Media, culture and creativity
Our Media, culture and creativity cluster represents a new focus of activity for the school and brings together a broad and interconnected range of practices, policies and studies across the media and cultural industries.
The cluster’s research includes television and feminist media studies, identity politics, cultural theory and immersive and participatory media practices.
Academic staff working within this cluster often work in partnership with diverse organisations such as web and game designers, film makers and museums.
New networks and innovation
The cluster has taken a leadership role in establishing networks for research, innovation and impact, informed by collaboration across cultural and creative industries.
For example, Dr Jenny Kidd’s long-standing work on digital cultural heritage in collaboration with museums such as National Museum of Wales, Tate Britain, Imperial War Museum and Tower of London. (Link to Impact Case Study)
The school’s Martial Arts Studies Research Network, launched in 2015 by Professor Paul Bowman, functions under this cluster. The network’s aim is to connect disconnected disciplinary and cultural discourses on martial arts by fostering dialogue through cross-disciplinary events.
The network has hosted six international conferences and published eleven copies of the journal ‘Martial Arts Studies’, a peer reviewed online open access academic journal that publishes both themed and open issues. New issues are published every Spring and Autumn.
New journals
Launched in 2020, Representology is a new academic and industry journal which explores diversity in media.
The tri-annual publication is dedicated to research and best-practice perspectives on how to make the media more representative of all sections of society.
Representology was co-founded by the School’s Dr David Dunkley-Gyimah, in collaboration with Birmingham University.
Action-research centres
The breadth of the school’s research within the Media, culture and creativity cluster has fostered the development of new action-research centres that have engaged and integrated with the media and cultural industries in Cardiff.
Creative Economy Unit
This cluster was the seedbed for the Creative Economy Unit - established in 2014 in response to research identifying the challenges for regional creative enterprises in a global economy. In 2015 the Unit established ‘Creative Cardiff’ a network for the creative industries in Cardiff which now has a membership of 2700 organisations, companies and freelancers. Creative Cardiff won a Community Engagement Award in 2016 and two Civic Mission Awards in 2019.
Clwstwr Creadigol
The cluster is also home to the successful bid led by Professor Justin Lewis for ‘Clwstwr Creadigol’, a £10 Million Research, Development and Innovation programme (part of the AHRC’s Creative Industries Clusters Programme).
Clwstwr Creadigol was established in 20019 to make South Wales a heartland for innovation in media production, digital technologies, business models and screen infrastructure.
It is led by Cardiff University in partnership with University of South Wales and Cardiff Metropolitan University, with main industry partners including BBC, Arts Council Wales, Welsh Government and Cardiff Council, with other industry partners including Ffilm Cymru, Boom, Screen Alliance Wales, Alacrity Foundation and S4C.
Policy Evidence Centre
In collaboration with Nesta and other universities, Professor Stuart Allan established the Creative Industries Policy Evidence Centre (PEC). Funded by the AHRC for five years, PEC is designed to formulate policy and guidance to accelerate and shape growth in the UK’s creative industries – JOMEC is home to the work strand ‘Arts, culture and public service broadcasting’ led by Allan.