Complement or contrast?

Which artform best suits your project? There is a dizzying array of options, so take some time to consider a few alternatives. Consider artforms with an immediate connection to your purpose OR artforms that are surprisingly different.

For example, a research project on respiration might choose to work with a choir (complementary) or a ceramicist (contrasting). Try a few unexpected combinations and see what spark.

What forms of engagement align with your purpose?

Build in Prep Time

Allow time for creative practitioners to get up to speed with your work. Use site visits, shadowing, some preliminary reading and/or conversations to begin the ideas percolation process (ideally 1-3 months in advance, to be discussed with the creative practitioner to meet their needs).

Note – rates of dyslexia for artists are higher than the general population, so confirm preferred modes of correspondence too.

Consider the benefits of embodiment and tacit knowledge

Non-declarative, embodied experiences can promote well-being, change perceptions of a topic, and embed new learning. How could making and movement practices enable the change you wish to bring about in your project?

"Physical movement is needed to link our abstract mental notions with new concrete experience… The brain gets ideas so the body can act. At the same time, the action of the body provides sensory feedback to the brain. It is through action that the biological wholeness of learning becomes apparent."

Zull, J.T. (2002) The Art of Changing the Brain: enriching the practice of teaching by exploring the biology of learning. p.204.

How do you want people to feel?

What emotional experiences are you wanting to create for participants and audiences? How can this support change?

“Affect (a positive or negative feeling toward an event, such as climate change, or an object, such as a technology) and emotions (a more intense reaction such as fear, anger, pride, or guilt resulting in changes in motivational action tendencies, physiological reactions, expressions, and subjective feeling) have been shown to exert major influences on human thinking and behavior, and they are likely to play a critical role for a sustainable behavior change...”

Brosch, T. & Steg, L. (2021). Leveraging emotion for sustainable action. One Earth. Vol. 4, Issue 12, 17 December 2021, pp.1693-1703.

We commissioned Bee Watson, Director of Wild Hive, to research the Streatham Campus, have a tour with the Grounds Team, run workshops with staff and students, and then design a new wallpaper for the Queen’s Building. Bee arranged the printing of the wallpaper, we arranged the installation on site.

Discover more about her creative process in a specially written blog ->

We worked with imPOSSIBLE Producing to commission Tom Jackson Greaves to make a new theatre piece, responding to the theme of critical minerals. They visited mines, interviewed staff and local communities, and brought on a director, production manager, playwright, sound and lighting designers to realise the final performances.

Discover more about the creative process and the performance ->

Consider your role as HOST when working with creative practitioners

All of this takes TIME. It is better to work at a modest scale if you haven’t worked with a creative practitioner before. Hosting will always take longer than you think. Double your first estimate.

The word ‘host’ can suggest territorial power dynamics that are not in the spirit of equity and collaboration. Our intention here is to promote care and consideration, to help those project partners who find the university intimidating and/or baffling.

What support crew might you need? Part One

The management of creative projects is both highly rewarding and labour intensive. The more people who are involved, the more time is required to ensure a positive experience.

Consider recruiting the following roles, either part-time or full-time, to help you realise your creative ambitions.

Long-term and complex projects with multiple practitioners and outputs benefit from this additional support. Factor into budgets and timescales.

Don’t feel that a project must be large to be successful. Working closely with one creative practitioner and a small, clearly-focused participant group is also highly valuable and manageable for an individual.

What support crew might you need - Part Two

To realise large-scale creative projects, you might need to bring in further technical expertise. Consider these roles for specific elements of project delivery and contact potential providers for quotes. Alternatively, think through the existing skillsets in your team and what internal resources can be applied.

If relevant, make a note of your SUPPORT CREW

Consider skillsets that are relevant to the project when recruiting

When you advertise for a creative practitioner, you will need a brief that outlines your project purpose, and your priority participants and audiences. You will also need to specify the relevant skills and experience required to deliver the project. Consider the following criteria, depending on your needs.

Go to the ‘Commissioning a Creative Practitioner’ guide in our Delivery section for more information about this process.

One final group to consider - Stakeholders

As the name suggests, STAKEHOLDERS are individuals or groups that also have an interest in the outcomes of your project. These include:

Make a note of your PRACTITIONERS and STAKEHOLDERS

Move onto the Delivery section->