Arts & Humanities IAA programme marks major collaborative milestones

The University of Huddersfield’s School of Arts and Humanities is celebrating the continued success of its Arts & Humanities Impact Accelerator Account (IAA), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). 

The School first secured its AHRC IAA account in April 2022, marking a significant strategic achievement and enabling a step change in how arts and humanities research translate into cultural, social, and economic benefits through collaborations with external partners. 

Since then, the programme has grown dramatically, supporting new partnerships, advancing creative and collaborative practice, and investing in researchers at all career stages.

A growing portfolio of successful awards

To date, the programme has supported 39 funded projects, at a total allocation of £396,000 demonstrating the School’s strength in delivering impactful, co created and socially engaged research across the region and internationally. These projects span creative health, heritage, digital innovation, sustainability, community practice and the creative industries, reflecting the vibrant research culture within the School.

Nearly £600,000 invested in Impact Accelerator projects

Across all funding strands, the AHRC IAA has allocated a total of £539,574 in direct awards to University-led projects. This investment has enabled researchers to:

• Build new and sustained relationships with external partners
• Generate real‑world outcomes for communities and cultural organisations
• Leverage new pathways for civic and commercial engagement
• Enhance the visibility and reach of arts and humanities research

Supporting Early Career Researchers

A major achievement of the programme is its commitment to developing early career talent. Of the funded awards, 19 were led by Early Career Researchers (ECRs). These opportunities have enabled ECRs to gain hands on experience in bidding, project development, and external engagement, all essential skills for long term research leadership.

Professor Rowan Bailey, Strategic Lead for Research in the School of Arts and Humanities, reflects on this impact, “The IAA programme has supported our staff to build meaningful and productive external partner relationships as part of this funding. It has also enabled our Early Career Researchers to gain valuable experience in the bidding process and to build confidence in developing and managing projects. These are key research skills and the IAA has created real conditions of opportunity for our staff.”

Co-creation at the heart of the programme

The School continues to lead nationally in co creation methodologies, with 14 Co Creation Fund projects. These initiatives bring university researchers and partners together to shape research collaboratively from inception to output. Partners include museums, charities, cultural institutions, councils, community groups and international organisations.

The programme has supported a diverse range of socially engaged, culturally driven and research informed projects. 

Projects include:

•    Danilo Di Mascio and Yisi Liu’s digital heritage work enhancing Barley Hall through 3D reconstruction
•    Claire Barber and Guy McKelvey’s widening participation in the Knitting & Crochet Guild
•    Liam Devlin and Janine Sykes' creative education workshops for 13–16 year olds inspired by Kirklees Museums and Galleries
•    Kevin Colls and William Mitchell’s examination of Slave Worker Graves in Namibia 
•    Rowan Bailey, Claire Booth Kurpnieks, Laura Mateescu and Claire Bend’s place-based cultural strategy development in Kirklees. 

Of special note, Yan Wang Preston’s book project with Royal Botanic Gardens recently earned Best-Dutch-Book-Designs-2025.

A broad network of external partners

Over the lifetime of the programme, more than 50 external partners within the Creative and Cultural Industries and beyond have benefited from IAA supported collaborations. These partnerships reflect the University’s commitment to:
•    creativity and cultural value
•    community collaborations
•    place-based cultural development
•    international reach

The continued success of the AHRC IAA demonstrates the School’s sector leading role in delivering impactful and socially responsive arts and humanities research.

We would like to thank all of the staff who have been involved in our AHRC IAA Award Programme and wish them well for future successes with their projects: Monty Adkins, Emma Andrews, Rowan Bailey, Claire Barber, Claire Booth-Kurpnieks, Tamiris Capellaro Ferreira, Kevin Colls, Liam Devlin, Danilo Di Mascio, Stacey Durham, Steve Ely, Claire Evans, Yun Gao, Charlotte Goldthorpe, Jan Herbst, Gareth Hudson, Laura Mateescu, Guy McKelvey, William Mitchell, Iona Murphy, Mark Mynett, Yan Wang Preston, Roxanne Taylor, Rupert Till, Katherine Williams, Simon Woolham.

Funding opportunities are available, with schemes continuing to run on an open call basis. Applicants can access full guidance and eligibility information on the IAA website or by emailing iaa@hud.ac.uk.