Libraries in lockdown: Scottish public libraries and their role in community cohesion and resilience

About the project This research examined Scottish Public Libraries and their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, it explored the ways in which they have, through their digital offerings, helped to support community resilience and cohesion. It also examined the challenges that faced libraries during lockdown. Methods used included social media analysis, alongside interviews […]

Visitor Interaction and Machine Curation in the Virtual Liverpool Biennial: A Towards a National Collection Covid-19 Project

About the project This project started from the observation that most machine learning and artifical intelligence systems are deployed in a GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums) context as etiher search engines or as ways to automate cataloguing. The research team proposed to use machine learning in a more interactive setting. The project led to […]

Downloading a New Normal

About the project The project examined the ‘digital turn’ brought about by COVID, which compelled a move from analogue to digital in public libraries in the UK. It considered multiple impacts of this work, including organisational and sectoral issues, ethical issues, and user information and behaviour issues. The project drew together academic experts in information […]

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The Pandemic and the Future of Arts and Humanities Research

Blakeney Clark is a final year English Literature undergraduate at Exeter University. She has been working as a student intern on the Pandemic & Beyond project media team, specialising in social media engagement. In this blog, she offers her perspective on the future of arts and humanities research as one of the ‘next generation’ emerging […]

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Pandemic & Beyond Response to Draft Terms of Reference for the UK COVID-19 Inquiry

Submitted 7 April 2022. This response to the COVID-19 inquiry draft terms of reference consultation is based on evidence drawn from a meta-analysis and ethics review of pandemic impact research, which has been jointly commissioned by the UK Pandemic Ethics Accelerator and Pandemic & Beyond, two UKRI/AHRC funded initiatives. The review is intended for submission […]

Coping Creatively: Arts, Health and Wellbeing

Communities and Wellbeing This group of projects focuses on the impact of arts organisations and grassroots groups on supporting societal wellbeing, mental health and social support issues arising in the pandemic. Spaces and Places This group of projects identify and examine the spatial, geographical and developmental disparities experienced in the pandemic, but also how spaces […]

Bridging Distance in the Creative Industries

Digital Performance This group of projects catalogues, analyses, and evaluates the tremendous advances in digital innovation, which artists and stakeholders in the creative industries have made during the pandemic. Analogue Performance and Creative Industry Structures These projects have examined how hybrid modes of performance, and new, more responsive structures in the creative industries, have offered […]

Combating Social Isolation through Creative and Community Engagement: COVID and beyond (Community COVID)

About the project The focus of this project has been on people experiencing lockdown, self-isolation, and shielding. It has assessed the effects for health and wellbeing of arts and creative activities during this time. In particular, research has explored the impact of engagement on those who are vulnerable as a result of economic, physical, psychological […]

Pandemic and Beyond Podcasts

The Pandemic and Beyond podcasts showcase the vital contribution that Arts and Humanities research has made to Covid-19 response and recovery. In each episode, a member of our team speaks to a project leader and someone that their project has had an impact on to find out about how their research is helping us deal […]