IAA - Accelerating Culture and Enhancing Strategy (ACES): Driving culture, arts and heritage in Northern Ireland

This impact project is very well timed. The Department for Communities (DfC) Taskforce recent reportInvesting in Creative Delivery (Sept 2023) makes significant claims for the importance of culture, arts and heritage (CAH), referring to its role in the peace process, place-making, economic growth, and contributing to the international reputation of NI. Even stronger claims are made for the risks associated with disinvestment in CAH. However, what was beyond the scope of the Taskforce and is a potentially harmful gap in the usefulness of this report, is the lack of evidence to underpin the claims made for the value and impact of CAH and the risks associated with disinvestment. With this gap, the report risks reinforcing an idea that an evidence-based case cannot be made for the positive and lasting impact of CAH on communities. This new project will accelerate the impact of existing research at UU that shows evidence of the value and impact of CAH to communities. This IAA is a step change for that research, as it takes a proactive approach to directly aligning existing research to policy and planning . This IAA uses UU expertise to inform and influence strategic planning within the CAH Policy Branch, DfC, as well as the NI MuseumsCouncil and Arts Council NI. This IAA will influence policy debate by using UU research to stimulate discussion around evidence of value, purpose and impact of CAH. The overall outcome of this IAA will be UU researchers providing robust, relevant and research-led evidence that will change policy direction, enabling the sector to move beyond Investing in Creative Delivery and towards a meaningful sectoral strategy for CAH.