Developing New Artists, Artist Groups and Organisations in Nottingham

Co(l)laboratory 2025 Research Placement

Diligent man is putting colourful clay to his new handmade pot.

Key Details

Deadline: 11:59pm Sunday 02 March 2025

Funding offer: Candidates receive a tax-free bursary of £1,300, paid in 2 instalments.

Project start date: Monday 28 April 2025

Working hours: Part-time, fixed term (minimum 14hrs hrs per week) until 11 July 2025

Working style: Flexible working supported with some in-person training and meeting requirements. Exact working pattern to be agreed between successful candidate and lead supervisor.

Certification: On successful completion, candidates will receive a formal certificate of recognition from Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.

Project Supervisors

Lead Supervisor: Cüneyt Çakırlar, Nottingham Trent University
Co-Supervisor: Hongwei Bao, University of Nottingham
Community Supervisor: Michelle Bowen FRSA, UK New Artists

About The Project

Artists and cultural institutions have historically played a vital role in Nottingham’s social and
cultural life . However, in recent years, many new artists have either clustered in the urban
areas or have left Nottingham for more economically prosperous and better supported cities.
The urban clustering and ‘brain drain’ of new artists in Nottingham has a negative impact on
the region’s cultural life and economic development, leading to further disparities in regional
development. New policies, strategies and initiatives need to be designed to support new
and emerging artists in the region and to boost the regional economy through creative and
cultural industries.

This placement project highlights the importance of place-based and grassroots art
practices, as well as the role of creative arts in developing local cultural economies. In their work with artists and art organisations in Nottinghamshire, UK New Artists finds that
the role of arts and artists in economic development, placemaking and the overall wellbeing
of our towns and cities is very much overlooked and under-investigated in this region. Artists
have little to no voice in cultural strategies and high street improvements but are still
expected to deliver impact and change for little to no money. Nottingham and
Nottinghamshire receive a lower-than-average share of arts funding when compared with
other regions across the UK, according to independent analysis by consultancy Data Culture
Change (2024).

Artists communities, especially those based outside Nottingham City, are
highly scattered, poorly resourced and lacking in policy and financial support.
Artists in Nottinghamshire face similar challenges as their counterparts in other parts of the
country. For example, they often need to balance a day job with time in the studio and other
commitments, which significantly cuts down their time to create or curate their own work. But
they also face some specific place-challenges: In January 2024, Nottingham City Council
warned of a £53 million budget gap for the following financial year (Casswell, Patel and
Martin 2024). The Council’s budget proposals for 2024-25 included a plan to stop
contributing to the cultural sector. The controversial budget was approved in May 2024.
There has been a significant a reduction in contributions to the arts ever since. To cope with
the situation, most art organisations in Nottinghamshire must cut back funding, staff or
events. The current funding landscape has led to enormous financial pressure and
psychological stress for artists and art organisations in the region.

To address the community needs, both artists-friendly policies and artist-centred strategies
need to be developed. Artists and art organisations are often too consumed in their everyday
needs and practices to have the time or resources to design a region-wide strategy. This,
therefore, requires dedicated researchers to conduct thorough studies that address the
community concerns

The successful candidate will work with Dr Cüneyt Çakirlar from Nottingham Trent
University, Dr Hongwei Bao from the University of Nottingham, and Ms Michelle Bowen from
UK New Artists (a Nottingham-based, nationally significant arts organisation) to map the
terrains of Nottingham’s urban art ecology, identify its key strengths and weaknesses, and
engage key stakeholders. The appointed researcher will be guided by an ethics committee
from the host institution to make sure the research is conducted ethically.

Project Aims

Taking equality, diversity and inclusion matters seriously, this placement focuses on a pilot project that highlights the importance of place-based and grassroots arts practices, as well as the role of creative arts in developing regional cultural economies. The successful candidate will aim to:

To understand key scholarly literature and extant methodologies for research in arts.
To map key artists, artist groups/collectives and organisations in Nottingham.
To identify the opportunities and challenges faced by new artists in Nottingham, as well as key stakeholders for artists, artist groups and organisations in Nottingham.

What will the successful candidate be doing?

The candidate will carry out a small pilot study informed by the following methods and processes:

Carry out a literature review by reading key theories to become familiar with current methodological approaches in the field of arts research.
Conduct desk-based research to identify key artists, artist groups and organisations in Nottingham.
Working with UK New Artists, carry out interviews with 10 Nottingham-based artists about their creative activities and needs.
Produce a written research report that discusses the findings of the desk research, interviews, and which identifies key stakeholders for artists, artist groups and art organisations in Nottingham

Who are we looking for?

Please ensure you have read the eligibility criteria for the scheme, available on the main 2025 Research Placements page. For more details about the kind of candidates we are looking for, visit our Research Placements overview page.

Essential Competencies

Good organisation and time management skills
Good analytical and creative problem-solving skills
Strong oral and written communication skills
Knowledge of arts and artists in Nottingham/shire
Knowledge of key concepts, current issues and debates, and/or theories in the local and regional arts landscape.
Experience of working in the arts or an arts-relevant role.

Desirable Competencies

Experience of working on research-type, or similar projects.
Good leadership and teamworking skills.
Knowledge of key research methods in arts and humanities, art and design, or social sciences.
Practical knowledge of how arts institutions work and related cultural policies.
Knowledge of arts theory, history and scholarship.