Knowledge Exchange Strategy 2021-2026 - University of the Arts London - University of the ...
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University of the Arts London Knowledge Exchange Strategy 2021-2026
• Contents Contents 3 Vision, Mission, Values
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL 6 Knowledge Exchange at UAL
• Context 7 About UAL
• Our Strategy 2021-26 8 Our unique role and distinctive approach
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base 9 Context
10 A dynamic external environment
This is an interactive
11 A new phase of maturity
document. Please use the 13 The situated creative economy
navigation and contents to
help you by clicking on the
section you want to go to.
15 Our Strategy 2021-26
17 Strategy 1: Empowering creative agents
23 Strategy 2: Enhancing creative capacity
29 Strategy 3: Innovating creative solutions
35 Strategy 4: Inspiring creative change
41 Strategy 5: Co-creating better places
51 Scaling our impact
52 Continuous improvement
53 Monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement
64 Our evidence base
65 The evidence base informing our strategic approach
2
Vision,
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
• Context
Mission,
• Our Strategy 2021-26
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
Values
3
• Contents Vision, Mission, Values
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26 Vision Mission Values
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base To establish UAL’s knowledge To leverage this ecosystem to UAL is committed to the values of
exchange (KE) ecosystem as world- deliver transformative KE that will: social justice and sustainability. UAL’s
class, providing an exceptional KE activities are both civically engaged
environment for creative education • Tackle major global challenges and entrepreneurial, and aligned to our
and enquiry, and delivering a unique through multi-disciplinary partnerships charitable mission as a public educator.
quality and scale of creativity-driven • Empower a new generation
impact in the places that we operate. of creative, innovative and UAL, therefore, identifies KE as a form
entrepreneurial change-makers of social entrepreneurship – leveraging
• Further the UK’s leadership in the value of our knowledge, skills,
creativity-driven innovation methodologies and pedagogies to
• Co-create solutions to place-based enhance the delivery of our institutional
challenges with local communities mission, whilst delivering societal benefit
• Extend our reach and ability to create and promoting the value of creativity.
positive change through our networks
• Enable UAL to remain the #1
destination for creative talent globally
4
• Contents Underpinning our KE culture at UAL is a
• Vision, Mission, Values commitment to the following set of principles:
• KE at UAL
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
Sustainable Participatory
Knowledge
Transformative Exchange Innovative
at UAL is:
Inclusive Reflective
5 Figure 1.
Knowledge
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
About UAL
Exchange
Our Approach
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
at UAL
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
6
• Contents About UAL UAL is a specialist HEI, ranked second in the world for its
• Vision, Mission, Values creative education and knowledge creation, with campuses
• KE at UAL across London, and an internationally diverse staff and
> About UAL student cohort.
Our Approach
UAL is the largest tertiary provider of creative education in
• Context Europe, and the largest provider of education and training for
• Our Strategy 2021-26 creative professionals in London. UAL supports a significant
• Continuous improvement
part of the capital’s creative R&D, innovation and enterprise
infrastructure, and so makes a unique scale of contribution to
• Our evidence base
London’s creative economy, which in turn supports creative
economic growth across the UK and globally.
Our KE is shaped by our creative practices and pedagogies,
engaging our partners, communities and publics in activities
strategically focused on addressing particular challenges
and/or places; and supporting policy agendas such as
inclusive and sustainable development, social justice,
creative innovation, and resilient healthy communities.
7
• Contents Our distinctive approach
• Vision, Mission, Values
to knowledge exchange
• KE at UAL
About UAL
> Our Approach
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
Creative and transformative Ethical and values-driven A strategic priority
Our underpinning values and Our goal is to build resilient ethical KE is one of UAL’s key priorities,
mission place creativity at the heart partnerships at every scale from and our KE strategy is one of the
of positive social change, achieved local communities to industry and core development and delivery plans
through transformative education and government. Creative methodologies underpinning the ‘World Leading
creative enquiry. The issues society are used to empower all stakeholders Research and Enterprise’ pillar of our
faces are increasingly complex, to express their ideas and perspectives, institutional strategy (UAL Strategy
and require creative innovation and to co-create new values-driven 2015-2022) – it also contributes
and experimentation to generate solutions to the opportunities, significantly to the strategy’s other three
and prototype new solutions. challenges or issues identified. pillars of ‘Transformative Education’,
‘Communication and Collaboration’
Critical and participatory Transferable and context-specific and ‘Building an Inspirational
Environment’, and directly supports
Successful knowledge sharing Our methodologies for problem-solving and interacts with our Learning and
through creative disciplines occurs and generating creative solutions are Teaching, Research and International
by critiquing and creating together. transferable across industries, sectors, strategies. This new KE Strategy will
This is an inherently practical and communities and geographies. However, have a critical role in shaping our new
collaborative process, which is why the same methodologies are also institutional strategy – post-2022.
UAL excels at KE, and recognises KE underpinned by human-centred and
as a distinct form of academic practice, context-specific principles, enabling
which uses participatory learning us to work across diverse settings and
and creative processes to work with stakeholders, to arrive at highly tailored
others to build our collective capacity and culturally resonant solutions.
8 and capability for positive change.
Context
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
• Context
A dynamic external
environment
A new phase of maturity
The situated
creative economy
• Our Strategy 2021-26
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
9
• Contents A dynamic external Global challenges, Covid-19 and Brexit UAL’s unique role
• Vision, Mission, Values
environment
• KE at UAL The real impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic UAL recognises that as the UK’s largest HE
• Context and Brexit on the UK – socially, economically, creative arts knowledge base, located in a
> A dynamic external environmentally and culturally - are only city with one of the world’s leading creative
environment beginning to emerge, but early indications economies and most diverse cultures, we
A new phase of maturity are that these impacts will be transformative have a unique role to play. Leveraging our
The situated and far-reaching. They also intersect and global networks of partners to mobilise
creative economy further complicate other major global issues, multi-disciplinary responses to society’s
such as: sustainable development goals, major challenges, and supplying society
• Our Strategy 2021-26 climate emergency and its impact on global with highly-skilled creative innovators,
• Continuous improvement migration; ageing populations; and issues of entrepreneurs and change-makers. This
• Our evidence base human rights, social justice and inequality. recognition is why UAL places such a
strong emphasis on the importance of
This highly dynamic and disruptive KE, as a critical means for achieving the
environment provides universities with many full potential of our institutional impact.
opportunities to demonstrate the valuable
contribution they can make. A fact reflected Greater transparency and accountability
in the UK Government’s commitment to
increased investment in research and KE, its As Government recognition of the important
plan for growth, Research and Development role that universities can play in addressing
Roadmap, and the centrality of HEIs to economic and societal challenges has
supporting the ‘levelling-up’ agenda. increased, so has its investment in support of
KE – through the Higher Education Innovation
Why creativity is critical now Fund (HEIF). Understandably this has also
increased requirements for accountability
In a world of increasingly complex, and transparency regarding the public
challenging problems and accelerated value of this investment. These changes
change, it is critical that we leverage the UK’s have been welcomed by UAL, as significant
globally recognised leadership in creativity beneficiaries of HEIF, and our KE Strategy
to work in tandem with our world-class is intended to provide a clear indication
industries, STEM knowledge base, and civil of how continued HEIF investment will be
society to develop new solutions that are used to deliver demonstrable public value
transferable and scalable, whilst tailored to be aligned with UK Government priorities.
culturally and context-specific, and accessible
and responsive to their intended beneficiaries.
10• Contents A new phase of maturity UAL has consistently demonstrated a strong KE
• Vision, Mission, Values performance, with particular focus on:
• KE at UAL
• Context • provision of lifealong learning;
A dynamic external • start-up of graduate enterprises;
environment • creative innovation and R&D, and the sale or
> A new phase of maturity (open) licensing of intellectual property;
The situated • engaging students in KE activities, enhancing
creative economy their employability and entrepreneurism;
• partnership implementation of integrated place-making
• Our Strategy 2021-26 strategies for community and public engagement, social
• Continuous improvement innovation, environmental improvement and inclusive growth.
• Our evidence base
11• Contents Whilst UAL’s KE performance has always • a KE department with overall
• Vision, Mission, Values been strong, in the last 5 years we have strategic responsibility for managing
• KE at UAL also undertaken considerable work towards the development of our KE activities
• Context maturing the enabling environment for and environment across multiple
A dynamic external KE, this has included the creation of: Colleges and University services;
environment
> A new phase of maturity • a specific KE academic career • an Academic Enterprise department,
The situated pathway recognising and rewarding providing a business-focused approach to
creative economy professional excellence in KE, with the managing our large-scale lifelong learning
opportunity for both Readerships and provision, and ensuring we maintain an
• Our Strategy 2021-26 Professorships in KE, underpinned by effective, responsive and agile approach
• Continuous improvement clear criteria for evidencing performance to meeting market and industry needs;
• Our evidence base and achieving progression;
• a KPIs framework for KE across UAL
• new Institutes for research, knowledge providing a consistent set of
exchange and curriculum development performance measures for activity
in areas of institutional strength and across all strands of our KE Strategy;
external relevance: Creative Computing,
Decolonising Arts, Fashion Textiles • a KE Continuous improvement plan
and Technology and Social Design; providing a detailed set of actions towards
enhancing UAL’s KE environment, for
• dedicated KE academic governance, phased delivery over the period of the
with a tiered committee structure, KE Strategy. For more details of our
providing oversight of KE, and approach to monitoring, evaluation
reporting to UAL’s Academic Board and continuous improvement see the
and Court of Governors; Continuous improvement section.
• integrated governance for academic Over the forthcoming strategic period, UAL
ethics enabling the seamless management will also recruit a new Pro-Vice Chancellor
of ethical issues in academic activity role to provide dedicated Executive-level
across both research and KE; academic leadership capacity for Research
and KE, reflecting the increased priority
• specific KE academic leadership roles, being placed upon these activities.
supporting academic staff across UAL in
developing their KE work, and enhancing
the local enabling environment for KE;
12• Contents The situated creative economy Underpinning our KE Strategy is a strong and clear
• Vision, Mission, Values understanding of the creative economy, its inter-
• KE at UAL dependencies as a system, and the critical pathways by
• Context which we create positive change within this system.
A dynamic external
environment Our KE strategy also engages with the other important
A new phase of maturity intersecting systems in which creative economies are situated,
> The situated those of ‘place’ – primarily London, but also an emerging
creative economy set of other places, both nationally and internationally.
• Our Strategy 2021-26 In this strategy a distinction is made between ‘creative
• Continuous improvement economy’ and the ‘creative industries’, as although UAL
• Our evidence base has a critical role in relation to the creative industries, the
emphasis of our KE strategy is on leveraging systemic value
across the wider ‘creative economy’, which encompasses
all creative occupations and supply chains across sectors.
The information and intelligence that
informed this understanding of our context
can be found in Our evidence base.
Wider society
and economy
Our KE Creative
Places
ecosystem economy
13 Figure 3The creative
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
industries are the
• Context
A dynamic external
environment
A new phase of maturity
> The situated
creative economy
fastest-growing part
of the UK economy.
• Our Strategy 2021-26
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
(five times faster than the overall UK economy)
14Our Strategy
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
• Context
2021-26
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
15• Contents Our KE Strategy consists of:
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL • four key areas of distinctive
• Context mission-driven activity;
• Our Strategy 2021-26 • a coordinating place-making
1 - Empowering framework for deploying a
critical mass of these activities d continuous impro
creative agents
at ion an ve m
2 - Enhancing in specific geographical areas; E va lu ent
creative capacity • a commitment to evaluation
3 - Innovating and continuous improvement,
creative solutions
and the embedding of our
4 - Inspiring DUATE FU G L E A R NI N G
institutional values. GRA TU ON
creative change RE
FEL
I
5 - Co-creating
L
S
better places 1 - Empowering
2 - Enhancing
creative agents
Scaling our impact creative capacity
empowering new
globally enhancing
generations of creative
creative capacity, through
• Continuous improvement entrepreneurs,
excellence in training
innovators and
• Our evidence base C E - M A KI NG and practise
change-makers PLA
Co-creating
better places
Collaborating with local
stakeholders to create
new physical, social,
and cultural capital
PU
N
BL
IO
3 - Innovating 4 - Inspiring
IC
AT
R & D I N N OV
E
creative solutions creative change
NG A
partnering to take inspiring and facilitating
G E M E NT
powerful people-centred positive change
approaches to global through high quality
and place-based community and public
challenges engagement
Sh
ap it y
ed bil
na
th r tai
o ug
hou s us
t by ea nd
em b ed
ded values of social j ustic
16 Figure 4.• Contents Strategy 1 Empowering Creative Agents
• Vision, Mission, Values
Empowering new generations of creative
• KE at UAL
• Context
entrepreneurs, innovators and change-makers
• Our Strategy 2021-26
> 1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
17• Contents The strengths KE is systematically embedded We attract the world’s leading creative talent
• Vision, Mission, Values in our educational model
of our approach
• KE at UAL UAL is ranked second in the world for Art
• Context Learning through practice and exchange is and Design in the 2020 QS World University
• Our Strategy 2021-26 fundamental to any creative arts education, Rankings®, and so we attract and nurture
> 1 - Empowering and at the core of our pedagogies. At some of the most creatively talented
creative agents UAL we embed KE systemically across graduates from around the world. This is
2 - Enhancing our educational provision and student evidenced by the performance of our alumni:
creative capacity experience, through a number of
3 - Innovating specific mechanisms, these include: • Over two thirds of the winners of British
creative solutions
Designer of the Year are UAL alumni;
4 - Inspiring
creative change
• Our Creative Attributes Framework (CAF) • Over half of fashion designers
Our Creative Attributes Framework enables showing at London Fashion Week
5 - Co-creating
better places embedding of employability and enterprise 2018 were UAL alumni;
Scaling our impact skills acquisition into all curriculum design; • UAL has produced over half of all Turner
Prize winners since its inception in 1984;
• Continuous improvement
• Our emphasis on situated, experiential • 36 of the 77 Royal Academicians are
and project-based learning UAL alumni, serving or former staff;
• Our evidence base
Our students learn by applying their
subjects in real world contexts, We also have the UK’s most
responding to ‘live’ challenges set by real entrepreneurial graduates
organisations, incl. multi-nationals, SMEs,
government, NGOs, and communities; UAL is the highest ranked university in
the UK for students graduating to start
• Our employer engagement and manage a business, according to
All courses involve external organisations independent research, which found that
in curriculum development and 20% of UAL’s alumni become business
validation, ensuring currency, quality leaders, with almost 10% forming their own
and relevance of course content; start up. UAL supports this through various
platforms for entrepreneurship education
• Our specialist staff and support, incl. the Centre for Fashion
Our courses draw upon a rich network of Enterprise, Not Just a Shop, Enterprise
academic practitioners, many of whom are Awards, and Enterprise Alumni Association.
leaders in their field, and activities are also
supported by specialist KE professionals,
who ensure students understand the
terms of engagement, and that both third
party relationships and student IP are
managed and contracted effectively;
18• Contents Our objectives 1) To continue to scale our delivery of high 4) To use our academic position, critical mass
• Vision, Mission, Values quality, transformative and inclusive KE- (of research and graduating students)
• KE at UAL based external/industry engagement and networks of external influence to
• Context opportunities for our students, ensuring: better understand and address structural
• Our Strategy 2021-26 social justice issues (such as anti-
> 1 - Empowering • access to all, where potential barriers to racism) within the creative economy
creative agents participation are identified and mitigated; and society as a whole, to ensure equal
2 - Enhancing • clear terms of engagement access for all to creative careers.
creative capacity for all participants;
3 - Innovating • well defined delivery models to 5) To launch a professional employment
creative solutions
ensure efficient and consistent agency and employment business (UAL
4 - Inspiring
creative change
quality management; ArtsTemps) that supports UAL students
and graduates into paid employment, and
5 - Co-creating
better places 2) To develop more strategic partnerships supports London’s creative economy to
Scaling our impact with external organisations wanting to: access the talent it needs, through fair and
equal opportunities recruitment processes.
• Continuous improvement
• directly identify and recruit
creative talent, and/or invest in 6) To build the evidence base of the
• Our evidence base
shaping their talent pipeline; value of creative graduates’ careers (in
• gain insights by working with creative and employment and enterprise) in financial
diverse cohorts of future taste-makers; and non-financial terms, to create a
• inject their innovation processes more sophisticated understanding
with fresh perspectives; of creative graduate futures.
3) To further enhance UAL support for
student and graduate entrepreneurship,
by providing greater access to
enterprise education and post-study
enterprise support. This will:
• build on existing good practice, and current
Careers and Employability provision;
• offer greater discipline and sector specificity;
• develop upon valuable alumni
entrepreneur networks;
• enhance support for creative
business start-up, incubation,
acceleration and investment;
19• Contents Our KPIs 1) Increasing the number of inclusive KE- 4) Increasing the number of students and
• Vision, Mission, Values related opportunities for our students, graduates participating in our inclusive
• KE at UAL as well as the number of students enterprise education and/or enterprise
• Context participating in such opportunities, and support programmes, as well as the
• Our Strategy 2021-26 the income these generate for courses number of graduate enterprises that UAL
> 1 - Empowering to reinvest in further enhancement successfully incubates and accelerates.
creative agents of the student experience.
2 - Enhancing 5) Increasing the number of external
creative capacity 2) Increasing the number and value organisations (incl. investors) involved
3 - Innovating of the supported opportunities for in our student and graduate enterprise
creative solutions
UAL’s students and graduates to programmes, and the value and
4 - Inspiring
creative change
commercialise their IP, through third number of Enterprise Awards.
party relationships held by UAL.
5 - Co-creating
better places 6) Increasing the number of new initiatives
Scaling our impact 3) Increasing the number and value of directly addressing issues of social
employment opportunities we offer justice in the creative economy,
• Continuous improvement
to our students and graduates, while particularly in removing potential
ensuring fair recruitment practices access barriers to creative careers.
• Our evidence base
through systemic delivery of opportunities
to students and graduates. 7) Increasing the scale of our alumni
entrepreneur networks, and increasing the
number of alumni supporting our enterprise
and employability programmes of activity.
20• Contents Trends and These key challenges and opportunities are • The trend towards automation
• Vision, Mission, Values shared by UAL and its students and graduates: The recent World Economic Forum’s
challenges
• KE at UAL 'The Future of Jobs Report 2020' identifies
• Context 1) An uncertain economic future, but the twin impacts of the pandemic
• Our Strategy 2021-26 a certain need for creativity and increased automation as having
> 1 - Empowering Whilst the dual impact of the Covid-19 a dramatic impact on the type of new
creative agents pandemic and Brexit upon the UK’s talent that businesses are seeking to
2 - Enhancing creative economy is difficult to predict, recruit – citing ‘the top skills and skill
creative capacity there is reason for optimism in the groups which employers see as rising in
3 - Innovating longer-term. The UK’s creative economy prominence […] as critical thinking and
creative solutions
has proven to be highly adaptable and analysis as well as problem-solving, and
4 - Inspiring
creative change
resilient, and a distinctive strength skills in self-management such as active
of the UK economy as a whole. learning, resilience, stress tolerance
5 - Co-creating
better places and flexibility.’ Development of these
Scaling our impact Optimism for its recovery is skills and competencies is inherent to
based on the combination of: a high-level creative education, and
• Continuous improvement
positions UAL’s graduates strongly in
• The need for innovation this fast-changing environment, where
• Our evidence base
The need across sectors to rethink existing individuals with such skill groups will
products, services, business models and be highly valued, particularly in relation
market strategies, creating a demand to the many emerging new professions
for young creative professionals, with at the interface between humans,
the professional skills, energy, digital machines and algorithms – which is
literacy and inspiration to drive creative exactly where UAL’s Creative Computing
innovation, in the UK and beyond; Institute and Fashion, Textiles and
Technology Institute are positioned;
• The challenge of regional equalisation
The creative economy is highly suited
to delivering upon the UK Government’s
‘levelling up’ agenda of addressing regional
inequalities, as it creates prosperity
at many different levels, successfully
scales in many different contexts, and
also creates spillover benefits that lead
to the creation of places that are more
attractive to live, work and visit.
2122.5% of UAL’s alumni
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
become business
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
> 1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating leaders, with
14% forming their
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
own start up.
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
22• Contents Strategy 2 Enhancing creative capacity
• Vision, Mission, Values
Globally enhancing creative capacity,
• KE at UAL
• Context
through excellence in training and practice
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
> 2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
23• Contents The strengths of our approach Delivery of non-degree and pre-degree creative training
• Vision, Mission, Values and education is fully embedded into our business models.
• KE at UAL Since the middle of the 19th century UAL’s constituent
• Context colleges have provided part-time creative education and
• Our Strategy 2021-26 training outside the degree experience. Over the last 30 years
1 - Empowering we have built on this with the development of nimble twenty-
creative agents first century business models and management to deliver
> 2 - Enhancing this at scale. This has enabled us to weather the impact of
creative capacity the pandemic with relatively little loss of impact or income.
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
We offer both non-credit and qualification-
4 - Inspiring
creative change
driven learning to meet market needs
Our non-degree learning operations are structured to be able
5 - Co-creating
better places to offer non-credit short courses; regulated qualifications
Scaling our impact for pre-degree learners mostly at FE colleges across all four
nations of the UK; and pipeline-focused English Language
• Continuous improvement
preparation courses for international learners. This range of
operations attracts 90,000 learners annually and enables
• Our evidence base
us to have a flexible approach in delivering learning that
meets the needs of UAL’s wide range of degree courses.
We employ creative teaching and training talent
at scale and attract students globally
We have built up a pool of over 1,200 creative tutors (for
over-18s), teachers (for under-18s), English Language
specialists and External Moderators. Our teaching staff are
firmly rooted in the creative professions and enable us to offer
a constantly changing and up-to-date set of courses and
qualifications which attract students from across the world.
We view creative learning as an asset and
experience for learners of all ages
Notwithstanding the pandemic during 2020 we have managed
to launch a new learning programme, Future Creatives,
aimed at students of 7 years upwards which complements
the 25% of our short course students who are over 35.
24• Contents Our objectives 1) While we have weathered the pandemic 4) We will develop an online, low
• Vision, Mission, Values by pivoting to online delivery, we are not residency and face-to-face provision
• KE at UAL meeting all the needs of our learners if that supports work-based learning
• Context we do not offer a face-to-face learning and integrates with our postgraduate
• Our Strategy 2021-26 experience. Over 2021 – 2023 we aim provision to support higher level learning.
1 - Empowering to deliver the final 2 years of our 3-year This will include micro-credentials
creative agents re-building business plan, which aims to and industry-focused offers.
> 2 - Enhancing retain our online learning while rebuilding
creative capacity our vibrant face-to-face programme. 5) The UAL Awarding Body will expand
3 - Innovating its offer into a range of new courses at
creative solutions
2) We aim to intervene in the challenge level 2, 3, 4 and 5 which will support
4 - Inspiring
creative change
presented by the decline of creative non-degree learners into the creative
education in schools, which is only likely to sector. They will focus on technical and
5 - Co-creating
better places worsen with the need to deliver catch-up professional education for non-traditional
Scaling our impact learning in schools across the UK. We will learners who might not feel that HE is
do this by building on our successful trial an appropriate path into a career.
• Continuous improvement
of the UK’s first graded awards in art and
design subjects. When fully operational 6) The UAL Awarding Body will consider
• Our evidence base
these will complement the long-standing in detail whether GCSEs and A-levels
provision in music, dance and drama would be an appropriate extension of its
offered by other awarding organisations. current offer. This will need to take into
account the risks and costs of developing
3) We will build on the major pivot to new school-focused qualifications.
online learning in art, design and English
Language that took place in March 7) UAL will complete its redesign of the
and April 2020 by supporting future English Language preparation offer to
developments with an online learning focus more on ensuring diversity in its
pedagogic support unit. The unit will have pipeline of international students.
specific expertise in short-form learning
and the pedagogy and systems needed 8) We will grow our wellbeing and ‘return
to replace this. This will also enable our to creativity’ focus for older learners.
non-credit and pre-degree offer to form This will reflect trends we have seen for
part of UAL’s future online expansion. some time, but will also be a response
to the focus on lifestyle change
that is likely after the pandemic.
25• Contents Our KPIs UAL already has a robust set of financial and data
• Vision, Mission, Values driven KPIs for its provision of non-credit and pre-
• KE at UAL degree learning. This has been bolstered by the
• Context implementation of a new Learner Management System
• Our Strategy 2021-26 which went live in late 2020. Some key metrics are:
1 - Empowering
creative agents • Income
> 2 - Enhancing • Student numbers
creative capacity • Course occupancy
3 - Innovating • Pass rates for English Language learners
creative solutions
• Success profile for FE learners (pass/merit/distinction)
4 - Inspiring
creative change
while avoiding grade inflation
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
26• Contents Trends and challenges • A reduction in creative curriculum in schools, but a growing
• Vision, Mission, Values demand outside – despite the obvious value of creative
• KE at UAL education to the competitiveness and health of any future
• Context knowledge economy, there have been successive moves
• Our Strategy 2021-26 to reduce the emphasis given to creative subjects within
1 - Empowering state schools’ curricula. While this is unfortunate, and likely
creative agents to be deeply regrettable at the national level, it has created
> 2 - Enhancing a demand for creative education outside of and beyond
creative capacity school curriculum, which has enabled UAL to develop
3 - Innovating new educational provision that caters to this market, and
creative solutions
which will hopefully ensure that the UK’s creative talent
4 - Inspiring
creative change
pipeline is not too negatively impacted in the longer-term.
5 - Co-creating
better places • The constantly changing nature of the creative industries
Scaling our impact which requires us to constantly innovate our offer
• Continuous improvement
• The impact of Covid and Brexit on the mobility of learners
which will mean that we will need to continue to be flexible
• Our evidence base
about modes of delivery for the foreseeable future.
27We view creative
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
learning as an asset
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
> 2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating and experience for
learners of all ages.
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
28• Contents Strategy 3 Innovating creative solutions
• Vision, Mission, Values
Partnering to take powerful people-centred
• KE at UAL
• Context
approaches to global and place-based challenges
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
> 3 - Innovating
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
29• Contents The strengths of our approach Successful innovation relies on sophisticated creative
• Vision, Mission, Values decision-making, and collaborative ideation and prototyping
• KE at UAL processes. UAL’s staff are expert at leading and facilitating
• Context such processes to deliver innovation that is not only
• Our Strategy 2021-26 context-specific, but which simultaneously develops
1 - Empowering innovation capability and capacity for those we work with.
creative agents
2 - Enhancing Our approach is highly transferable across a range of
creative capacity industrial and civic settings. We believe in adopting a
> 3 - Innovating quintuple helix framework for our place-based work,
creative solutions
recognising the importance of our environmental parameters
4 - Inspiring
creative change
when working with partners from industry, education,
government, and civil society. We work through trans-
5 - Co-creating
better places disciplinary partnerships to ideate, innovate and co-
Scaling our impact create more sustainable, resilient and inclusive futures.
• Continuous improvement
UAL’s specialist sector knowledge and extensive professional
networks means we have a deep understanding of the creative
• Our evidence base
economy, the challenges faced by a diversity of sectors, as
well as opportunities for innovation and growth. Many creative
economy businesses are led by our own alumni, and we
have a strong commitment to helping them to thrive, and to
access the various external resources that can enable this.
30• Contents Our objectives 1) To position UAL as the first choice 2) To further establish UAL as the
• Vision, Mission, Values creative partner for projects addressing leading UK HEI for delivering large-
• KE at UAL complex intersecting global challenges, scale creative economy-driven R&D/
• Context such as those identified by the innovation programmes, leveraging
• Our Strategy 2021-26 Global Challenges Research Fund, our expertise and partners to:
1 - Empowering and the United Nations Sustainable
creative agents Development Goals – including: a. deliver against Build Back Better
2 - Enhancing priorities and the UK R&D Roadmap;
creative capacity • Sustainability, resilience and b. leverage the creative economy to
> 3 - Innovating the circular economy; support wider economic and social
creative solutions
• Social justice, migration, recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,
4 - Inspiring
creative change
identity, and inclusion; and to address regional inequalities;
• Creative, innovative and ethical c. enable UK businesses to use
5 - Co-creating
better places uses of emerging technologies; creative innovation to thrive
Scaling our impact • Inclusive economies and sustainable internationally post-Brexit;
development; d. support business creation and innovation
• Continuous improvement
• Resilient and healthy communities; amongst creative economy SMEs;
• Our evidence base
3) To extend the reach and impact of our
Environment established models for quintuple helix
social innovation1 – addressing complex
local social challenges by empowering
all local stakeholders to contribute
to the problem-solving process.
Academia
4) To undertake a step-change in the
ambition and scale of our partnership
project activity in these challenge-led
areas, building specialist capability and
Industry Government
capacity around UAL’s new Institutes
as the focus for this step-change.
Civil Society 5) To create new platforms for external
engagement that foreground our
specific academic expertise in
addressing challenges from the
local to the global context.
Figure 5.
'The Quintuple Helix innovation model: global
warming as a challenge and driver for innovation'
31 (Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.)• Contents Our KPIs 1) Increasing the number and scale of collaborative R&D/
• Vision, Mission, Values innovation and business support projects in which we are
• KE at UAL either the lead or partner for delivery (including KTPs).
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26 2) Increasing our income from delivery of collaborative
1 - Empowering research, contract research, and consultancy, as well
creative agents as our intellectual property (IP) licensing and sales2.
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity 3) Increasing the amount of R&D project funding we leverage
> 3 - Innovating from non-HE partners, in support of the UK Government’s
creative solutions
objective to grow R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP.
4 - Inspiring
creative change
4) Increasing the number and diversity of our strategic
5 - Co-creating
better places innovation partnerships with industry and also public
Scaling our impact and third sector organisations (strategic partnerships
are defined by UAL as those third parties with which we
• Continuous improvement
have a formal multi-annual and multi-activity contractual
relationship, with a clearly defined set of shared objectives).
• Our evidence base
5) Increasing the number of HEIs with which we have regular
collaborative R&D and wider KE-related partnerships.
6) Continuing to provide a high level of support to creative
businesses, maintaining or increasing the number
of new products, processes and jobs created.
32• Contents Trends and Trends and focus Challenges
• Vision, Mission, Values
challenges
• KE at UAL UAL has three key areas of strategic focus • Lack of R&D capacity and finance
• Context for further developing its innovation activity: There are well-documented challenges
• Our Strategy 2021-26 for HEIs in delivering R&D/innovation
1 - Empowering • Creative industry businesses – into the creative industries, the most
creative agents seeking to benefit from our sector- common of which are the perceived cost
2 - Enhancing specific knowledge, collaborative and barriers to finance, and the lack of
creative capacity innovation methodologies and R&D capacity within businesses that
> 3 - Innovating professional training capability; are mostly SMES or micros/freelancers.
creative solutions
Both of these challenges are likely to
4 - Inspiring
creative change
• Non-creative sector businesses seeking be impacted further by effects of the
creative innovation – typically needing to: Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.
5 - Co-creating
better places - innovate their existing products or services
Scaling our impact to create or appeal to new markets; • Lack of national R&D infrastructure
- develop or drive innovation within their Many other disciplines and sectors have
• Continuous improvement
creative industries supply chains; benefitted from historic investment in
- build capacity for creative visible and recognized regional and
• Our evidence base
innovation amongst their staff; national R&D infrastructures, providing
key locations for the brokering of
• Local Government or NGOs – collaborative R&D. The lack of equivalents
seeking application of creative for creative disciplines and industries
innovation into place-based challenge has led to a comparative immaturity in
contexts, and internationally in the the structured and strategic networks
field of sustainable development. for collaborative R&D in these fields.
In recent years, there has been a strong • Need for further appropriate public
increase in demand for our expertise in: funding instruments
In recent years, there has been a welcome
• sustainability and the circular economy; and growing number of EU and UK funding
• design thinking and its application across schemes focused on R&D challenges for
the innovation process (product to policy); the creative economy. Our participation in
• creative application of these (for example, through the Business
emerging technologies; of Fashion, Textiles and Technology
• intersections between cultural programme) has been very positive and
production, creative economy, hopefully highlighted what can be achieved
and issues of social justice; with appropriate creative economy-
• participatory social innovation processes; focused funding instruments in place.
co-creating solutions with
local stakeholders.
33Our approach is highly
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
transferable across
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
>
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating a range of industrial
and civic settings.
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
34• Contents Strategy 4 Inspiring creative change
• Vision, Mission, Values
Inspiring and facilitating positive change through
• KE at UAL
• Context
high quality public and community engagement
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
35• Contents The strengths of our approach As the UK’s largest art and design university, with campuses
• Vision, Mission, Values across London, a commitment to public and community
• KE at UAL engagement (P&CE) lies at the core of UAL’s practical
• Context purpose. Our approach embraces the public context
• Our Strategy 2021-26 as a large-scale learning environment, where staff and
1 - Empowering students are societal resources, and creative education is
creative agents embedded in processes of engagement and participation.
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity For UAL, culture and creativity are fundamentally
3 - Innovating collaborative, undertaken with a diverse range of publics.
creative solutions
This is why UAL has consistently had one of the largest
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
and most accessed public programmes amongst UK
universities, reaching audiences from local to international,
5 - Co-creating
better places engaging more than 500,000 people, through over 350
Scaling our impact initiatives per year. In addition to our public programme,
we also deliver a range of participatory community
• Continuous improvement
engagement activities, strategically focused in particular
areas of the capital (see Co-creating better places), providing
• Our evidence base
depth, continuity and focus for our local engagement.
UAL also has an ambitious Access and Participation Plan
2020-25, and associated Insights programme of widening
participation initiatives across Greater London, a UK-
wide UAL School and College Network, and a strong
commitment to improving the quality of creative education
at pre-HE levels (see Enhancing creative capacity).
36• Contents Our objectives 1) To grow the scale and reach of our P&CE, inspiring
• Vision, Mission, Values diverse and new audiences, and engaging more
• KE at UAL individuals and groups from local communities in
• Context cultural production, through participatory practices that
• Our Strategy 2021-26 support upskilling and increased creative confidence.
1 - Empowering
creative agents 2) To work with our civic and community partners to
2 - Enhancing access new and increased levels of project funding
creative capacity to support delivery of our shared objectives.
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
3) To pursue greater access and wider participation in
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
creative education at all levels, through partnerships with
schools, colleges and other Further Education providers.
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact 4) To expand the role of high quality P&CE in strengthening
our civic partnerships in places of strategic focus, ensuring
• Continuous improvement
successful integration with wider programmes of activity.
• Our evidence base
5) To significantly increase our institutional reach, by
building upon our learning from the Covid-19 pandemic,
and digitally platforming more of our P&CE activities,
and working with partners to improve the innovative
quality of our engagement platforms and tools.
6) To further develop the strategic focus of our P&CE
activities, and gain external recognition for their strength
and quality, and our approach to continuous improvement.
37• Contents Our KPIs 1) Continuing to attract high audience numbers for
• Vision, Mission, Values our public programme; maximising participant
• KE at UAL engagement in our programmes of place-based
• Context P&CE; and increasing our number of online events
• Our Strategy 2021-26 and their related engagement numbers.
1 - Empowering
creative agents 2) Maximising the levels of grant and leveraged
2 - Enhancing funding we generate for our P&CE programmes from
creative capacity individual philanthropic, private, public and third
3 - Innovating sector sources – focusing on the additional resources
creative solutions
we create for our civic and community partners.
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
3) Increasing the number of education providers we are
5 - Co-creating
better places engaging with to provide young people with exposure and/
Scaling our impact or access to high quality creative education, as well as the
range of provision we make available to such partners.
• Continuous improvement
4) Developing new academic communities of practice
• Our evidence base
around the planning and evaluation of P&CE activities,
sharing good practice for wider implementation, and
producing an online set of tools and guidance resources.
5) Producing a specific P&CE plan for UAL that
roadmaps a distinct approach to the strategic
development and continuous improvement of our
P&CE activities, as well as offering guidance on
quality management, data capture and analysis.
6) Achieving, within this strategic period, an NCCPE
award in recognition of the quality of our P&CE
activity and supporting environment.
38• Contents Trends and Trends and focus Challenges
• Vision, Mission, Values
challenges
• KE at UAL • Growing recognition of the value • Recognising and quality managing
• Context of culture-led regeneration P&CE as a distinct activity
• Our Strategy 2021-26 Over recent decades there has been a The National Centre for Community
1 - Empowering growing appreciation of the value of culture- and Public Engagement (NCCPE) has
creative agents led regeneration (covered in more detail in done excellent work in improving the HE
2 - Enhancing Co-creating better places), which, given sector’s understanding of good practice
creative capacity UAL’s expertise in this field, has created in P&CE. Having used the NCCPE’s self-
3 - Innovating substantial opportunities to apply this assessment tool, it became obvious that
creative solutions
knowledge into a variety of new contexts. while UAL has a high volume of P&CE
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
activity, some of which is award-winning,
• Recognised potential for creative this activity is often embedded in other
5 - Co-creating
better places upskilling to support rehabilitation activities, and so we are not always
Scaling our impact and entry into employment able to evidence or evaluate its distinct
There is a growing body of evidence impact, or to implement a consistent best
• Continuous improvement
to support the value of participation practice approach to delivery. Changing
in creative activities for those who are this culture will be the major challenge
• Our evidence base
marginalized in society and/or face of this strand of our KE Strategy.
difficulties in accessing meaningful
employment. At UAL we have contributed
to this evidence base through our award-
winning projects in prisons – e.g. Makeright
Design Academy and Making for Change,
and our work with refugee journalists.
These activities reflect our commitment to
social justice and we will seek to further
develop our project portfolio in this area.
• Increased awareness in government
of the value of design-thinking
In recent years there has been an
increased interest in design thinking at all
levels of government – with a focus on
how P&CE can help shape public policy
and public service delivery. At UAL we
have a strong track-record of working
with government in this way, and strong
partnerships already in place, which we will
be building on further over coming years.
39For UAL, culture
• Contents
• Vision, Mission, Values
• KE at UAL
and creativity are
• Context
• Our Strategy 2021-26
1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating fundamentally
collaborative.
creative solutions
> 4 - Inspiring
creative change
5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
40• Contents Strategy 5 Co-creating better places
• Vision, Mission, Values
Collaborating with local stakeholders
• KE at UAL
• Context
to create new economic, social,
• Our Strategy 2021-26 environmental and cultural capital
1 - Empowering
creative agents
2 - Enhancing
creative capacity
3 - Innovating
creative solutions
4 - Inspiring
creative change
> 5 - Co-creating
better places
Scaling our impact
• Continuous improvement
• Our evidence base
41• Contents The strengths of We have a strong tradition achieve these outcomes, by surfacing the
• Vision, Mission, Values of civic engagement complex dynamics of social, cultural and
our approach
• KE at UAL economic tensions affecting a place and
• Context The specific histories and achievements its people, and co-designing solutions to
• Our Strategy 2021-26 of our Colleges have built a long tradition these. This ensures any change plans are
1 - Empowering of civic engagement with the creative and responsive to such dynamics, and can
creative agents professional life of the capital, as well as better address some of the more persistent
2 - Enhancing strong local partnerships and networks. It and detrimental issues that can inhibit
creative capacity is founded on such strengths that we have successful renewal or entrench particular
3 - Innovating developed our place-focused strategies. inequalities. Place-making at UAL is engaging
creative solutions
These seek to enhance our partnership in the complexity of local ecosystems
4 - Inspiring
creative change
networks and resources in specific places, to promote more ethical, equitable and
delivering integrated programmes of sustainable modes of development.
> 5 - Co-creating
better places developmental activities that create new
Scaling our impact economic, social, environmental and Our approach is transferable
cultural capital for local stakeholders. In
• Continuous improvement
recent years, UAL has invested £154m Our places for strategic focus in London
in the regeneration of priority areas of were identified in UAL’s HEIF strategy
• Our evidence base
London, through its capital programme, 2016-2021, and since then we have
and will invest a further £468m by 2025. commissioned several reports to refresh our
evidence-base. This has also enabled us to
We understand places as identify further sub-regions of London with
complex systems significant potential for creative economy-
led growth, as well as other places nationally
For place-based partnerships to be and internationally where UAL may have
successful, a shared vision for change a productive role to play. For UAL, place-
is required that is culturally resonant making is not just about working within
and inclusive of all local stakeholders, existing local communities, but extends into
and underpinned by effective change other places, sectors and clusters where
infrastructure. UAL’s engagement and our expertise aligns to local priorities, and
infra-structuring methodologies, and multi- offers opportunity for meaningful partnership
disciplinary approaches, enable us to working and achievement of shared goals.
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