Impact case study database

Northumbria’s research led directly to the creation of new festival-tailored educational programming that has enhanced the practices, profile, and financial sustainability of three leading, European genre-film festivals, specifically those that give particular attention to exploring and promoting the horror genre. This work allowed the festival management teams to better promote genre-film culture (including transforming one festival, Kurja Polt, into one of the most significant international film festivals in Slovenia), and provided genre-film artists (directors, screenwriters) with a new sense of professional validation and recognition.

1) Improved provision, profile, and financial sustainability of genre-film festivals

1.1 Kurja Polt - Slovenia

Slovenia has a nascent film culture in terms of film education [ E1]. The task of broadening film knowledge has largely fallen to genre-film festivals. As Maša Peče (Programme Director, Kurja Polt) points out, it is a challenge for organisations that operate on limited budgets and who often ‘ live in the shadow’ of more traditional, mainstream cinema [ E1]. Established in 2014 and based in Ljubljana, Kurja Polt (Slovenian for ‘goosebumps’), is an annually-held horror film festival, run in collaboration with the Slovenian Cinematheque (the national film museum and member of the International Federation of Film Archives). Research from Northumbria directly led to the creation of new, festival-tailored educational programming and since 2017, Kurja Polt ‘ has emerged as the only festival in Slovenia that draws upon and actively involves esteemed academic [including from Northumbria] /industry experts in film theory’ [ E1]. The successful developments resulting from the research collaboration, have been praised by the state funding body (Slovenian Film Centre), by prominent municipal institutions such as Kinodvor (one of the largest in Slovenia, that serves a dual role as the country’s principal film festival hub and a major film educational centre), and festival attendees themselves [ E1].

As Peče confirmed, ‘ the contribution of the Northumbria team has been so important [providing] … key insights that shaped our strategy with regards to how we pitch/promote ourselves, and the type of activities we offer’ [ E1]. The research gave the festival team a better ‘ understanding of the centrality of ancillary events for genre fans’, that led to new educational activities including the first ‘Cult Film Conference’ in 2017 [ E1]. As Peče outlined, the conference ‘ has continued every year since as an embedded element of our programme, raising our international profile and attracting a growing number of experts from across the globe’ [ E1]. For example, during his attendance at Kurja Polt in 2019, Markus Keuschnigg (Artistic Director of Austrian Film Festival SLASH), stated that ‘ we [the wider genre-film scene] should do more of this – serious, theoretically driven talks’ [ E1].

The expanded festival programme was also very well received by the creative artists whose work the festival showcases. The professional validation that Kurja Polt is able to provide is one of its main achievements [ E1]. As an example, genre-film director Monica Stambrini, was invited by Kurja Polt to attend as guest of honour in 2018, but despite longstanding experience in the field, Stambrini explained how she was still ‘ apprehensive’ about presenting her work due to concerns over whether a festival audience would be able to contextualise it (because of the graphic and violent nature of its content). She confirmed, however, that ‘ what made a considerable impact upon [her] decision, ultimately, to attend the festival … was the presence of the cult film conference’ [ E2]. Having been directed towards Jones’ research, which explored the problems of presumptive film labelling (presented at Kurja Polt in 2017), she recognised how Jones’ insights were ‘ prescient for my own work …[and] that the festival was the right environment for my work’ [ E2].

The expanded programme had a ‘ critical and manifold’ impact on the sustainability of Kurja Polt, contributing ‘ to a 20% increase in festival attendance since 2016 with close to 1,400 attending the most recent festival in 2019’ [ E1]. Peče emphasised that these are ‘ enviable statistics especially when viewed in context’ [ E1]. Slovenia is a small country with only 2,000,000 inhabitants. Moreover, specialized genre-film festivals always attract audiences that are smaller compared with mainstream cinema events [ E1]. Kurja Polt confirmed ‘[we are] extremely pleased with our growing audience share, which in large part is thanks to our close involvement with Northumbria’ [ E1].

The success of Kurja Polt’s research-driven content, had a ‘ huge impact’ on its ability to attract state funding, ‘ the esteem with which we are now held by our state financier …in large part because of the unique academic underpinning we are able [to] offer’ [ E1]. Kurja Polt confirm that ‘ we were awarded a 38% increase in funding from the annual Film Festival Tender in 2017, [a further increase of] 38% in funding from the tender in 2018, and [a] 163% [increase] in 2019. In actual funding amounts we have gone from EUR6,500 to EUR31,000 [2016-2019]’ [ E1]. As with the attendance figures, Peče reiterated that although these numbers may seem modest, ‘ the change for us has been massive as it has enabled us to take important steps towards expanding the festival scope’ [ E1]. One result was that since 2018, the organisation has been able to pay festival staffers rather than employing them purely on a volunteer basis, ‘ in this industry that is almost unheard of and importantly allows us to retain volunteers …and help them to develop more specialist skills within the organisation … [these are] crucial changes for us as a festival organiser’ [ E1].

1.2 Offscreen - Belgium

The research-informed content created for Kurja Polt led to similar positive developments with Offscreen – established in 2008. This annual festival, based in Brussels, gives particular attention to undistributed and rarely screened films, attracting approximately 7,000 visitors each year. Dirk Van Extergem (Director of Offscreen), described how Northumbria’s research was ‘ invaluable …[providing] critical insights into the history and complexity of genre-film, including the changing nature of audience engagement with this type of media content’ [ E3]. Offscreen confirmed how ‘ those insights have enabled us to both position the festival in a way that has helped to meet key aims of Offscreen, support our funding applications, and attract guests in an entirely different manner than we previously could’ [ E3]. As with Kurja Polt, the research led to the development of new festival-tailored educational activities at Offscreen that were ‘more comprehensive than [they] have ever been able to provide before’ [ E3]. Offscreen noted how ‘ at a time of austerity and arts cuts in Belgium, [the research-led change] has meant that we have been able to sustain our budget levels beyond what they would normally be and funders have made clear that the educational offering is a key part of this’ [ E3].

Wider programming has ‘ frequently been influenced’ by the research, as for example the thematic strand developed for the 2018 festival, based on Hunter’s exploration of the Italian zombie genre [ E3]. Offscreen confirmed that ‘ we can go broader and do more profoundly thematic programming … [to] give more and more context to the festival’ [ E3]. The ‘ research-led framework’, in turn, enabled Offscreen to project a more serious tone, helping it to attract guest speakers from the genre-film industry (directors, screen writers etc). The new integrated academic components provided a signal that Offscreen ‘is a place that values their [industry speakers’] contribution to cinema …a means of letting them see they are being taken seriously ... as valued filmmakers [ E3].

1.3 Abertoir - Wales

Gaz Bailey (Director of Abertoir International Horror Festival), noted how the team from Northumbria, in particular Hunter’s ‘ expertise in horror cinema’, provided ‘ valuable research-led (but accessible) content for use at our festival’ [ E4]. In common with Kurja Polt and Offscreen festivals, these contributions were singled out ‘ as being responsible for directly helping us to achieve the goals of our funders in providing significant informative material to the audiences [and have] …been instrumental in keeping the festival going strong into currently its 15th year’ [ E4]. They confirmed that ‘ crucially, our principal funders Ffilm Cymru and Film Hub Wales, have stressed through their support that the educational provision we developed with Dr Hunter…has been crucial to how they view and seek to fund our festival’ [ E4].

Supporting a broader aim shared by other festivals in the field, Abertoir promotes recognition of genre-film and those who work in it, to ‘ make them feel valued’ [ E4]. Abertoir pointed to how Hunter’s research helped them work towards this goal:

‘our special guests each year are figures who are beloved by the fan community we serve, but who [often] *have had little critical success … people like composer Fabio Frizzi and director Sergio Martino, who have felt much more validated professionally as a result of being made aware of Dr Hunter’s research (touching as it does upon films in which they were professionally involved)*’ [ E4].

2) Advancing popular engagement with, and recognition of, genre-film in Slovenia

The municipal funder Kinodvor confirmed that genre-film was often a marginalised subject for festival circuits, but from 2017 the research from Northumbria has resulted in an ‘ absolutely unique and pioneering’ cultural attraction, and ‘ one of the fastest growing, as well as one of the most significant international film festivals in the country’ [ E5]. Kinodvor explained that the new educational elements allowed it ‘ to more clearly justify our support for a genre cinema festival’, citing the use of Hunter’s research by Kurja Polt and the demonstrable value of the new programming additions developed by the Northumbria team [ E5].

Kinodvor explained the contribution that Kurja Polt has made to the Slovenian cultural sector, how the festival is now considered ‘ the most important “Cinephile Heaven” in Slovenia - something that has been augmented and deepened by …the work of Dr Hunter and his colleagues’ [ E5]. This new status is reflected in the media coverage of the festival each year, including interviews with the research team by the state news broadcaster [ E6]. Furthermore, Kindovor described how the collaboration with Northumbria has seen Kurja Polt become ‘ the only festival in Slovenia that still continuously, consciously, and prominently asks itself what a film festival can, or should, still be today. I only hope that every festival in Slovenia would come, see, enjoy, and - above all - learn from Kurja Polt [ E5].

Original practice-led research, which facilitated authentic casting of actors with intellectual disabilities (ID), allowed Collin to successfully translate Sanctuary from stage to screen. The film was a commercial and critical success, reaching millions of viewers with its compelling story, told through a cast of predominantly ID actors. By helping to promote and improve awareness of ID, Collin’s work has become an effective advocacy tool, leading to changes in the film industry, as well as care services in Ireland and the UK. The film proved to be instrumental in supporting lobbying efforts to repeal Irish legislation that had prevented individuals with an ID from pursuing intimate relationships.

4.1 Improving awareness and promoting representation of ID

Sanctuary has toured every continent, receiving multiple awards and screenings at film festivals, as well as within educational and welfare settings. In July 2017 and December 2017, Sanctuary was released in cinemas across Ireland and the UK. The film was also made available to Access Cinema – an EU-funded company that takes cinema to remote and unusual locations. It won the Access Cinemas award for the film that made the most impact on their circuit for 2017 [ E1]. Online, the film has been available on Sky, YouTube, iTunes, Hulu in the USA, and Volta in Ireland [ E2]. Reviews on Amazon Prime Video for example, noted the power of the film’s combination of comedy and pathos, the performances and the message of the film that encourages society to see people with ID as fully rounded human beings [ E3, p1]. The Guardian described the film as ‘valuable’ [ E3, p2] with a BFI review commenting on its ‘radical’ and ‘ powerful message [about casting] … Sanctuary conforms to no stereotype; it is about people wanting to lead ordinary lives on their own terms’ [ E3, p3] .

The success of Sanctuary helped to challenge conventional wisdom about the depiction of intellectual disability in film. The London Evening Standard – which gave the film five stars and rated it one of its films of the year – noted how the film ‘is full of bodies rarely seen on the big screen’ [ E3, p4], while the Irish Times stated ‘it remains unusual to see the ID on film, so a film starring nine such actors is exceptional even before the opening credits roll’ [ E3, p5]. Film Ireland saw Collin’s work as ‘one of the most ambitious, innovative and deeply moving Irish films of recent times… [an achievement] all the more impressive when one considers how rarely ID actors have featured prominently in fiction film’ [ E3, p6].

The discussions stimulated by Sanctuary in the UK entertainment industry led to new activity to support the film and casting of ID actors more broadly. Filmmaker-producer David Wilkinson, founder of distribution company Guerrilla Films confirmed that following his formal attendance at the film’s premiere (Galway Film Festival, 2016), he was convinced to lead a UK-wide distribution [ E4]. This decision was a result of a change in attitudes brought about by the film, ‘I was expecting to be preached to … [but realised] "Oh hang on a minute, this is interesting!" And then I began to laugh. And that may seem odd, but when you're a film professional, I've found that you look at a film in a different way, and so laughing is something that doesn't come easy, particularly to distributors’ [ E4]. Wilkinson wrote a review praising Sanctuary’s use of authentic casting, which had also challenged his prejudices and those of the broader film industry [ E4].

Other filmmakers have approached Collin to discuss authentic casting and working with ID actors, empowering them to cast actors with ID when they might otherwise have employed non-ID actors. The writer and director of the BBC film Ups and Downs (2017) [ E5, p1], discussed casting the lead character of his film who has Down’s Syndrome [ E5, p2]. More recently, another screenwriter-filmmaker worked with Collin on a new proposal for Screen Ireland, for a film about a woman with ID befriending a young girl and the misunderstandings that arise as a result. Collin advised the producer on the value of casting a lead with ID and was subsequently credited with strengthening the application that was successful [ E6].

4.2 Empowering actors with an ID and supporting the promotion of authentic casting

The success of Sanctuary also resulted in significant benefits for the actors and the theatrical company they work with. Petal Pilley – CEO, Blue Teapot – noted the effect was ‘absolutely massive, [they] are completely empowered …that people interact [and say] "I've seen you", you know just to be met on the street [and be told] "I saw, you were wonderful" …not many of us get that kind of interaction walking up our local high street, but they do’ [ E7].

The film’s success has seen the cast successfully audition for new roles, ‘they are getting approached so that confidence is definitely shifted’ [ E7]. Newfound confidence resulted in one of the lead actors requesting and moving into her own apartment, ‘they're not afraid to say what they think and feel, and I think you know that's really priceless’ [ E7]. Following the release of Sanctuary, ‘the arts council sat up finally… [the film] completely elevated the status of [Blue Teapot] internationally [and] …our capacity to carry a really important message, which is that the great artists, the great actors, they do great work’ [ E7]. This has helped inspire younger/newer artists who want to develop as actors: ‘"there's me Oh! I might be able to do that" …that encouragement is huge’ [ E7]. Direct responses from actors were due to be collected in Summer 2020, through filmed in-person interviews but this was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions. Interviews were not conducted remotely for ethical and safeguarding reasons.

4.3 Supporting changes to health and care practices

Collin’s work has initiated broader discussions about the need for changes in the Irish and UK care sectors to promote greater independence. Vivo Care Choices (Vivo) – the principal care provider for Cheshire West and Chester Council – is a case in point. MD Alistair Jeffs outlined how – typically for the care sector – Vivo has struggled to support service users wanting a more flexible approach to social relationships outside of the formal care environment, something Jeffs noted was often discouraged by family, friends, and care providers ‘because it didn't quite fit in with their view of perhaps what was right or appropriate for the individuals or didn't fit into what they could afford to deliver’ [ E8].

Vivo connected with Collin following the success of Sanctuary. As well as showing the film as part of the Chester Kaleidoscope festival – aiming to raise the profile of people with ID – Collin used the film to facilitate workshops with Vivo staff and service users [ E8]. Jeffs confirms how these events were ‘truly inspirational’ [ E8]. As a result of engaging with Collin’s work, Vivo has started to evolve the services it offers. This includes an initiative called ‘Time Shared’, a buddy system for individuals with common interests allowing them to socialise outside of the formal care environment [ E8]. The scheme has given service users ‘greater independence, freedom, happiness, and …it starts to portray a much more positive view of individuals and what they can achieve’ [ E8]. Working with Collin has encouraged ‘professionals working with them, and family members to …have greater aspirations and a stronger voice to say, actually, we would like a different range of support or we'd like a different range of opportunities’ [ E8].

4.4 Contributing to repeal of the Sexual Offences Act 1993 (Republic of Ireland)

Canadian public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada noted how ‘movies can have big impacts on people's lives, but not many films can say they've actually changed the law. Enter Sanctuary …’ [ E3, p7]. Irish advocacy groups had been lobbying for a change to the Sexual Offences Act 1993 since its inception. The film adaptation of Sanctuary played a central role in bringing this issue to the attention of both the public and national legislators. At the 2017 screening at Dublin film festival, it was announced by Sarah Lennon, Inclusion Ireland CEO, that thanks to the popular and critical success of the film, Section 5 of the Criminal Law Act 1993 had been repealed in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament). She explained why the film was of such crucial importance, ‘ the real difficulty we faced was getting people to connect and really understand what impact the law was having …Sanctuary really did open up that storytelling door to us and to other campaigners at that time’ [ E9, p1].

In galvanising the campaign for reform, Sanctuary helped to convince legislators to pass a new Bill in 2017, which no longer made it a criminal offence for consensual sexual relationships to take place between individuals who have an ID. This change benefited thousands of Irish citizens who would otherwise have been affected by the discriminatory law. Ireland’s Minister for Disabilities, Finian McGrath who oversaw the passage of legislation through the parliament, confirmed that Sanctuary has ‘led to a quiet revolution in relation to the sexuality of people with physical and intellectual disabilities’ [ E10, p1]. Inclusion Ireland confirm that there are now positive examples of the law bringing benefits to families across the country, ‘ there was a lack of confidence or comfort with the idea of [family members with an ID] having intimate relationships or sexual relationships …this film has helped break down a lot of those barriers’ [ E9, p2].

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Yee worked with over 100 organisations from 14 countries around the Asia-Pacific region who support communities to deliver social innovation initiatives which led to 1) the establishment of a professional identity for DSI practitioners and 2) the transformation of professional evaluative practices for social impact.

4.1 Establishment of a professional identity

The organisations Yee worked with through the DESIAP Network address diverse social issues, but all adopt methods from the field of design in their work, although they have not always recognised these methods as DSI. Yee worked with 145 participants from these organisations through 8 DESIAP workshops to re-frame and embed their work within design frameworks and concepts, providing an international platform to showcase their work and extend their reach. Furthermore, they cascaded their new understanding of design to their organisations and local communities, carving out a professional space to ensure their work (and their use of design) was recognised and valued by funding agencies.

Engagement with DESIAP resulted in a stronger professional identity for DSI practitioners. For example, Re:public (Tokyo, Japan) trains citizens to develop sustainable responses to social needs in their communities via city-wide programmes. Fumiko Ichikawa, co-founder and MD of Re:public, noted that working with DESIAP has ‘proved invaluable for us’ and resulted in them recognising and validating what they do as DSI: ‘ We have been able to develop our own disciplinary specific language to make what we do accessible and recognisable as design and innovation in Japan…enabling us to gain a level of understanding about our work that we otherwise would not have been able to achieve’ [ E1].

Demonstrating value is particularly important for emerging markets, such as in Myanmar. As Klaus Oberbauer, from Impact Hub Yangon explained, working with Yee ‘ strengthened our perspective in how we use design in our programmes; gained knowledge in how other organisations use design and helped inform what we do next. [It has] given us a platform to share our work with other practitioners and with an international public […] These changes have ultimately aided us to improve the support that we are able to offer the young entrepreneurs that we encounter’ [ E2].

Between January 2019 and November 2020, 3631 users visited the DESIAP’s website ( www.desiap.org) from 108 countries, with 56% (14/25) of the top 25 countries based in the Asia-Pacific region. Visitors from other parts of the world, including, USA, UK, Germany, and Canada also appear in the top 10 [ E3]. DSI practitioners value the website which offers inspiration, examples of good design practice, and provides connection to practitioners working in other countries; the resources page is the second most viewed (1116 page views) after the home page [ E3]. These resources have been used to support and argue for more culturally-specific and culturally-grounded ways of working in DSI. Penny Hagen, a co-design lead in a public sector innovation team based in South Auckland, New Zealand noted: ‘ I frequently refer to DESIAP in professional settings as a reference point for an alternative, local design practice and dialogue to counter and complement more dominant Western models’ [ E4].

4.2 Transformed practitioner and funder evaluative practices and improved delivery

Traditionally, evaluation frameworks used to capture the social impact of design initiatives are limited, funder-focused, and measured only against criteria defined at the outset, e.g., the number of new enterprises, or number of people trained. Yee’s work resulted in DSI practitioners and funders changing how they think about the social impact of their work within communities and informed the evaluation of specific programmes. Participation in a 2017 DESIAP event led one practitioner to identify ‘ different levels of evaluative practice (personal reflection, internal to the team, and with external partners) and new methods of capturing audio/visual inputs’ [ E5].

DESIAP’s new ‘DSI Social Impact Framework’ [ E6] provided professionals with an alternate evaluation framework that is suited to the relationship-, community-, and culture-driven aspects of social innovation. The DESIAP Impact and Evaluation report published by Yee and collaborators [ E6] has been used to argue for changes in practices. A funder based in South and Southeast Asia, Nicky Wilkinson at Firetree Philanthropy, recognised that the framework ‘helps to surface and “crystallise” … a process that many of our partners are “inherently doing”/a way of working that is fundamental to how they approach designing and evaluating any intervention’ [ E7]. The report [ E6] was cited in Firetree’s blog describing their funding approach, where their Director of Philanthropy, Nicky Wilkinson, acknowledged that ‘we [funders] need to find alternative, more flexible ways of “reporting”’ [ E8, p11].

Yee also worked with Impact Hub Phnom Penh on the evaluation of their CLEAR programme. The Hub provides entrepreneurship training to youths and CLEAR is an online course which trains and mentors young Cambodian leaders to help them develop culturally-specific leadership skills. The programme trained 1,500 people (March 2019 - October 2020) and was the Hub’s first to have a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan to inform future improvements; now an embedded approach to future programmes. The Hub’s co-founder, Laura Smithman, explained that as a result, the programme content integrated ‘ intentional steps of empathy building [and…] develop[ed] overarching mindsets in creative confidence and comfort with ambiguity’. Further, she states ‘ we now embed evaluation in the development of our current programmes… by planning the evaluation at the start… [and we…] monitor participant responses’. This design-led evaluation plan proved effective when the Hub needed to move one of their programmes quickly to virtual delivery, in response to Covid-19, and they used participant feedback to ‘ enable rapid participant-informed adaptation to this new format’ [ E9].

The impact of Yee’s research also reached beyond the Asia-Pacific region, in contexts where DSI is being utilised to address localised issues. The DESIAP Impact and Evaluation report [ E6] led the Tower Hamlets Communities Driving Change (CDC) programme team at The Young Foundation (based in the UK) to change how impact is measured in their work. Through training delivered by Yee to 8 team members (July – Dec 2020), they explored alternative forms of evaluation that were then embedded within the programme and wider organisation through new individual and team-based reflective practices. This changed how the team understood and evidenced the social impact of their work [ E10]. [text removed for publication]

Warwick and colleagues’ research led to the use of SD as the core approach to developing services in 2 major voluntary organisations, Mind and Girlguiding (GG), [text removed for publication]. New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) - the UK’s leading charity and philanthropy consultants - also used Warwick et al.’s findings to develop sector-specific SD resources and training for 144 charities. The use of SD has resulted in: 1) more user-centred organisational cultures 2) more effective, efficient, and desirable services for users; and 3) economic gains, in the form of income, efficiency of resources, and jobs created.

4.1 Creation of more user-centred organisational cultures

Mind provides support to those experiencing a mental health problem, supporting 396,000 people (2018/2019) through their network of 105 local Mind organisations in England and Wales. Mind’s involvement in Warwick et al.’s longitudinal research was, as stated by Hazel Flynn, Head of Local Service Strategy and Development at Mind, ‘ instrumental in the formation of a Service Design programme and team in Mind (SDiM)’ in 2014, creating the first in-house SD programme in the voluntary sector [ E1]. Their research was used to design the SDiM strategy: ‘ namely, focusing on [SD] capacity and capability-building within local Minds’, which became a permanent programme [ E1]. Warwick’s research into the soft skills important in the sector also informed SDiM job roles. SD training and resources were distributed to all Mind teams and their 105 local Mind organisations. Where previously there had been no agreed, consistent service development process, SD became the ‘Mind way’ to develop services. Hazel Flynn explains that ‘ the programme and the service design approach is included in all of our delivery plans and strategies for the next five years’ [ E1].

GG is the UK’s largest girls-only youth organisation supporting over 400,000 girls to achieve their potential. In 2018, Warwick coached their Director of Operations on how to create a SD programme to support their Growth and Insights Department, particularly drawing on her research into the challenges of embedding SD. The GG team explained that ‘ for a charity with no experience with Service Design, having access to research that collates a range of charity experiences, saved both time and money and improved our confidence in incorporating the role effectively’ [ E2a]. Warwick sat on the SD steering group as an external expert to provide ‘ strategic direction and vision... and significant wisdom around embedding Service Design culture in the Third Sector’ [ E2a]. As a result, SD and its principles are embedded in GG’s 2020 strategy to enable ‘ a user-centred, insight-driven approach to service development and strategic decision-making across the charity’ [ E2b].

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4.2 Internal and external service users’ direct involvement in creating positive change led to better services

Mind embedded SD to co-design the majority of their new services [ E1] and an independent evaluation of SDiM found it empowered Mind’s service users: ‘ Participants talked about feeling more confident, empowered and valued as a result of being involved in projects that they saw as being worthwhile and useful’ [ E4, p9]. One example is ‘Mums Matter’, a perinatal mental health service co-designed in 2016 with mums who had experienced mental health issues during their pregnancy or post-birth. Warwick and colleagues’ research into designing with vulnerable groups was used to create all of the SD project activity that led to ‘Mums Matter’ [ E5, p1]. In 2017, Mind successfully applied for GBP117,940 to pilot the service in rural Wales, which supported 121 mums experiencing mental health issues [ E5, p1]. Independent evaluation into the pilot found that ‘95% (n = 108) of participants reported an improvement in their wellbeing by the end of the programme’ [ E6, p3]. In 2020, Mums Matter was being delivered by 8 local Mind organisations across England and Wales [ E5, p3].

In 2019, Warwick drew on her research to coach GG’s SD team as they undertook extensive research into understanding and redesigning the membership experience for 18-30-year olds. The research ‘ transformed the way that we think about our work with this age group. The findings were incorporated into the volunteer experience and girl experience diagnostics that fed into our new strategy’ [ E2b].

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NPC, the UK’s leading charity and philanthropy consultants, provide support and expertise on effective giving. In 2019, they used Warwick and colleagues’ research to create Guidance on co-design and community spaces for recipients of the Co-op Foundation’s Building Connections Fund, aimed at reducing loneliness in young people [ E8a, E8b]. The guidance was shared with 144 recipient organisations to support them to use SD in their projects. NPC’s evaluation of the fund found that using SD had ‘ influenced how staff approached their work, helped generate ideas, and improved decision-making about service delivery’ [ E9, p3]. Impact reached beyond the co-design projects, including ‘ increased confidence and empowerment among co-design participants translating into other areas of their lives, such as improved schoolwork, better behaviour, and life skills such as budgeting, planning and communication’ [ E9, p3].

4.3 Improved efficiency, increased funding and job roles as a result of using SD

SD is ‘ a key part of our future success and sustainability’ [ E1] in Mind and since 2015, SDiM has received an annual budget of GBP150,000 from the organisation [ E1]. The SDiM programme created services desirable for both users and funders, including GBP6,000,000 delivered by Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind, one of Mind’s network of local Mind organisations. Warwick supported the design of the programme to reduce social isolation of older people in the area [ E10, p1], and 34 new, permanent jobs (headcount: 34) created to deliver it [ E10, p3]. Warwick also informed the use of SD as the programme’s core approach to development: ‘ strategic decisions [are] based on a rigorous, user-centred process, that ensure that the programme is as effective as possible’ [ E10, p1] . As the SDiM programme also resulted in GBP2,200,000 worth of other funding for Mind and its network [ E1], in total, the use of SD directly contributed to a total of GBP8,200,000 funding for Mind [ E1, E10].

GG created 2 permanent SD job roles (headcount: 2) to form an in-house SD team [ E2b]. Creating this team has resulted in savings in commissioning costs and time and the GG team stated ‘ Inhouse skills and capacity are far more beneficial for long-term benefit to the charity both financially and for retaining knowledge on the charity’ [ E2b].

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English and colleagues’ research with PolyPhotonix led to four main forms of impact: 1) product development, 2) improving health and wellbeing of individuals living with DR, 3) commercial/economic benefits for PolyPhotonix and 4) economic and infrastructure development in the sustainable healthcare sector.

4.1 Applying MPPF and empathetic design to design of the Noctura 400

Working with Northumbria enabled PolyPhotonix to define the parameters of, and subsequently develop, the Noctura 400 – a sleep mask delivering light therapy via [text removed for publication] OLEDs to treat DR. This product has been granted patents around the world between 2015-2020 as a direct result of the application of MPPF (Europe, China, USA, Mexico, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Canada) [ E1]. Richard Kirk, the CEO of PolyPhotonix, explained the contribution of engaging with English’s research and how the ‘ Noctura 400 improved significantly due to our work with Dr English’s research… [we] applied his MPPF model in the development of the Noctura 400’ [ E2]. Kirk continues, ‘ [a]s a direct result of the MPPF, we gained vital new perspectives on user-needs and new insights into how the product could meet them’ [ E2]. Embedded collaboration with English enabled PolyPhotonix to address issues with their original product by refining the design of the fabric mask to make it more breathable and low-profile (Fig.1). The European Patent Specification attests to the innovations of the Noctura 400 and how it meets needs for patient accessibility through a slimmer profile, onboard power rather than cable supply, and easily replaceable cartridge that accords with, and supports, how people best use these devices consistently in their homes [ E3, E4]. The Noctura 400 incorporates the treatment pod and the fabric mask design that were developed at Northumbria University to meet the product-needs revealed through application of the MPPF process.

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Figure 1: A – the original fabric mask design, B – the final mask design developed at Northumbria University.

4.2 Improving the health and wellbeing of individuals living with DR through the Noctura 400

[text removed for publication] [ E5]. A later study from Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospital saw 98% of patients achieve a beneficial outcome, with 66% enjoying stabilisation of their eyesight (preventing further degeneration) and 32% experiencing measurable improvement in their eyesight [ E6, p2]. As a ‘ non-invasive and monitored home care treatment’ the Noctura 400 avoids the patient-discomfort resulting from ‘laser treatment and/or injections of anti-VEGF pharmaceuticals directly into the eye’ [ E5]. Moreover, success with existing treatments is not assured and these procedures carry risks, including damage to the eye [ E7]. The Noctura 400 is undergoing clinical trials before it can be prescribed for wide-scale use by the NHS; however, it is already being used by ‘ private patients in the UK, U.S.A, Belgium, France, [text removed for publication] , Brazil, Oman, Portugal’ to preserve and/or improve their sight [ E2].

In addition to offering a more comfortable and less-invasive treatment, the self-administered nature of the Noctura 400 reduces the burden of treatment for patients and clinics (e.g., substantial clinical time and regular hospital attendance) by facilitating remote use and continued monitoring [ E5]. The Covid-19 crisis highlighted the potential individual and public health costs of intensive healthcare infrastructure for patients and clinical staff [ E8]. Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospital, who has patients using the mask, said that ‘ during the coronavirus pandemic the mask can help diabetic patients, who find it difficult to attend retinopathy screening and eye clinic appointments… it is likely that diabetic patients who cannot attend surgeries and hospitals for medical treatment – as many clinic appointments are being cancelled – are further risking their eyesight’ [ E8].

4.3 Commercial/economic benefits to PolyPhotonix resulting from the Noctura 400

Northumbria’s work with PolyPhotonix, in developing the Noctura 400, had a significant impact on the success and future business strategy of the company. The Noctura 400’s ‘intellectual property has attracted external funds of over GBP 18 million [GBP18,000,000] including a recent £2 million [GBP2,000,000] investment from a New York bank to support business development’ [ E2]. [text removed for publication] [ E2].

While the sleep mask is in the early stages of commercialisation, PolyPhotonix has sold 5,000 units to 954 patients and 63 treatment centres, generating a turnover of GBP450,000 [ E2]. Due to this success PolyPhotonix altered their business strategy to a sole focus on the Noctura 400, and now this product ‘ accounts for all of the company’s sales’ and underpinned its international expansion [ E2]. PolyPhotonix has signed license deals in France, Brazil, Argentina, Oman, with further deals being negotiated in Japan and Portugal [ E2].

4.4 [text removed for publication]

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Arnfield’s novel methodology, which translates the voices of survivors into powerful dramatic and choral productions, has provided new ways to enhance the work of international commemoration organisations by connecting diverse audiences with the Holocaust memorial process, as well as supporting new educational approaches and learning practices.

4.1 Connecting with diverse audiences to support effective Holocaust commemoration

The Living Memorial Theatre Methodology, as deployed in Arnfield’s adaptation of The Tin Ring ( TTR) and associated Suitcase of Survival programme ( SOS), has supported activities at an international level to commemorate and educate audiences about the Holocaust and critical themes associated with it – resilience, resistance, and reconciliation. Since featuring in the British Council International Edinburgh Showcase (August 2013), TTR has been performed on over 100 occasions, in a wide range of educational and cultural settings including important heritage sites [ E1, E2]. The majority of these performances were invited commissions, with Arnfield’s work requested to support key commemorative events such as Holocaust Memorial Day, the anniversary of the liberation of Terezín Internment Camp, and the anniversaries of the deportation of Western European Jews to the Łódź Ghetto and its subsequent liquidation. TTR has also been performed as part of specific exhibitions at museums specialising in the exploration of Genocide (including Sydney Jewish Museum, Imperial War Museum North, and POLIN Warsaw) [ E1].

The effect of the TTR adaption has been to pass on the truth of the story to audiences. For instance, the New York Theatre Guide highlighted how the integrity of the solo performance and Arnfield’s approach to it, allowed the central message of resilience and refusal to accept the role of victim to be conveyed with the power it deserves, ‘the verbatim testimonial theatrical form allows Zdenka’s words to flow through Jane … the eyewitness account reverberated through the audience and we could collectively grieve for those who have been and continue to be tortured and dehumanized by genocide’ [ E2].

Arnfield’s collaboration with the Defiant Requiem Foundation (DRF) - a major, US-based creative arts charity - demonstrates the significant contribution that her research has made to major Holocaust commemorative programmes. DRF presented TTR for the 70^th anniversary liberation of Theresienstadt Concentration Camp (May 2015), and a large memorial event hosted at the National Hall in New York (May 2016) [ E3]. Arnfield’s work directly supported the foundation’s goal ‘ to provide new insights into our understanding of what it meant to resist and defy attempts to suppress the human spirit during the Holocaust’ [ E3]. Praised by attendees, including those from among the 600 individuals who attended the event in New York, DRF confirmed that Arnfield’s performance allowed them to ‘ connect directly with our target audiences’ [ E3] . The foundation also noted that for many of the attendees this was their first contact with their work and mission, and Arnfield’s role ‘ was very important... in terms of helping us to reach new audiences’ [ E3].

Similar results were achieved through Arnfield’s involvement in the Defiant Voices programme (led by DRF), which included a series of creative/educational workshops facilitated by Arnfield (in partnership with the Forge) that explored themes of memory and resilience [ E3-E4]. DRF confirmed how the work helped them to attract approximately 1000 visitors to the signature performance at Durham Cathedral during Holocaust memorial week (2018) [ E3]. The event went on to be awarded ‘The Journal Culture Awards, Performance of the Year’ [ E4]. Murry Sidlin, DRF President, noted how ‘[Arnfield’s] exceptional use of a one-person/ witness-testimony format provided memorable results …and proves that strength, elegance, and simplicity of storytelling can be just as effective as any large-scale production [ E3]. Indeed, the ‘ creative expertise’ and novel techniques deployed in the TTR, inspired Sidlin to create a new drama, which since August 2019 has become ‘ an integral part of [their core programme] and is further demonstration of the positive influence that our collaboration with Arnfield has had on both [Sidlin personally] and the Foundation’ [ E3] .

Arnfield’s work also played a key role in supporting other major commemorative operations. The Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre (MEDC ), a secular-cultural institution based in Łódź, Poland that promotes the multi-cultural legacy of the city, has worked in close partnership with Arnfield since 2016. Her research supported a city-wide programme, led by MEDC, to mark the 75th anniversary of the deportation of Western Jews to the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. MEDC confirmed how Arnfield’s novel approach helped to ‘ animate and bring a personal resonance to the difficult events/issues that we aimed to educate our audiences about’ [ E5]. This supported their main organisational aim of improving awareness and education relating to the Holocaust, ‘[Arnfield] played an invaluable role in ensuring that the inspirational story of Zdenka Fantlová is never forgotten, whilst also raising profound questions about the human condition and how to respond to traumatic episodes of mass violence’ [ E5].

In 2019, during the 75th Anniversary of the Liquidation of the Łódź Ghetto, Arnfield collaborated with MEDC again to create and stage Ten to Ten (TTT). The MEDC Director, noted how Arnfield’s work was ‘extremely well received by those who engaged with our commemorative programme’ [ E5]. MEDC recognised that Arnfield’s unique methods *‘works outside the normal Holocaust Education routes to raise awareness of individual Holocaust testimony’ [ E5].The success of this novel approach however, ‘ has certainly changed [MEDC’s] approach to future learning/ memorialisation activities. It is the adaptability of Jane’s performative and directorial work, underpinned by clear academic rigour, that makes it such a powerful tool for spreading awareness about the Holocaust and the issues/ personal stories associated with it’ [ E5].

4.2 Commemoration of the Holocaust with new educational approaches

Arnfield’s work on the Suitcase of Survival ( SOS) programme, in partnership with The Forge, has been delivered to more than 20 secondary schools across the North of England since 2014, helping to enhance traditional curriculum delivery [ E4]. One of the most successful programmes was with Y9 students in the Hermitage Academy, County Durham [ E4]. A designated Holocaust Beacon School (UCL Centre for Holocaust Education), the Academy is committed to enhancing teaching and learning about the Holocaust. The Executive Director of The Forge, has detailed how Arnfield’s adaptation of TTR formed the basis of a full term of work for a six-month period in 2017-18, and noted the success it had as a learning tool, ‘we frequently conduct post-project evaluation to inform future activity and the response is invariably positive’ [ E4]. For instance, The Forge confirmed how the use of SOS with another institution, Durham Sixth Form college, had ‘ influenced curriculum design [at the school] and undoubtedly developed student knowledge/understanding of the Holocaust’ [ E4].

As an organisation, The Forge have outlined how they ‘ benefited immensely’ from Arnfield’s involvement [ E4]. Working with Arnfield ‘ has placed the examination of Holocaust, exclusion and intolerance at the centre of our creative programme’. The Living Memorial Methodology is now central to the Forge’s core delivery, ‘ it has been built into our strategic business plan, the impact of which since 2013 has been transformative for us as an organisation. [Arnfield] has helped us to develop a dynamic process enabling artists from all disciplines to create meaningful and challenging artwork with participatory practice at its heart’ [ E4]. The Forge confirmed how their collaboration with Arnfield was instrumental in the organisation securing National Portfolio funding from Arts Council England (GBP150,000), with Arnfield’s creative practice element representing a key component of their ACE Creative Case for Diversity [ E4].

Further examples of benefits to educational practice are demonstrated by Arnfield’s work with the Holocaust Education Trust (HET), which used her living memorial approach to expand the knowledge-base of their nationwide cohort of freelance educators. Her work provided the team with ‘ a different and effective way of engaging with survivor testimony’, with its emphasis on personal experience of particular importance: ‘ rehumanising is a key tenet of good Holocaust education ...The performance has certainly ensured that we are more aware of the beneficial uses of theatre in Holocaust memorialisation and education’ [ E6]. In addition, the lessons of tolerance and resilience arising from the research have been applied in other learning settings, including a community programme (Durham) to foster improved dialogue between residents and re-located migrant families from Syria, [ E7] , and schemes to support communities in Cambodia who are confronting the legacy of the Khmer Rouge [ E8].

Taken together, these multiple examples illustrate the direct benefits that audiences, participants, as well as creative and learning practitioners around the world have derived from Arnfield’s research. Murry Sidlin from the DRF concluded, ‘When the circumstances of history have created something cataclysmic, we know the facts almost immediately, but what we don’t know is the truth, and that’s what we get from Art. Jane’s work is a powerful example of this, demonstrating how innovative creative techniques can support the vital process of commemoration, reconciliation, and learning’ [ E3].