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Communications, Drama and Film

Creative Industries

We have a dynamic engagement with global creative industries through our research, developments in pedagogy, and alumni collaboration. Staff working in this strand inform arts and heritage practice in the UK and beyond, working across a range of media through our own Practice Research, or through engagement with that of others.

We contribute to the Humanities Creative Industries Strategy Group, and the University’s Arts and Culture Strategy. We also connect postgraduate students with industry through our MA Creativity: Innovation and Business Strategy programme. We collaborate with industry partners at a local and international level to generate new creative products, services and experiences, and have worked as creative consultants or as curators for events and organisations such as the Vienna Festival, Belluard Bollwerk International Festival, and the Exeter Phoenix.

We also foster collaboration across industries in cutting-edge projects, for example co-directing and developing new prototypes for REACT (Research & Enterprise in Arts & Creative Technology), a four-year AHRC-funded Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy that supported 53 collaborations between 73 academics and 55 businesses. Our academic staff are embedded in industry with many holding roles as advisors and board members for theatre companies, arts organisations, and funding organisations, directly influencing arts policy and industry issues.

Our alumni community are significant contributors to the Creative Economy, and include theatre companies such as Forced Entertainment, Punchdrunk, Still House, Theatre Alibi, In Bed With My Brother and Paddleboat. We work with our Industry and Alumni Advisory Board to explore and maximise opportunities for research, impact, public engagement and pedagogical support.

‘Through Children’s Eyes: School Children as Theatre Audiences’. An industry/academic exchange on the value of theatre performances in schools, working with Theatre Alibi. Cathy Turner, Jane Milling
‘Chapter Arts Centre: Cardiff, at 50’  Heike Roms
REACT (Research & Enterprise in Arts & Creative Technology) 2012-16  Stephen Hodge
Consultation and exchange with the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center USA  Bryan Brown
'Revitalising Critical Dialogues on Community theatre'. A seminar series concluding with a national festival of community theatre held at acta Community Theatre in Bristol, 2015-2016. AHRC Follow On for Impact and Engagement with matched funding from Arts Council England (acta). Kerrie Schaefer

Theatre industry; training; schools; curation; theatre practice; creativity; business; enterprise; community

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