AHRC/Local Government Association (LGA) – ECR Fellowship Programme

Funding to connect researchers and local, regional and national government representatives, and conduct research into equitable, cross-sector partnership building, as a LUCIA-LGA early career fellow.

This fellowship funding opportunity, in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA), will enable an early career researcher (ECR) to build strong collaborative partnerships across the cultural policy ecosystem and to enhance research and career experience in the equitable partnerships space, through the wider Locally Unlocking Culture through Inclusive Access (LUCIA) programme.

Within this broader programme context, the aims of the LUCIA-LGA ECR fellowship are to:

• Enrich the development of equitable cross-sector partnerships between LUCIA programme networks, and local, regional and national government, in partnership with the LGA.
• Strengthen efforts to build research capabilities and enable broader co-creation between stakeholders across the diverse cultural and cultural policy sector.
• Deliver high quality, impactful and accessible research into the ways equitable cross-sector partnerships can connect effectively to cultural policy design.
• Develop the fellow’s collaboration skills and future research career.
• Promote the broader equality, diversity and inclusion principles of the LUCIA programme.

The fellow is expected to meet all the above objectives, in alignment with the wider aims of the LUCIA programme.

This fellowship will be hosted by the LGA (as a secondment opportunity) and is expected to support partnership building between LUCIA programme networks and policymakers, ensuring networks can effectively address key urban cultural challenges which are obstacles to community cohesion and civic discourse. This might include, but is not limited to, challenges around:

• Cultural access.
• Violence against women and girls.
• Religious and cultural intolerance.
• Social media disinformation.
• Educational under-attainment.
• Intergenerational communication.
• Policing.
• Community interconnectivity.

The fellow will also have the opportunity to build collective understanding and the evidence base on the adoption of equitable research practice and collaborative cultural policy across the UK. It is envisaged that the fellow will develop their research in relation to the following broader research themes related to the LUCIA programme, with recognition that this list is not exhaustive and wider themes may be prioritised:

• Definitions of culture.
• Breaking down cultural barriers.
• Ownership of cultural spaces.
• Amplifying hidden and hyper-marginalised voices.
• Transport and culture.
• Multiuse cultural spaces.
• Intergenerational access to culture.
• Tourism and community green spaces.

As host organisation, the LGA will provide a supportive research environment for the fellow including:

• Access to its contacts and networks across local government, including opportunities to present at relevant conferences and associated events.
• Facilitated engagement with sister bodies in the devolved nations including the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), and the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA).
• Additional engagement with the Chief Culture and Leisure Officers Association (CLOA), Community Leisure UK and with the National Alliance for Cultural Services.
• Provision of promotional opportunities to engage and communicate with local government representatives from across the UK.
• Access to the LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport team, LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, and wider LGA policy colleagues and facilities including supervisory support.
• Working facilities, including IT equipment and support, to enable flexible in-person collaboration where necessary with LGA colleagues based within LGA’s Westminster office at 18 Smith Square, London.
• Support for the fellow’s career development based on the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.