RCA to join the Universities of Lancaster and Newcastle in a £4m consortium to boost the creative economy

Lancaster is one of four universities in the UK chosen by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to lead a Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy for the next four years. Each will lead consortia that will include other universities, creative businesses, arts and culture organisations and other agencies.

The Lancaster-led hub is to be called 'The Creative Exchange' and will include collaboration with the BBC, Microsoft, TATE Liverpool, SAGE Gateshead, Opera North, NESTA, Lancaster City Council, the Storey Creative Industries Centre, FutureEverything and over 30 small and medium sized companies working in the sector, such as Stardotstar.

Leader of The Creative Exchange and the Chair of the Hub Council is Professor Rachel Cooper, Chair of the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, Lancaster University.

As a subject-specialist art and design institution, the Royal College of Art will contribute leadership and expertise to the Hub from its School of Communication and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD), under Professors Neville Brody and Jeremy Myerson respectively. Through its Research Associates Programme, the HHCD has developed the model of corporate research partnerships on user-centred and citizen-generated design, with over 100 successful projects since 2000. Digital communication and inclusion is a key theme of the projects, which have recently included partnerships with Nokia to explore opportunities for internet-based services for older people; Research In Motion to examine the social impact of mobile communication to make digital interaction less intrusive and, separately, to consider how smart phones can adapt to new forms of interaction that include low vision communities; and BT, to develop creative new ways to connect the over-60s to the communication benefits of broadband.

The UK’s Creative Economy which includes everything from design and gaming to digital media, broadcasting, theatres and libraries - is, relative to GDP, probably the largest creative sector in the world.

The Hub will respond to the ability of everyone to access the digital space and create their own content online by linking up businesses, organisations and researchers with members of the public in order to test out new ideas and develop new services and products.

The Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts said:
"Interaction between businesses and universities is crucial for driving growth. It enables businesses and organisations to benefit from our world-class research base, gaining new knowledge and ideas. This major investment will not only enrich the creative industries but is also a vote of confidence in the excellent arts and humanities research at our higher education institutions."