UK museums during the COVID-19 crisis: Assessing risk, closure, and resilience

About the project This project investigated how ‘big data techniques’ can inform research into the UK museum sector. It combined inter-related strands of qualitative and quantitative research. The study sought to develop new ways to collect data on museums using web analytics, natural language processing and sentiment analysis to digitally track trends as they emerge. […]

UK literary heritage sites and COVID-19: Measuring impact, enhancing resilience, and learning lessons

About the project This study sought to identify and quantify the challenges posed to UK literary heritage sites by Covid-19, to evaluate and compare responses between sites, and to help the sector develop its future resilience. Principal Investigator Dr David Rudrum(University of Huddersfield) UKRI website Explore related projects Bridging Distance in the Creative Industries Cultural […]

The New Real: Trust and Acceptance in Networked Online Experience to Enable and Support Post-COVID-19 Recovery

About the project This research sought to experiment with new experiences for everyday living and for new practices, infrastructures and business models for the cultural sector in response to the challenges of COVID-19. Methods employed included a blend of futures design processes and collaborative co-creation. Projects have particular implications for understandings around the digital pivot […]

Online teaching and learning with digitised collections in higher education contexts

About the project This was a joint project between members of the University Museums in Scotland (UMIS) group. The research explored the opportunities, capacities and barriers for digital engagement with museums collections and issues around interoperability between institutions. It evaluated the impact of collections-based university teaching that was moved to online and digital delivery during […]

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 […]

Impacts of COVID-19 on the cultural sector and implications for policy

About the project This project aimed to deepen understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on cultural organisations, on the cultural sector workforce, and on audiences. There were three strands to this mixed methods research programme. The first examined the impacts on the cultural sector, analysing large data-sets including the ONS Labour Force Survey. These were […]

Digital footprints and search pathways: Working with National Collections in Scotland during COVID-19 lockdown to design future online provision

About the project The pandemic was particularly damaging for Scotland’s many museums and galleries since many had undeveloped online infrastructures. This research undertook a longitudinal study of the digital footprints of users in two national collections – National Museums Scotland and National Galleries of Scotland over a 12 month period. It examined how people engaged […]

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 […]

Online access to cultural activities for people living with brain injury

About the project The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns magnified the challenges that individuals with ABI experienced, with increased isolation and loneliness due to shutdown of services as well as increased risk of anxiety and depression. Brain Waves is a 12-week online performance arts programme developed for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) during the COVID-19 […]

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 […]