Williams (AW). The other principal key activity co-enabled by this grant was the Centre for Community Journalism's (C4CJ) "What Next for Community Journalism?" conference held at the School of Journalism on 9th September 2015. 165 people attended the event. Around a third were community journalists, a third people with an interest in the sector (from the industry, policy circles, regulatory bodies, etc.), and a third were academics. Attendees came from organisations including the BBC, Ofcom, IMPRESS, Archant Media and the Welsh Government. The event was covered in numerous media outlets including the Guardian, BBC News wales, BBC World service, BBC Radio Wales, and UK and US journalism trade publications. On the day alone the C4CJ Twitter account got 53,300 impressions (more than they normally get in a month). The report was discussed widely at keynote talks and during workshop sessions with attendees, and gained good exposure beyond the conference because of the media coverage we attracted with an ambitious and successful media/social media plan. Meetings and discussions with key strategic partners were held. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Damian Radcliffe was commissioned to write the report (described above), and to contribute towards its launch at the (also above mentioned) conference. The C4CJ and Nesta were partners in the grant application from the ESRC, and also contributed £8,000 towards the costs of commissioning the report and running the conference. In--kind contributions were also made in the form of staff time devoted to the project by the Centre for Community Journalism. |
| Impact | Impacts enabled by the report/conference: Targeted implications and actions were drawn up in the report to inform our work with the following groups/sectors and, in addition to the key plan around a new representative body for the sector (see below under future impact plans), the following represents a summary of how we have used, and continue to use, the report's findings: Policy makers and political parties: The report has formed the basis of discussions with representatives of numerous political parties in Wales, helped by Dr Williams' affiliation with the Media Reform Coalition (which includes policy recommendations from our report in its media manifesto). It has also informed our re-writing of our guide for community journalists to covering the National Assembly elections in Wales co-produced with the Wales Governance Centre. A centrepiece of this initiative will be a launch event at the Senedd where hyperlocals are invited in to cover Welsh national politics from community perspectives. Unfortunately the centrality of Sara Moseley (SM), with her strong contacts and networks in Welsh politics, mean that the planned manifesto impacts of the report had to be de-prioritised, since she left her post in December 2015 and was not replaced. Media Regulators: OFCOM representatives attended our conference, and read the report, and while they valued it as context for their current plans they have informed us that while they wish to be kept updated about research developments, their strategic interest for the near-future will be focussed on commercial and community radio, rather than text-based community news media. The report has given us a strong evidential platform to continue to engage with the nascent post-Leveson regulator IMPRESS. Our research and expertise in the area, along with the networking and discussion opportunities afforded by the launch conference, were important to informing their strategic decision to represent community news publishers as well as more established news organisations. IMPRESS' application to become a "Leveson-compliant" news media regulator is now being considered by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). We have also briefed the PRP on the significance and nature of the Hyperlocal news sector, and have met with them to share the results from our research (using the report) so that they can better evaluate the IMPRESS application. Tech companies and innovation funders: Since SM was so central to discussions with Google our progress in this field has been somewhat stalled, but C4CJ steering group member Richard Sambrook has since had discussions with the company and received indications that while community news operators have been able to apply for funding under the new Digital News Initiative, there will be no specifically ring-fenced funding for hyperlocal news producers. Our main area of success in this regard is the continued involvement of Nesta in C4CJ-led plans, rooted in the report's recommendations, to set up a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Others who are involved at this stage are: Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, the BBC, and academics from across the UK. Hyperlocal and community publishers: The C4CJ has drawn on the report extensively in its routine blog posts and communications with our network of community news producers, and it has been a constant reference point in on-going conversations with hyperlocals. The findings of the report led the C4CJ to update focus areas in the latest manifestation of the Futurelearn/Cardiff University MOOC (specifically the inclusion of the report as a resource in the MOOC, updating key statistics about the size and nature of the sector, and creating new sections on data journalism and live-streaming apps for learners). It has also given us a platform and evidential base with which to engage other hyperlocal support organisations globally, for example in discussions and mutual online publications with bodies such as Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) and Local News Lab in the USA. The BBC: The report was referenced and discussed in the UK-wide BBC Local Journalism Working Group, which is attended by reps from Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press, and the Press Association, along with representatives from the HL news sector. This group has led to the BBC engaging with hyperlocal news producers in new and innovative ways such as: the Local Live initiative (a hashtag linking scheme to improve HL visibility and audiences, directly linked to a DR recommendation, and the BBC opening up its archive of local news, including the ability to search and re-publish BBC content). We have also draw on findings and recommendations in the report in the BBC's regular Hyperlocal Forum meetings, to discuss future BBC support for community news initiatives, specifically their role in supporting a representative body for the sector. Discussions continue with BBC Wales who are now considering a scheme to republish and credit stories picked up by the BBC from community news producers in Wales. Future impact planned: One of the key outcomes of the discussions around report is that the sector would benefit, in numerous ways, from the existence of a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Given that so many of our long-term impact-related aspirations rest on the ability of practitioners to speak and act with a collective voice, and to benefit from increased visibility among policy makers, industry representative, and the general public, the report and consequent discussions with stakeholders have led us to prioritise this as our main medium-term impact goal. Building on the publication of the report we have discussed the possibility of creating a representative body for the sector at various events including our own conference, the BBC hyperlocal forum, and UCLAN's hyperlocal open data conference (where the idea was met warmly by many practitioners). We have also had discussions with the Nesta, Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, and the BBC (who have agreed to support the initiative in various ways). We have now called a meeting of these groups to discuss concrete plans for researching options, consulting widely in the sector, and setting up such a body. We have also looked overseas at other models such as LION Publishers and Local News Lab in the US to inform our thinking around how a representative body may operate. The body, given the provisional name Independent Community News Network (iCNN), would seek to advocate on behalf of the sector, as well as provide backroom support of different kinds. The possible functions of iCNN include: • Collaborative advert selling: grouping together community news publishers by region or even nation to secure shared deals with large corporations such as supermarkets or public sector bodies; • Backroom support: shared services for members, such as legal advice or technical support, as well as training; • Leverage sector-wide discounts/memberships: for example, a heavily discounted membership to press regulator IMPRESS could be included in an annual fee to members; • Sell on content: iCNN could act as an agency in similar style to the Presss Association to sell on community news content to 'mainstream' news organisations ; • Accreditation or 'kite marking': membership could be subject to certain quality criteria, giving members a 'badge' of approval and improving credibility of the sector; and • Advocacy work: advocating on behalf of the sector in a much more coherent way, acting as a central point of contact for policy makers, news industry leaders and technology companies. • Research and development: act as a test bed for investigation into areas such as business and revenue models and digital innovation, sharing learning from the sector. Provide training and information in specialist areas to support sector development. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Hyperlocal Policy/Research Report and Community Journalism Conference |
| Organisation | University of Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Andy Williams successfully applied, along with partners at Nesta and the Centre for Community Journalism (with whom Williams works closely), for an ESRC Impact Acceleration Grant This project took Andy Williams', Dave Harte's and Jerome Turner's definitive research on the social and economic value of the emerging community media sector and critical challenges facing it and, with our partners Nesta, commissioned community news expert and former OFCOM researcher Damian Radcliffe (DR) to write a research-rich report into the current health of the UK hyperlocal news sector. Integral to the report was a targeted set of recommendations and opportunities which have allowed us to cement collaborations, provide concrete proposals, and inform current debates, at a crucial time in the development of this sector (the report was called: "Where Are we Now? UK hyperlocal media and community journalism in 2015" and can be downloaded here: https://www.communityjournalism.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/C4CJ-Report-for-Screen.pdf). The main body of the report covers: the market context; community news content; hyperlocal audiences; community news publisher characteristics; business models and sustainability; democratic deficit issues; media plurality; discoverability of community news; the impacts of community news; and challenges for the future. At the end of each chapter (and aggregated together on p.33) can be found the targeted recommendations for various groups identified by Damian Radcliffe in collaboration with Sara Moseley (SM) and Andy Williams (AW). The other principal key activity co-enabled by this grant was the Centre for Community Journalism's (C4CJ) "What Next for Community Journalism?" conference held at the School of Journalism on 9th September 2015. 165 people attended the event. Around a third were community journalists, a third people with an interest in the sector (from the industry, policy circles, regulatory bodies, etc.), and a third were academics. Attendees came from organisations including the BBC, Ofcom, IMPRESS, Archant Media and the Welsh Government. The event was covered in numerous media outlets including the Guardian, BBC News wales, BBC World service, BBC Radio Wales, and UK and US journalism trade publications. On the day alone the C4CJ Twitter account got 53,300 impressions (more than they normally get in a month). The report was discussed widely at keynote talks and during workshop sessions with attendees, and gained good exposure beyond the conference because of the media coverage we attracted with an ambitious and successful media/social media plan. Meetings and discussions with key strategic partners were held. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Damian Radcliffe was commissioned to write the report (described above), and to contribute towards its launch at the (also above mentioned) conference. The C4CJ and Nesta were partners in the grant application from the ESRC, and also contributed £8,000 towards the costs of commissioning the report and running the conference. In--kind contributions were also made in the form of staff time devoted to the project by the Centre for Community Journalism. |
| Impact | Impacts enabled by the report/conference: Targeted implications and actions were drawn up in the report to inform our work with the following groups/sectors and, in addition to the key plan around a new representative body for the sector (see below under future impact plans), the following represents a summary of how we have used, and continue to use, the report's findings: Policy makers and political parties: The report has formed the basis of discussions with representatives of numerous political parties in Wales, helped by Dr Williams' affiliation with the Media Reform Coalition (which includes policy recommendations from our report in its media manifesto). It has also informed our re-writing of our guide for community journalists to covering the National Assembly elections in Wales co-produced with the Wales Governance Centre. A centrepiece of this initiative will be a launch event at the Senedd where hyperlocals are invited in to cover Welsh national politics from community perspectives. Unfortunately the centrality of Sara Moseley (SM), with her strong contacts and networks in Welsh politics, mean that the planned manifesto impacts of the report had to be de-prioritised, since she left her post in December 2015 and was not replaced. Media Regulators: OFCOM representatives attended our conference, and read the report, and while they valued it as context for their current plans they have informed us that while they wish to be kept updated about research developments, their strategic interest for the near-future will be focussed on commercial and community radio, rather than text-based community news media. The report has given us a strong evidential platform to continue to engage with the nascent post-Leveson regulator IMPRESS. Our research and expertise in the area, along with the networking and discussion opportunities afforded by the launch conference, were important to informing their strategic decision to represent community news publishers as well as more established news organisations. IMPRESS' application to become a "Leveson-compliant" news media regulator is now being considered by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). We have also briefed the PRP on the significance and nature of the Hyperlocal news sector, and have met with them to share the results from our research (using the report) so that they can better evaluate the IMPRESS application. Tech companies and innovation funders: Since SM was so central to discussions with Google our progress in this field has been somewhat stalled, but C4CJ steering group member Richard Sambrook has since had discussions with the company and received indications that while community news operators have been able to apply for funding under the new Digital News Initiative, there will be no specifically ring-fenced funding for hyperlocal news producers. Our main area of success in this regard is the continued involvement of Nesta in C4CJ-led plans, rooted in the report's recommendations, to set up a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Others who are involved at this stage are: Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, the BBC, and academics from across the UK. Hyperlocal and community publishers: The C4CJ has drawn on the report extensively in its routine blog posts and communications with our network of community news producers, and it has been a constant reference point in on-going conversations with hyperlocals. The findings of the report led the C4CJ to update focus areas in the latest manifestation of the Futurelearn/Cardiff University MOOC (specifically the inclusion of the report as a resource in the MOOC, updating key statistics about the size and nature of the sector, and creating new sections on data journalism and live-streaming apps for learners). It has also given us a platform and evidential base with which to engage other hyperlocal support organisations globally, for example in discussions and mutual online publications with bodies such as Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) and Local News Lab in the USA. The BBC: The report was referenced and discussed in the UK-wide BBC Local Journalism Working Group, which is attended by reps from Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press, and the Press Association, along with representatives from the HL news sector. This group has led to the BBC engaging with hyperlocal news producers in new and innovative ways such as: the Local Live initiative (a hashtag linking scheme to improve HL visibility and audiences, directly linked to a DR recommendation, and the BBC opening up its archive of local news, including the ability to search and re-publish BBC content). We have also draw on findings and recommendations in the report in the BBC's regular Hyperlocal Forum meetings, to discuss future BBC support for community news initiatives, specifically their role in supporting a representative body for the sector. Discussions continue with BBC Wales who are now considering a scheme to republish and credit stories picked up by the BBC from community news producers in Wales. Future impact planned: One of the key outcomes of the discussions around report is that the sector would benefit, in numerous ways, from the existence of a representative body for community news producers in the UK. Given that so many of our long-term impact-related aspirations rest on the ability of practitioners to speak and act with a collective voice, and to benefit from increased visibility among policy makers, industry representative, and the general public, the report and consequent discussions with stakeholders have led us to prioritise this as our main medium-term impact goal. Building on the publication of the report we have discussed the possibility of creating a representative body for the sector at various events including our own conference, the BBC hyperlocal forum, and UCLAN's hyperlocal open data conference (where the idea was met warmly by many practitioners). We have also had discussions with the Nesta, Carnegie UK Trust, Talk About Local, and the BBC (who have agreed to support the initiative in various ways). We have now called a meeting of these groups to discuss concrete plans for researching options, consulting widely in the sector, and setting up such a body. We have also looked overseas at other models such as LION Publishers and Local News Lab in the US to inform our thinking around how a representative body may operate. The body, given the provisional name Independent Community News Network (iCNN), would seek to advocate on behalf of the sector, as well as provide backroom support of different kinds. The possible functions of iCNN include: • Collaborative advert selling: grouping together community news publishers by region or even nation to secure shared deals with large corporations such as supermarkets or public sector bodies; • Backroom support: shared services for members, such as legal advice or technical support, as well as training; • Leverage sector-wide discounts/memberships: for example, a heavily discounted membership to press regulator IMPRESS could be included in an annual fee to members; • Sell on content: iCNN could act as an agency in similar style to the Presss Association to sell on community news content to 'mainstream' news organisations ; • Accreditation or 'kite marking': membership could be subject to certain quality criteria, giving members a 'badge' of approval and improving credibility of the sector; and • Advocacy work: advocating on behalf of the sector in a much more coherent way, acting as a central point of contact for policy makers, news industry leaders and technology companies. • Research and development: act as a test bed for investigation into areas such as business and revenue models and digital innovation, sharing learning from the sector. Provide training and information in specialist areas to support sector development. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Hyperlocal news - and its impacts upon communities. |
| Organisation | Ofcom |
| Department | Office of Communications (Ofcom) - Research Department |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The first strand of the research project worked with two strategic partners. Ofcom's interest in the project rested upon its concern to understand the changing shape of local news media and from 2011, our research outputs contributed to Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report series, referencing Harte D as the leader of this aspect of our work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Ofcom's Research Director, James Thickett, attended regular research team meetings, contributing an invaluable policy context for our work and helping us to span the considerable distance between a focus upon community and citizenship on the one hand and UK-level policy thinking on the other. |
| Impact | Ofcom Communications Market Reports for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Hyperlocal news - engagement with practitioners and activists |
| Organisation | Talk About Local |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Our research contributed directly to the evidence base valuable to Talk About Local in its advocacy with government at all levels on behalf of community media practitioners. The empirical data sets accumulated by Media, Community and the Creative Citizen (including those which involved academic collaborations beyond the walls of the project itself) represent arguably the most comprehensive and insightful evidence base yet gathered in this field. Our researchers took part in a number of Talk About Local events and 'unconferences' in order to help disseminate this work. They also generated practical publications aimed at practitioners, alongside more academic and theory-based work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Talk About Local, as the premier advocacy group for UK hyperlocals brought to the project an unrivalled set of contacts and trust points, which made it possible to undertake very ambitious research, including co-creative activities exploring the relationship between online and physical media. Talk About Local's network provided copious amounts of wisdom, insight and energy for the project, whilst recognising that academic findings required objectivity. |
| Impact | Collaboration on identifying contacts and framing questionnaire and interview material for surveys (see publications section of this return). Collaboration in co-creative activities: exploration of print offshoots of online media ('the printernet') in Birmingham and South Wales. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | OU and Glass-House (Creative Citizen) |
| Organisation | Glass-House Community Led Design |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The OU team contributed to the Glass-House practice through helping understand current media practices in the field and think about their own role and activities. The project also developed an asset mapping methodology which is now used by the Glass-House in other projects. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Glass-House contributed as community partners, helping create and sustain links with place-making communities and disseminate outputs. |
| Impact | Collaborative bidding Collaborative development of methodologies Collaborative delivery of workshops |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | OU and Goldsmiths Community Centre |
| Organisation | Goldsmiths' Community Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The OU team worked with individuals and groups active in the Goldsmiths Community Centre (GCC) to help them re-think about their use of media to engage with the wider community and deliver new activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Individuals and groups associated with GCC took part in workshops, interviews, questionnaires. |
| Impact | Seeing Things Differently Booklet Collaborative workshops |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | OU and Wards Corner Community Coalition |
| Organisation | Wards Corner Community Coalition |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The OU team worked with Wards Corner Community Coalition (WCC) to help them develop a new media tool to support their purposes. We supported the creation of a virtual tour of WCC plan using the Stickyworld platform and helped them in engagement and dissemination activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | WCC participated in the research including taking part in workshop, interviews, questionnaires. |
| Impact | Wards Corner virtual tour on Stickyworld Stickyworld booklet Case study materials Workshops and events |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | RCA and Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum |
| Organisation | Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The RCA worked together with KTNF to develop an online version of their neighbourhood plan to help engage a wider audience of Kentish Town residents to contribute feedback and input to their plan. |
| Collaborator Contribution | KTNF gave up their time to attend meetings, workshops and events and participate in a short film. They developed content for the online plan. |
| Impact | The online neighbourhood plan using Stickyworld. A set of beer mats and posters to communicate the online plan URL. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | RCA and NESTA |
| Organisation | Nesta |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The RCA contributed knowledge towards NESTA in the area of asset based community development and developing digital media skills in communities and how to nurture under the radar creativity. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NESTA contributed time to attend meetings, workshops and events. They contributed by reading and giving feedback on research reports and progress updates. They contributed their experience and knowledge to the research team. They provided access to community groups who had previously worked with them and to relevant experts in their networks. They also helped with dissemination. |
| Impact | Creative Citizen Variety Pack Seminar Digital Tools and Neighbourhood Planning |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | RCA and The Mill |
| Organisation | The Mill Community Centre in Walthamstow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The RCA worked with The Mill to help them better communicate their activities using digital media. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Mill contributed time in meetings, workshops, events and presentations. They contributed resources such as space and tools. They also provided the research team with access to the wider Mill members, many of whom participated in workshops and events over the duration of the project. |
| Impact | The Story Machine The Telling Stories Exhibition Telling Stories postcard collection Film and event Midsomer Murders at the Mill Across RCA project |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | RCA, OU and Stickyworld |
| Organisation | Stickyworld |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The RCA and OU provided feedback and insights on the user design and experience of the Stickyworld platform based on their first hand experience from the research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Stickyworld provided support for the development of the KTNF Stickyworld and based on our needs and feedback developed certain features for us e.g. customisable icons. |
| Impact | The KTNF online plan The Ward's Corner Community Online Plan Mapping Local Amenities project proposal |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | University of Birmingham Business School and Moseley Community Development Trust |
| Organisation | Moseley Community Development Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We have been working in collaboration with staff and board members of the Moseley Community Development Trust (MCDT) both in terms of the research and media coproduction that we did with the organisation, the Exchange Stories. This research and media coproduction has shed some light on the ins and outs of coworking activities through the research done at the Moseley Exchange run by the as well as the use of Digital Storytelling for communities but also how creative citizenship expresses itself in communities and neighbourood. Our contribution has included time spent interviewing and researching the professional communities of the Moseley Exchange as well as the wider neighbourhood as well as producing and editing the great majority of the digital stories produced for the project. We also coordinated the design and production of the Exchange Stories online platform, mural, DVDs, postcards and activities related to its launch, documentaries and evalutation of their impacts. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Staff and board members of the Moseley Community Development Trust have given large amount of time in terms of interviewing, coordination meetings, liaising with some community members as well as training in digital storytelling techniques and production of some of the digital storytelling in addition to piloting some additional digital story telling projects for their communities linked to training activities undertaken as part of our project. They have also contributed fully to the launch, video production and dissemination of the Exchange Stories platform. |
| Impact | Various media outputs have resulted from this collaboration as listed below in addition to research outputs listed under publications and engagement - Exchange Stories platform - http://stories.moseleyexchange.com/ - Exchange stories documentary - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOGryL8y9o4&feature=youtu.be - Research video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydwIa9iTlkY |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Title | Indigo Babies graphic novel |
| Description | Indigo Babies is a graphic novel, produced as part of the co-creative activities between this research project and the South Blessed media studio in Bristol. Copyright is held by South Blessed and the authors and artists directly responsible for the work. |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Copyrighted (e.g. software) |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | This project has enabled South Blessed to clarify and strengthen its mission in a way which adds financially to its strength in an otherwise highly precarious situation. |
| Description | Across RCA workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | AcrossRCA - Creative Citizens was a 4 day cross-disciplinary project organised and run by the RCA Creative Citizens researchers for MA students to work with community-led design projects on challenges set by the community partners. Students worked directly with four London based communities. The project resulted in proposals for each community about how they could use media to creatively engage more people in their community project. One of the project proposals were pursued by the community groups together with the students involved. One of the students became further involved in the Creative Citizen project as firstly an intern and then as a paid designers. The RCA students had first hand experience of co-designing with communities. The community groups were able to experience what it was like to work on a creative project and one of the groups then chose to participate further in the Creative Citizen project as a community partner. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Bank of England dialogue |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | In late 2016, I was approached by the Bank of England's representative in Wales. He had previously attended at breakfast workshop at Cardiff University Business School, at which I and a colleague (Sara Pepper) were the speakers, talking about the creative economy. The BoE rep said that he wanted to work with us to understand better the creative economy and those active within it. This dialogue led to plans (early 2017) for an event aimed at specifically supporting the Bank of England in this outreach. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://creativecardiff.org.uk |
| Description | Cardiff, Creative Capital: sector-wide conference aimed at creative economy participants and their local authority counterparts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Cardiff, Creative Capital was a major event, hosted at Cardiff University, with the support of the British Council. It brought together thought leaders whose work connects with the creative citizenship/creative economy theme, with a keynote from Dr Hasan Bakhshi of Nesta. The event ran in parallel to an adjacent event of the UK local authorities group which focuses upon cultural policy, with opportunities for significant communication between the two streams of work. At this event, Creative Cardiff also launched its report: Mapping Cardiff's Creative Economy. The event also provided a platform for presentation of the end of project report of the REACT creative economy knowledge exchange hub partnership. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://creativecardiff.org.uk |
| Description | China Digital Copyright Hub |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Beijing workshop was led by BOP Consulting and involved two days of discussion with China-based practitioners and interested parties on a range of issues surrounding digital technology, copyright and innovation. Its connection with the Creative Citizens project was implicit rather than explicit |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Co-creation workshops with the Mill |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | The first workshop resulted in ideas which where then developed upon and built in the second workshop. The 'Story Machine' came about as a direct result of these workshops. This is now built and is being used at The Mill to record and share their events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Communications by design? Community spaces, neighbourhood media & creative citizens |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Presentation as part of the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) seminar series 'Digital Policy: Connectivity, Creativity and Rights' (RES-451-26-0849), Media and Communications Dept, University of Vienna,22-23 Nov 2012 http://creativecitizens.co.uk/2012/12/21/communities-by-design-neighbourhood-media-and-creative-citizenship/ Discussion on the background, aims and preliminary findings of research in the community-led design strand of the Creative Citizens project. Discussion on the background, aims and preliminary findings of research in the community-led design strand of the Creative Citizens project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk/2012/12/21/communities-by-design-neighbourhood-media-and-creative-citi... |
| Description | Community-Led Design short film |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A short film produced to disseminate research of the community-led design strand at the AHRC Connected Communities Showcase event. Other community groups with related concerns became aware of our activities and sought our input. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk |
| Description | Connected Communities Cardiff showcase 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Event allowed us to meet with academics on other Connected Communities projects and share our research and to get feedback. Our exhibition and breakout at the showcase became the basis for what we developed and then presented at our Creative Citizen conference and exhibition two months later. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Consultation with Nesta for Destination Local project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Acting as a consultant to Nesta's Destination Local 'Audience Analytics' project. David Harte worked with Nesta to: - assess applications for the fund - attend two learning days to disseminate research findings directly to hyperlocal publishers participating in the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/action-research-audience-analyticsour-10-projects-announced |
| Description | Contribution to BRICK Workshop organised by Princes Regeneration Trust and the Churches Conservation Trust |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation and workshop on asset mapping to around 40 delegates at the Princes Regeneration Trust BRICK Workshop focussed on churches and how to find alternative uses for the space if they cannot be used solely as places of worship. Participants were primarily volunteers interested in developing their building, but also professionals supporting them. The workshop offered practical advise about the use of asset mapping in their projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://brick-work.org/events/brick-workshop-19-bolton-with-the-churches-conservation-trust/ |
| Description | Creative Cardiff: a creative economy network for the Cardiff City Region |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Creative Cardiff is a network, launched formally in 2015, designed to connect the many and diverse communities of creative practitioners in the Cardiff region (www.creativecardiff.org.uk). Its initiation was closely informed by the experience of two AHRC-funded projects: Media, Community and the Creative Citizen and REACT. By connecting and, consequentially, intensify and amplifying the interactions between creatives in areas as different as film-making and design or video-effects and fashion, we aimed to enable our regional business and cultural organisations to tap into Cardiff University's developing innovation system. Funding for this work came from Cardiff University, supported by BBC Wales, the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff City Council and Arts Council Wales. The breadth of this coalition enabled us to connect creative practitioners with completely new communities of shared interest and, at the time of writing, to commence a more ambitious second phase of partnership intended to establish a consortium connecting creative practitioners and local authorities, as Cardiff moves towards a £1.3bn City Deal expansion. We seek partnership with any organisation which shares our goals. By February 2016, Creative Cardiff had over 900 registered members and a Twitter following of almost 8,000. We have organised numerous events, including Cardiff Creative Capital, Mapping Cardiff's Creative Economy, in December 2015. This event brought together representatives from local authorities across the UK and pivotal dialogue between creative economy practitioners from other universities, such as Sheffield. At the event, Creative Cardiff's detailed map of its regional creative economy was presented. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016,2017 |
| URL | http://www.creativecardiff.org.uk |
| Description | Creative Citizen conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | The conference hosted presentations by international speakers, academics, policy makers and community groups sparking discussion and debate about the nature of creative citizenship, the actions of creative citizens, the potential of new media to support them and their future role. The conference created a network of academics, community groups, and relevant organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Creative Citizen exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Exhibition allowed us to share the results of the research and the outcomes with a wide audience, from academics, research participants and community groups to design professionals. Too early to say |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Creative Citizen stand at the RCA Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design exhibition 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Allowed the team to share the research at the mid-point of the project with a wide audience of community groups, public, academics and design professionals. Not applicable |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Creative Citizens Fair 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Creative Citizens Fair was a public-engaging event on the broad themes of the Creative Citizens project, but rather than disseminating 'findings' of the work, instead invited citizen activists to share their experiences with an an audience (100 people) made up of the public, organisations, charities, etc about their experiences. The day also invited participation in exploratory workshop activities such as breadmaking and knitting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://creativecitizens.co.uk/2015/07/29/creative-citizens-fair-some-reflections-from-the-day/ |
| Description | Digital Catapult workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ian Hargreaves invited by CREATe to participate in a workshop considering digital and intellectual property issues at the Digital Catapult in London. This, in turn, provided an opportunity to update conversation with the Digital Catapult leadership. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Digital storytelling: opportunities, practices and challenges. - Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | This workshop aimed to develop a better understanding of digital storytelling tool and techniques for people in the community who had expressed an interest in using it or knowing more about it. The workshop was very positively received and demystified the techniques generating ideas for further projects and enthusiasm for the medium. Some of the people involved in the workshop have followed-up by using it in their professional activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Exchange Stories Launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Exchange Stories platform launches aimed to present the digital storytelling platform, mural, DVDs and postcards developed as part of the research and the various stories collected to the people who participated in these stories as well as other local public. The stories and medium was well received with people expressing entusiasm and surprised at what was happenning in the neighboroud with other people wanting to contribute stories. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOGryL8y9o4&feature=youtu.be |
| Description | HHCD Creative Citizens newsletter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Flow of information helped to establish buy-in of colleagues across the research centre and built a base so that we could share ideas and resource Newsletter was part of a communications approach which ensured the buy-in of the whole organisation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | HHCD Midsomer Murders Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Participants at the event participated in and made a simple short film. This demonstrated how technology could be used in the Mill to record events like this in the future. The Event raised awareness around the Creative Citizen project and resulted in more participants getting involved |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum (KTNF) public meetings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Presentation resulted in feedback from participants. After these events KTNF decided to move forward with the development of the online neighbourhood plan using the Stickyworld platform. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Lecture to Royal Institution of South Wales |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk and debate for long-established learned society. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | OU Focus groups with community projects |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Focus groups around media use and aspirations with 9 community representatives from 4 community-led design projects who have previously been beneficiaries of The Glass-House Community Led Design (Friends of Barnfield Estate, Kirdford Community Led Plan, Canterbury Society, and Wards Corner Community Coalition) Helped in research design, community selection and provided test bed for ideas |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Parliamentary book launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Lord (Andrew) Mawson a leading UK social entrepreneur agreed to host a launch event for our project's book: The Creative Citizen Unbound: how social media and DIY culture contribute to democracy, communities and the creative economy. Acceptances are at capacity (60) with the event due to take place in mid April 2016, by which time the book will be on sale. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Partnership work with Nesta and the Welsh Government |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Arloesiadur is a partnership between NESTA and the Welsh Government. Ian Hargreaves is a member of the steering group for this project, which is part of a rich set of relationships now connecting Nesta and Cardiff University, not least through the latter's Y-Lab, social innovation initiative. Arloesiadur aims specifically at developing innovative data-management and data analysis tools of interest to government. As such, it is a specialist activity, informed to some degree by the work of the Creative Citizens project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.nesta.org.u |
| Description | Political/community engagement at The Senedd, home of the National Assembly of Wales, Cardiff |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This event was organised by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), led by Andy Green, a Wales-based academic and consultant, who is leading a project funded by the RSA on new definitions and ideas for social capital. Andy put together a panel of four speakers at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay and produced an excellent discussion for an audience of about 80 people. Andy had previously interacted with the Creative Citizens project in a number of ways, including attending the project's book launch in Cardiff at the pop-up 'vertical studio' established in the main entrance hall of Cardiff University. We aim for the partnership between Creative Citizens, Creative Cardiff and Andy's social capital work, centred in Barry, will be mutually supportive over an indefinite period. This event was sponsored and introduced by Jane Hutt, a senior Assembly Member. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2016 |
| URL | http://www.barryideasbank.crowdcity.com |
| Description | RCA Media Mapping workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | We mapped the media practices of 20 community-led design projects across London. The event also highlighted many issues the communities were facing with regards to media use. This helped to shape the research questions and methodology. After the workshop several community groups volunteered to participate further in the research. The mapping methodology used was adapted and used by other members of the research teams with other community groups in other parts of the country. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Telling Stories Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | The exhibition was the launch of the Story Machine. We demonstrated how it could be used and many people were able to try it out. We collected stories from people in digital form (using the Story Wheel), and in physical form (with over 80 contributions on written postcards). Community members became aware of the existence of the Story Machine and began to use it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Workshop on Sparking Connections at AHRC Co-Creating Cities and Communities Summer Forum in Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A workshop entitled 'Sparking Connections: how cities co-design their future' was delivered at AHRC's Co-Creating Cities and Communities Summer Forum in Bristol by a team consisting Theodore Zamenopoulos, Katerina Alexiou and Sophia de Sousa and Louise Dredge from the Glass-House Community Led Design. This workshop invited participants to follow a process that we call cross-pollination, to collaboratively generate a wide range of ideas for citizen led place-making projects. These project ideas were grounded on existing assets and resources identified in the room and formed the basis for exploring what are the capacities that are required to initiate and lead such projects. This work draws on a number of different AHRC funded projects in which the convenors have worked together in, focussed on co-design, co-production and creative citizenship. Participants reported that the most valuable aspect of the workshop was learning about and experiencing the proposed method for discussing and sharing community challenges, assets and generating ideas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |