New project aims to strengthen creative and cultural economy

A new project to broker partnerships between the arts and humanities sector and universities in South West England and South East Wales to generate economic growth has received funding. GW4 Alliance, which brings together four leading research-intensive universities: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter, has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to carry out a project to encourage collaboration between universities, cultural organisations and local authorities to grow the creative and cultural economy in South West England and South East Wales. GW4 has a strong track record of collaboration with some of the most influential organisations in the region to undertake pioneering research. This project will build on this collaborative ethos and the success of schemes in the region such as REACT, which encouraged co-production between arts and humanities researchers and SMEs. Professor Mark Llewellyn, Director of Research at the AHRC, said: "Universities are increasingly working in formal collaborative alliances within their regions - bringing together research synergies, sharing facilities and maximising the collective strengths of institutions to take forward new research approaches. Often these arrangements are focussed on disciplines in science but the arts and humanities have a great deal to contribute, including cross-cutting research themes and innovation in sectors like the creative economy or engagement and collaborations with organisations and communities beyond the academy.