UCL Culture Strategy Printed.pdf

UCL CULTURE
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UCL Culture
Strategy 2020—2025

Introduction from
Professor Anthony Smith,
Vice Provost, Education
and Student Affairs

am very pleased to write a few words of introduction to this
n
I ew strategy. As stewards of some of UCL’s most prestigious
col ections and gal eries, museums and performance spaces, the
team in UCL Culture has developed an exciting new strategy to
ensure that these are enjoyed by the university’s staff and students
and also offer a way in for the public not only to see what we
do, but to engage with the university community and enrich our
thinking with their insights and experiences.
We have some new and transformed spaces. The iconic
Bloomsbury Theatre has re-opened with a transformation of
the foyer and main auditorium that is both spectacular and
sympathetic. In addition to its successful commercial programme,
there will be more opportunities for staff and students to explore
the contribution of performance to education and research in the
Main Theatre and also in the Studio.
We will also have a new Object-Based Learning Laboratory in
the historic Wilkins Building, adjacent to the Octagon Gal ery.
This unique facility will offer new ways for researchers, students
and members of the public to study and appreciate some of the
extraordinary objects in our collection.
I hope everyone who reads this will enjoy working with the UCL
Culture team.
Professor Anthony Smith
UCL Vice Provost
1

UCL Culture is a multidisciplinary
team committed to connecting
the world with UCL through
innovative programming and
engagement activities.
We use our assets in the form of col ections, museums,
theatres and public art but most importantly our people
and know-how to engage, inspire and mobilise the UCL
Community. We inspire them to connect with people
through their teaching and research. We animate and
amplify their work through the production and delivery
of innovative cultural and educational experiences,
public and community engagement activities, public art,
performance, exhibitions, museum displays and schools
engagement.
We col aborate, light sparks, disrupt and provoke.
We use objects, insights and expertise to reframe
questions and surface new ideas. We believe in equality
of opportunity and value diversity in all of the work that
we do. We believe in the power of open because open
minds see further.
We believe that UCL is one of a group of international
sector leaders in public and cultural engagement and
that we have the potential to shape development and
practice to make UCL a vibrant, rich and engaging place
to visit, study and work.
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Culture is made up
of unique and distinctive
resources and expertise
Knowledge and Expertise:
We hold and develop a range of knowledge and expertise that
supports and enables UCL to deliver its mission. This includes,
public, community and schools engagement, evaluation, curatorial
practice, col ections management, conservation, public programming,
performance and events, public art, exhibition design, visitor services,
theatre technical services, commercial income generation, venue
management and audience insight.
Assets:
We care for and manage a range of significant col ection assets
including UCL’s important col ections of Egyptian and Sudanese
Archaeology, Art, Zoology, Public Art and Science materials. We
make these assets accessible for teaching and research and for
the enjoyment of wider publics. We also lead on and support the
development and delivery of public art commissions.
Venues:
We connect external audiences with the UCL Community through
our venues. These include the UCL Art Museum, the Bloomsbury
Theatre and Studio, the Grant Museum of Zoology, the Object Based
Learning Laboratory, the Octagon Gal ery, the Pathology Museum
and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology. We
ensure that we deliver best practice in these venues in line with sector
standards for the benefit of the UCL Community and wider publics.
3

We use our resources,
skills, knowledge and
expertise to serve three
distinct yet interconnected
communities
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Academic
Research
and Teaching
Community
UCL Student
Publics and
Community
External
Communities
5

UCL Academic
Research
and Teaching
Community
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Culture enables the academic
research and teaching community by
providing:
Primary
Research
and Teaching
Resources
Research
Audience
and Impact
Access and
Evaluation
Insight
7

UCL Culture enables the academic
research and teaching community
by providing:
Primary Research and
Teaching Resources:
We manage a range of significant historic collection
assets that form an important primary research and
teaching resource. We manage these resources to
ensure that they are physical y and virtual y accessible
not only to the UCL Community but also to those
outside of UCL including local communities, publics and
schools.
Audience Access & Insight:
Our venues and activities act as gateways
for a range of audiences outside of UCL and attract
over 100,000 visitors per year onto campus. We
combine our approach to public programming with
our facilitation of public engagement opportunities
for researchers through championing and embedding
public engagement as a method to improve research
quality and impact.
Research Impact and Evaluation:
We provide consultancy and training to embed good
public engagement practice and maximise impact.
We support the academic community by championing
best practice and innovation in public engagement,
co-production and the importance of evaluation.
We advise researchers on pathways to impact and
evaluation methodologies for grant applications and
then support them throughout their research cycle.
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Academic Research
and Teaching Community
Objectives
Measures
1 Champion and embed best practice in
1 Range of online, digital public
public and community engagement in
engagement and evaluation tools and
UCL research and teaching
resources created
2 Champion the research and teaching
2 Increase in research and teaching use
use of UCL col ections
of col ections from current baseline
3 Enable access to public audiences
3 Quantitative and qualitative audience
and improve col ection and analysis of
feedback generated through Audience
audience data
Finder
4 Deliver col aborative and
4 Develop and deliver Performance Lab
interdisciplinary programmes
5 Percentage of Col ections managed by
integrating public art, public
UCLCulture accessible online
programmes and public engagement

5 Improve access to col ections for the
Strategic Drivers
UCL research and teaching community
• UCL 2034 Principal Theme 2.
Integration of research and education
Priorities
and Theme 4. Accessible and publicly
1 Enable access to public engagement
engaged
and evaluation knowledge, expertise
• UCL Research Strategy (cross
and tools
boundaries to increase engagement,
2 Develop new, more accessible
deliver impact for public benefit,
collections spaces to increase research
cross-disciplinarity, partnership
and teaching use of collection assets
working)
3 Implement new audience insight
• Research Excellence Framework
dashboard and enhance use of
assessment (increased emphasis on
ticketing data mining functionality
‘Impact’, capacity building, audience
4 Enable and support the development
data)
of research-based performance
• Knowledge Exchange Framework (likely
methodologies
to be assessed in part against public
5 Upgrade col ections databases/online
and community engagement)
resources to improve remote research
• Research England (formerly HEFCE)
access
museum funding requirements
(supporting non-UCL researchers)
• Arts Council England Museum
Accreditation requirements
(understanding and serving audiences)
• Museums Designation
9

Bringing Research to Life:
Col aborations with Artists
and Col ections
Workshop in the Pathology Museum in collaboration
with Edinburgh Film Festival
In April 2019 UCL Culture hosted an Ideas Lab at the Pathology
Museum with Edinburgh Film Festival. Experienced screenwriters and UCL academics
explored the connections between research, curating, storytel ing and science. “A
superb opportunity to fill my creative well with ideas and material that I would never have
had access to otherwise.”
Researchers and screenwriters at the UCL
Pathology Museum, Royal Free Hospital 2019
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

We connect academics, artists and
communities to explore the creative
crossover between research and culture.
Performance Lab
Performance Lab is UCL Culture’s experimental programme that brings research to life
through theatre, dance, music, comedy and everything in-between. We support aca-
demics and artists to experiment in new ways to develop and share their work with new
audiences. Performance Lab productions have explored animal migration and refugees,
the psychology of laughter and human movement.
Locus developed by Amanda Simo Rodriguez and Anthos Venizelos from the
Bartlett School of Architecture, with dancer Saloni Saraf. Bloomsbury Theatre 2019
© Belinda Lawley
11

UCL Student
Community
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Culture supports the student
community through:
Formal
Learning
Experiences
Enriching
Work
the Student
Experience/
Experience
Volunteering
13

UCL Culture enhances the student
experience by providing:
Formal Learning Experiences:
We enable and facilitate a range of formal learning
opportunities; we facilitate the use of collections for
object-based learning to enhance and enrich teaching;
and work with UCL Arena to enable course leads to
embed public engagement in the curriculum. We also
deliver high quality public engagement and evaluation
training to postgraduate students through our Train and
Engage programme.
Work experience/volunteering:
We use UCL programmes, museums and theatre spaces
to offer students opportunities to obtain valuable
work experience through placements, internships and
volunteering that helps to prepare them for life after
UCL. Students who volunteer with us tell us these
experiences enable them to develop a range of skil s
and make them more employable.
Enriching the Student Experience:
We create cultural and public engagement opportunities
that build students’ sense of community while
developing their talents, skills and enabling friendships.
From delivering performances in the Bloomsbury
Theatre to participating in our programmes they explore
their creativity, learn about teamwork and connect with
local communities, creating memories and skills that wil
live with them long after they leave UCL.
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Student
Community
Objectives
Measures
1 Enhance the student experience
1 Number of student volunteer hours and
through the provision of volunteering,
number of students work placements or
work placements and internship
internships with UCL Culture
opportunities
2 Number and quality of student led and
2 Inspire our students to col aborate and
col aboratively produced events
lead on the development of inclusive
3 Number, range and quality of student
cultural experiences
performances and related activities
3 Create enhanced opportunities
4 Number of student generated social
for student performances in the
media outputs, shares, likes, retweets etc.
Bloomsbury Theatre and Studio
5 Number of places created for students
4 Increase student generated social
on advisory groups and panels
media content

5 Engage students in decision making
Strategic Drivers
about our programmes and the way
that they are delivered
• UCL 2034 Principal Themes 2. Integration
of research and education, 4. Accessible
and publicly engaged, 5. London’s Global
Priority Actions
University
1 Create more opportunities for
• UCL National Student Survey Results
volunteering, work placements and
• UCL Teaching Excel ence Framework
internships
• UCL Widening Participation strategy
2 Enable and generate more student led
• UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
and col aborative events in and around
our venues
strategy
3 Work with the Students’ Union and
• UCL Education Strategy
student societies to ensure that
• UCL Global Engagement strategy
opportunities in the Bloomsbury
• Students’ Union Strategic Plan
Theatre and Studio are maximised
4 Establish student social media
champions programme
5 Include students in governance of UCL
Culture
15

Enhancing the
Student Experience:
Volunteering and Performance
with UCL Culture
UCL Museums: Dessa Hayes, Student and
Museum Volunteer
“Volunteering for UCL Culture has al owed me to learn new things and develop new skil s
through a variety of opportunities, including front of house shifts, guest lectures, and
object handling sessions. This training has been especial y useful, because I hope to
work in the museum/ cultural heritage sector after graduation.”
Volunteer with UCL Culture staff at the Petrie
Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology
at a UCL Culture Late 2019 © Matt Clayton
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

Enhancing the
Student Experience:
Volunteering and Performance
We provide opportunities for students to develop
with UCL Culture
knowledge, transferable skil s and confidence through
volunteering and performance.
The Bloomsbury Theatre: Suriyah Rashid,
Student Performer and Producer
“For me, the Bloomsbury Theatre was the clinch for choosing UCL. The theatre is
instrumental for students with a deep-rooted passion for the arts; we put on dance
showcases, plays, opera, comedies, musicals, and much more. I’ve met people who
are now friends for life, putting on incredible shows, having a laugh and creating
unforgettable experiences.”
The cast of From Here to Eternity, presented by UCL Musical Theatre
and UCL Stage Crew at the Bloomsbury Theatre 2018
17

Publics and
External
Communities
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Culture serves publics and external
communities by providing:
Public Exhibitions,
Performances and
Events
Co-Production
Physical
Methods &
Access
Opportunities
Points
19

UCL Culture serves publics and
external communities by providing:
Public Exhibitions,
Performances and Events:
We promote and enable dialogue between academics,
students and publics through culture and creative
practice. Our public programming team delivers an
annual programme of collaboratively produced content
that engages diverse audiences with the work of the
UCL Community.
Physical Access Points:
UCL museums, theatre spaces and public art act as
platforms for public engagement. The venues that we
manage attract over 100,000 members of public onto
campus annual y. We animate the campus through our
public programming and public art and support wider
public events such as the East Bank Partners ‘Great Get
Together’ and the UCL ‘It’s All Academic’ festival.
Co-Production Methods &
Opportunities:
We aim to embed best practice and the latest thinking in
collaborative and co-production methods in partnership
with UCL researchers and local communities.
We develop new approaches to co-production,
interdisciplinary work and collaborations, sharing
our learning across the institution, the cultural and
academic sectors and our external communities. We
connect with and engage schools in Camden, Islington
and east London though our Widening Participation
supported schools programme.
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

Publics and External
Communities
Objectives
Measures
1 Increase awareness of UCL Culture
1 Increase visitors to UCL Culture
programme and offer in venues and
managed venues and events to 130,000
public spaces
per year by 2024
2 Champion the use of co-production
2 Tools, methodologies and embedded
and col aborative methods in research
practice developed and evidenced
and teaching
around co-production and col aborative
3 Develop public programmes and
approaches to research and teaching
public engagement in east London in
3 Achieve and exceed Section 106
col aboration with UCL East academics,
requirements relating to cultural and
students and east London communities
public engagement, and public art at
4 Develop and deliver an outstanding
UCL East
schools engagement programme
4 Meet and exceed Widening
5 Identify and prioritise the audiences
Participation targets for outreach and
that we want to engage
increase number of schools visits from
local schools in areas of deprivation to
our museums from current baseline
Priority Actions
5 Priority audiences identified and
1 Increase media coverage of UCL
forecasts for visits agreed, monitored
Culture programme and activities
and met
2 Support and enable the development

of co- production and col aborative
Strategic Drivers
methodologies in research and
• UCL 2034 Principal Themes 4.
teaching
Accessible and publicly engaged, and
3 Develop and deliver the public and
5. London’s Global University
cultural elements of the UCL East
• UCL Office of the Pro Vice Provost
Engagement strand
London
4 Sustain and deepen engagement with
• UCL Research strategy (connecting
local schools through outreach and in-
research with local audiences and
building sustainable
reach programmes
• relationships)
5 Develop audience segmentation and
• Knowledge Exchange Framework (local
prioritisation
• regeneration and narrative around local
public
• and community engagement)
• Museum Accreditation and Research
England
• funding requirements (serving external
audiences)
• Mayor of London’s Culture and Cultural
• Infrastructure Strategies
• Arts Council England Priority Audiences
21

Sharing UCL expertise:
Our impact on local
communities
The Evaluation Exchange in east London
In 2017 we launched in partnership with Aston Mansfield (a Newham- based umbrel a
organisation) the Evaluation Exchange – a programme designed to “connect the know-
how to the how-to”. We matched UCL cross-disciplinary researchers in teams with
Newham-based voluntary sector organisations (VSOs). Together, they developed their
evaluation skil s and tackled an evaluation chal enge facing the VSO.
Researchers and community groups working
together at the Evaluation Exchange
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

We invite members of the public, school
children and community groups to
experience the work of UCL research.
Biomimicry: Animal Movement to Inspire
and Build Robots
This ongoing experiential learning project for east London secondary schools takes
place at the Grant Museum of Zoology and in schools.
It explores the links between robots, computer programming and animal movement and
is a multi-disciplinary project with students and academics from four departments who
develop, evaluate and deliver it.
Animal movement workshop at the Grant Museum of Zoology
23

Enablers
The fol owing enablers underpin and drive
the delivery of our work:
Managing and nurturing our talent:
We will attract, retain and develop our people to deliver a high-
performance culture. We will create an environment that nurtures
and utilises our people’s skil s and talents to enable them to be as
effective as they can be.
Developing sustainable partnerships
and relationships:
Our success relies on building and sustaining effective internal and
external partnerships and relationships. We will build on the School
and Faculty- facing networks and use the insight gained from our
relationships with external cultural and community partners to drive
and inform our work.
Income generation:
We generate income through appropriate activities to contribute
to the delivery of our activities. This includes Research England
Museums Funding, UKRI funding, commercial income through
theatre hire, customer refreshment, corporate hospitality and
events, grants, gifts and donations and the Petrie Col ection
Endowment Fund.
Delivering value for money:
We recognise that much of our activity is funded through academic
activity so we pay close attention to ensure that we extract the
maximum value from the investment UCL makes in us, managing
our budgets and systems efficiently and professional y.
Venue management:
We operate six public venues and we ensure that they are safe
and secure for UCL staff and public alike and that we meet all the
appropriate standards and legal requirements. We also strive to
fol ow best practice in these areas.
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

Customer service:
We maintain high standards of customer service across all of our
activities and define ‘customer’ in its broadest sense to encompass
all users of our services.
Management and care of UCL cultural assets:
We manage, conserve and care for our col ections to ensure that
they are available for current and future generations of researchers,
students and publics.
Theatre Technical Services:
We provide high standards of technical support to the staff,
students, commercial hirers and publics that use our theatres.
Marketing and communication:
We communicate our programme and related events to our
audiences through the effective use of digital, print, social media,
website and other channels.
Exhibition design and support:
We provide excel ent exhibition and design services to ensure high
standards of interpretation and presentation of col ections and
information.
Business administration:
We strive to deliver the highest standards in administration through
the development and maintenance of efficient and effective
systems and processes.
25

Animal movement workshop at the Grant
Museum of Zoology
UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

UCL Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025

Our locations
Bloomsbury Theatre and Studio
15 Gordon Street
Nearest stations:
London WC1H 0AH
Euston Square and Euston
+44 (0)20 3108 1000
Grant Museum of Zoology
21 University Street
Nearest stations:
London WC1E 6DE
Euston Square and Euston
+44 (0)20 3108 9000
Octagon Gal ery
Wilkins Building, UCL
Nearest stations:
Gower Street
Euston Square and Euston
London WC1E 6BT
+44 (0)20 3108 9000
Petrie Museum of Egyptian and
Sudanese Archaeology
Nearest stations:
Malet Place
Euston Square and Euston
London WC1E 6BT
+44 (0)20 3108 9000
UCL Art Museum
South Cloisters, UCL
Nearest stations:
Gower Street
Euston Square and Euston
London WC1E 6BT
+44 (0)20 3108 9000

UCL Student Centre
27-28 Gordon Street
London WC1H 0AH
UCL Pathology Col ections

Royal Free Hospital
Nearest stations:
Pond Street
Belsize Park and Hampstead Heath
London NW3 2QG
+44 (0)20 3108 9000
UCL East

Montfichet Rd
Nearest stations:
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Stratford and Hackney Wick
London E15 2JE
29

About UCL Culture
From art to zoology, Egyptology to performance,
science and beyond: UCL Culture cares for the
university’s world-class spaces and collections.
We are home to the Grant Museum of Zoology,
Octagon Gallery, Pathology Museum, Petrie Museum
of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology and UCL Art
Museum, as well as the Bloomsbury Theatre and art
in the public realm.
Nearly all our venues and opportunities are free to
enjoy and open to al . Come and play a part in our
ground-breaking research and learning at UCL.
Mobilise. Inspire. Amplify
@UCL_Culture
UCLCulture
@uclculture
ucl.ac.uk/culture
UCL Culture
Fourth Floor, Bidborough House
+44 (0)20 3108 1000
38-50 Bidborough Street
xxxxxxx@xxx.xx.xx
London WC1H 9BT