Designing the Future of UK-China RD&I Collaboration in the Museums and Galleries Sector
Lead Research Organisation:
Brunel University London
Department Name: Brunel Design School
Abstract
The museums and galleries sector is central to the creative industries in the UK and China. The sector has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, making substantial contributions to the culture, society and economy of the two countries. This growth is arguably attributable to the rapid emergence of immersive and interactive technologies, enabling the creation of innovative entertaining and educational experiences that drive the museum and gallery audience numbers onsite and online.
The UK and China are seeking to generate opportunities for bilateral collaboration in the museums and galleries sector and the use of immersive and interactive technologies within the sector in particular. However, despite the strong interest, there is still no concerted effort to drive this potentially highly valuable form of exchange between the UK and China forward strategically and continually at the sector-wide level. This project will address that gap by delivering a strategic framework to facilitate the long-term RD&I collaboration between museums and galleries in the UK and China, focusing on the immersive and interactive museum and gallery experiences.
The project consortium includes a well-balanced mix of academic and industry organisations from the UK and China. The core project consortium members are the Brunel Design School at Brunel University London (Project Lead) and the Natural History Museum, London in the UK and the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry (ICCI) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Modern Art Museum Shanghai, SoART Gallery, Link-Star and Jo-Z Design in China, all based in Shanghai, the centre of the Chinese creative industries.
The project will benefit: (i) the museums and galleries in the UK and China looking to understand their counterpart's market and establish or grow their UK-China partnerships; (ii) the sector-based creative businesses from both countries looking to start up or enhance their UK-China operations by applying new business models and widening business networks; (iii) the researchers investigating the creative industries in the UK and China; (iv) the government bodies and policymakers developing the methods to stimulate and monitor international collaboration activities and (v) the UK-China museum and gallery audience with the interest in the transnational cultural exchange.
The UK and China are seeking to generate opportunities for bilateral collaboration in the museums and galleries sector and the use of immersive and interactive technologies within the sector in particular. However, despite the strong interest, there is still no concerted effort to drive this potentially highly valuable form of exchange between the UK and China forward strategically and continually at the sector-wide level. This project will address that gap by delivering a strategic framework to facilitate the long-term RD&I collaboration between museums and galleries in the UK and China, focusing on the immersive and interactive museum and gallery experiences.
The project consortium includes a well-balanced mix of academic and industry organisations from the UK and China. The core project consortium members are the Brunel Design School at Brunel University London (Project Lead) and the Natural History Museum, London in the UK and the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry (ICCI) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Modern Art Museum Shanghai, SoART Gallery, Link-Star and Jo-Z Design in China, all based in Shanghai, the centre of the Chinese creative industries.
The project will benefit: (i) the museums and galleries in the UK and China looking to understand their counterpart's market and establish or grow their UK-China partnerships; (ii) the sector-based creative businesses from both countries looking to start up or enhance their UK-China operations by applying new business models and widening business networks; (iii) the researchers investigating the creative industries in the UK and China; (iv) the government bodies and policymakers developing the methods to stimulate and monitor international collaboration activities and (v) the UK-China museum and gallery audience with the interest in the transnational cultural exchange.
Organisations
- Brunel University London (Lead Research Organisation)
- Natural History Museum (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Link-Stars (Project Partner)
- The Modern Art Museum Shanghai (Project Partner)
- Jo-Z Design (Project Partner)
- SoART Gallery (Project Partner)
Publications
Kwon H
(2024)
How Immersive and Interactive Technologies Affect the User Experience and Cultural Exchange in the Museum and Gallery Sector
in The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum
Kwon H
(2023)
UNDERSTANDING AUDIENCES FOR IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE MUSEUM AND GALLERY EXPERIENCES AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES
in Proceedings of the Design Society
Shen J
(2024)
Dwells in museum: The restorative potential of augmented reality
in Telematics and Informatics Reports
| Description | The most significant achievement of the project was the development of a strategic framework to facilitate long-term UK-China RD&I collaboration in the museums and galleries sector, particularly in immersive and interactive experiences. This framework provides structured guidance for fostering sustainable partnerships. Key achievements include: • Development of a Strategic Framework - Created a comprehensive framework to guide and support long-term collaboration between UK and Chinese museums and galleries, addressing the lack of sector-wide strategic engagement. • Identification of Key Barriers and Opportunities - Conducted in-depth research to analyse the drivers, challenges, and impact opportunities for collaboration, offering insights into business culture, international strategies, and government policies. • Sector Mapping and Stakeholder Engagement - Established a stakeholder network by identifying key roles, responsibilities, and inter-relationships within both countries' museums and galleries sector, ensuring a foundation for continued cooperation. • Evidence-Based Research Outputs - Contributed to academic knowledge by generating research on collaboration models, business trends, audience behaviour, and immersive experience design in the museum and gallery sector. • Formation of Cross-Sector and International Partnerships - Brought together a strong consortium of academic and industry institutions, including Brunel Design School (Brunel University London), Natural History Museum (UK), Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), and Modern Art Museum Shanghai. This award has played a crucial role in establishing a structured approach to UK-China collaboration, ensuring long-term impact for museums, creative industries, researchers, and policymakers. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes of this funding can be leveraged and further developed in the following ways: • Implementation of the Strategic Framework - Museums, galleries, and cultural institutions in the UK and China can adopt and adapt the framework to establish and strengthen long-term RD&I collaborations. • Policy and Funding Initiatives - Government bodies and funding agencies can use the research insights to shape policies and allocate resources that support transnational partnerships in the creative industries. • Expansion of Stakeholder Networks - The established stakeholder network can serve as a foundation for future collaborations, enabling industry. professionals, academics, and policymakers to build on existing connections. • Further Research and Academic Contribution - Researchers can utilise the project's findings on collaboration models, audience behaviours, and immersive experience design to advance academic discourse and drive innovation in the sector. • Industry Application and Business Growth - Creative businesses and technology providers can apply the research insights to develop new business models, enhance immersive experiences, and expand their operations in international markets. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |
| Description | Project Partners in the UK & China |
| Organisation | Natural History Museum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The project partners have been informed of the insights gained on user experience with immersive technologies, cultural exchange, and international collaborations resulting from the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners shared their perspectives and experiences through regular meetings and engaging interactive activities, including interviews. |
| Impact | In progress |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Project Partners in the UK & China |
| Organisation | Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project partners have been informed of the insights gained on user experience with immersive technologies, cultural exchange, and international collaborations resulting from the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners shared their perspectives and experiences through regular meetings and engaging interactive activities, including interviews. |
| Impact | In progress |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Engaging researchers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Three design master students, with a particular interest in social innovation and immersive user experience, were invited to monthly project meetings to discuss the project's key findings and receive support in improving their research skills. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Knowledge sharing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Co-creation workshop with stakeholders from the museums and galleries sector, including (i) museums and galleries, (ii) creative businesses, (iii) academic research communities, and (iv) policymakers and implementers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Knowledge sharing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presented the project to audiences mainly from academia in the 2022 International Conference on Global Cultural and Creative Industries: Art, Technology and Cultural Values, Shanghai, China, 05 - 07 Dec 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://conference.icci.sjtu.edu.cn/en |
| Description | Knowledge sharing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | shared the key research findings with audiences from academia and industry and participated in panel discussions on international RD&I collaboration at the 2023 International Conference on Global Cultural and Creative Industries: Art, Technology, and Cultural Values, held in Shanghai, China, from 9th to 10th December 2023. Conference website: https://conference.icci.sjtu.edu.cn/en |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://conference.icci.sjtu.edu.cn/en |