We're delighted to share that Dr. Joseph Owen, Specialist Policy Officer at PPS and Research Fellow at the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities (SIAH), has been awarded a £135k research grant to explore how the visual arts can drive greater cultural participation and reshape cultural policy across the UK.
The project, as part of the LUCIA network, focuses on enriching urban culture to inspire future artists from all backgrounds. With the Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN) and Local Government Association (LGA), the project will produce a policy brief, framework, and two toolkits. Drawing on diverse experiences across the visual arts will spur a redesign of cultural policies at a local and national level - as councils, community groups, and government require a model that encompasses UK visual arts practice: from painting and ceramics to photography and architecture. Joseph is also leading and coordinating the wider LUCIA program, involving other projects, from Challenging Coercive Control through Participatory Theatre, to Tackling Racial Injustice and Unlocking Cultural Access in Coastal Communities.
Joseph was also recently selected to attend the Institute for Government's 'Engaging with Government' Workshop. This included sharing his area of research and how to use evidence to engage successfully with Policy. During the workshop, a cross-University cohort was established, inspiring future collaboration between Southampton and other institutions.