Addressing Grand Challenges through transdisciplinary research collaborations between universities and the arts and cultural sector

Transdisciplinary research collaborations between academics and actors from the arts and cultural sector can generate knowledge and practical interventions that contribute to addressing a wide range of Grand Challenges. However, we know relatively little about the processes through which these contributions occur. To address this research gap, we develop a conceptual framework linking different modes of involvement of arts and cultural sector actors to different scales of societal change. Drawing on 90 impact case studies from the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, we identify three primary roles played by arts and cultural collaborators: users of research, providers of knowledge and resources, and co-creators of research. The findings show that different modes of involvement are associated with distinct pathways of societal change. When arts and cultural actors act as resource providers, benefits tend to accrue to organisations and communities directly connected to the collaboration. Co-creative engagement is associated with broader societal change extending beyond the original project and its immediate partners. The study offers key policy recommendations for governments, universities, and their arts and cultural sector collaborators to incentivise transdisciplinary collaborations to address Grand Challenges.