Impact case study database

New knowledge and understandings of Ford have had benefits for theatre directors, audiences, a translator, Russian readers of drama, A-level pupils and teachers, and a wider public, changing perceptions and giving new contexts through the activities described below.

The RSC drew on Hopkins' research on Love's Sacrifice for the production itself (12 performances, 21 April to 24 June 2015, overall audience of around 5000), as well as in her commissioned RSC Programme Note. The director and programmes editor requested 'something that touches on Gesualdo – both something about him and his life/work, but also of course how it might fit in with the themes and characters of the play' ( E1). The note argued that the story and themes of Love's Sacrifice are rooted in the story of Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, composer and wife-murderer. This was the first performance of the play since 1631, and the director’s vision was influenced explicitly by this origin story, which was also noted in reviews, while the video trailer for the play emphasised this angle in its sub-title: 'based on a true story' ( E2). Hopkins' work on Ford's Catholic sensibilities also influenced the production style: 'steeped in ritual and patterned movement in a way which is profoundly Catholic'. Reviewers, including The Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian, thought the play a notable revival for the stage canon: 'eminently stageable'; 'nuanced take on a difficult play' ( E3).

Hopkins' research was also used in Globe Education's Rarely Played programme note and public seminar for their Read Not Dead reading of Love’s Sacrifice, at Gray’s Inn (15/02/2015; audience of circa 200). The programme note has now been included in the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre archive created and marketed by Adam Matthew digital resources. The cast included senior members of Gray's Inn and raised their awareness of Ford's own legal training and his dedication of this play to his cousin, also John Ford, a member of Gray's Inn. Hopkins led the Rarely Played seminar for Globe Education’s Read Not Dead reading of Perkin Warbeck in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (28/06/2015), and wrote the programme note which argued that the play saw Henry VII as de facto king, but Warbeck as de jure monarch. She led the Rarely Played seminar for Globe Education’s Read not Dead reading of The Fancies Chaste and Noble, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (6/9/2015; audience of circa 50), which used her work on the idiosyncrasy of Ford's theatre to account for this particularly oblique play, with its exceptionally laconic style.

Hopkins' Revels edition of The Lady’s Trial was used by Edward’s Boys for their performance of the play (the first known since 1638), seen by circa 1500 people across its six performances at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, King Edward VI School, Stratford, Queen Mary Grammar School, Walsall, and the Globe's Wanamaker Theatre. A recording is available on DVD (47 copies sold in the UK, 8 overseas). Audience feedback included: ' my answer to your invitation to consider … whether this play is worth reviving is an emphatic "yes" '. The director said: '[Hopkins'] edition is exemplary in its authoritative detail and clarity; the introduction and notes proved particularly valuable … since it was no longer possible to ask questions of Ford, the next best thing was to email Lisa after many rehearsals' ( E4). Hopkins wrote the programme note for this production and gave a talk at a Globe Education Study Day on Ford linked to the performance at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, September 2015. The Head of Globe Education acknowledged Hopkins' contribution: 'Thank you for all you did in support of the Ford season, culminating in your brilliant lecture … It was packed with information and ideas' ( E5). Audience feedback through questionnaires included: [liked]: 'the Gesualdo connection'; 'clear explanation of problems to be addressed in performance'; '[liked]: 'elucidation of political elements', 'the placing of Perkin in the context of Shakespeare's history plays and Scottish history' ( E6). Hopkins wrote up both the John Ford Experiment and the Edward’s Boys' Lady’s Trial in a piece called ‘Body and Soul’ for THE Culture to share insights yielded by these stagings with an audience beyond Renaissance scholars ( E7).

Hopkins helped bring Ford to Russian readers by advising on the first Russian translation of Perkin Warbeck and writing an introduction giving a context for this new audience, particularly relating her work on Perkin Warbeck to the contemporary Russian pretenders (the three False Dmitris). The translator said that research by Hopkins 'revealed the wide historical and cultural context of the play, allowing for better stylistic decisions in the translation. I also greatly benefited from the personal communication with Hopkins who helped me setting up the overall understanding of the play and the epoch of Perkin Warbeck'. The translation and introduction were published in “ Sovremennaya Dramaturgia” (“ Modern Dramaturgy”), a quarterly magazine focusing on the theatrical repertoire. Many Russian public libraries subscribe to this journal, as well as theatres nationally, and a wider public interested in drama ( E8).

The inclusion of ’Tis Pity on the A level syllabus led Hopkins to record a new lecture on the play for Massolit, which provides online A-level learning resources (2016). The lecture drew on her work on stage-space and on analysis of the recent Ford productions. The lecture has been watched 2,037 times since 2016, making it the second most popular non-Shakespeare play on the site, and a number of log-ins represent teachers showing the lecture to a class. (E9).

Public engagement included three talks which introduced Ford’s plays in the context of local and particular interests ( Perkin Warbeck at Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, the Lit and Phil in Newcastle; The Witch of Edmonton, part-authored by Ford, to the 1152 Club, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds; total audiences of circa 100). Questionnaire responses praised material: 'about relationship between Scotland and England', [historical] attitudes towards the border'; 'Ford's attitude to the monarchy', 'history of Perkin Warbeck' ( E10).

This overall programme of public engagement brought about a wide new awareness and understanding of the significance and value of Ford's theatre on stage and page for varied contemporary audiences and helped fulfil one of the aims of the John Ford Experiment and RSC productions: to show that his plays could and should be part of the contemporary theatrical as well as academic canon.

Opening Up Digital Fiction has resulted in the production of new works of digital fiction, expanded digital provision in libraries and galleries, increased the number of people reading digital fiction internationally, and saved digital fiction works from obsolescence.

Bell’s research on the reader’s experience of interactivity and immersion has influenced the production of digital fiction, leading to the creation of new works and expanding digital fiction authorship. Since 2015, Bell has worked as a research consultant with Dreaming Methods, a leading digital fiction production company, to support new forms of literary expression. Bell and Dreaming Methods were awarded an GBP8,000 research grant from Sheffield Hallam University to produce a new piece of digital fiction called WALLPAPER which would draw on and inform Bell and colleagues’ AHRC-funded empirical research. Described by leading international gaming magazine, PC Gamer, as ‘a very cool thing’ [ E1], WALLPAPER sold 198 copies [ E2], was exhibited to 700 people in Sheffield, Wakefield, and Oslo [ E3] and generated new empirical findings on immersion [ R5]. This research was also applied by Dreaming Methods in the development of further work including a Virtual Reality version of the original WALLPAPER piece. As Creative Director/CEO of Dreaming Methods states, the research has ‘contributed significantly to the direction of our work’ by ‘influenc[ing] how we balance text-based content with other rich media, design and develop methods of navigating works, and evaluate reader/player reactions, particularly through public engagement’ and in gaining ‘a deeper understanding of how our future narrative experiences might best be developed’ [ E2].

Bell and colleagues launched the Opening Up Digital Fiction Writing Competition in 2017. As the only digital fiction competition in the world aimed at both established and novice writers, it encouraged more writers to experiment with digital media and inspired the production of new cultural artefacts, with 110 digital fictions submitted from 24 countries [ E4]. The awards ceremony was streamed and archived online and 23 shortlisted and 5 winning works are published indefinitely on the RDF website [ E5]. Commenting on the diversity of the submissions, a competition judge concluded that ‘the shortlisted works truly show how digital fiction can be opened up to new writers and audiences’ [ E4]. The competition is now a bi-annual international event attracting 57 entries from 9 countries in 2018. It was postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19 but submissions are live for 2021 [ E5].

The competitions were supported by 9 writing workshops and artist talks for 641 adults and 17 children in Sheffield, Wakefield, Bournemouth, Cork, and Porto [ E3] which were co-designed and led by the project researchers and Dreaming Methods. The researchers also published resources online, available internationally [ E5]. In addition to significantly increasing digital fiction production and expanding digital fiction authorship, this writing programme influenced creative practice (e.g. ‘I know how to create a story with digital fiction’), increased knowledge of and confidence with software (e.g. ‘I learned about working on various platforms, using images, sounds and video’), and inspired participants to use their new skills in other contexts (e.g. ‘I might consider this as a job’; ‘I would like to use [the software] for care home residents to create memory box stories’) [ E4].

Bell’s research [ R1-R6] formed the basis of 49 public engagement events (including 20 workshops, 11 lectures, and 8 exhibitions) with extensive reach in England, Wales, Norway, and Portugal and which have led to permanent changes to library and gallery provision and practice.

Led and delivered by Hallam colleagues and Dreaming Methods, the events were attended by 2,394 adults and 70 children (aged 0-16) [ E3] and have resulted a 153% increase in participants' knowledge about digital fiction and significant increases in confidence with digital technology (88% of exhibition visitors) [ E4]. Bell developed a pathway with 46 reading group participants whose discussions were subsequently used in Bell’s empirical research [ R5, R6].

Events were aimed at audiences who would not otherwise be exposed to digital literary culture including: literary festivals (e.g. Oslo Poesifilm festival 2017), games festivals (e.g. Games Britannia Videogames Education Festival 2017), humanities festivals (e.g. Being Human 2017), and art galleries (e.g. The Art House, Wakefield).

Three websites ( www.readingdigitalfiction.com; www.wallpaper.dreamingmethods.com; https://digitalfiction.co.uk/). extended the international reach of the project further, alongside an online exhibition of 26 works with associated critical commentaries. As of 10 December 2020, the websites have received 115,644 visits from 156 countries including the Philippines (34%), UK (24%), USA (14%), Brazil (4%), Canada (4%), and India (2%) [ E2, E6]. Participants gained a fresh perspective on literary fiction (e.g. “'[The exhibition] has completely opened my eyes to a whole new world of literature”), felt motivated to read more (e.g. ‘ *I will seek out interactive fiction!*’), engaged in debate (e.g. ‘ I’m taking away a lovely memory of a fine conversation and a richer understanding of the work’), and established new cultural ventures (e.g. ‘ Going to start a book club’) [ E4].

Events were held in venues that had not engaged their users with digital fiction before including holding the UK’s first ever exhibition of digital fiction at Bank Street Arts in Sheffield in 2014 which attracted 443 visitors over 3 weeks and involved professional development training delivered by the researchers for 10 gallery staff [ E3]. The CEO of Bank Street Arts reflects that the collaboration 'required a significant learning curve for the gallery staff' [ E9] and provided 'the opportunity to actively and directly participate in research as a real partner' [ E2]. This led to the increase in visitor numbers and made a significant commercial impact to the gallery, allowing it to continue operating. As Clark reflects, ‘I don’t think [Bank Street] would have existed without [the WALLPAPER exhibition]’ [ E7].

Collaboration with libraries locally and nationally also expanded the digital content of and increased access to their provision. From 2014-2017, Bell and colleagues delivered 3 professional development workshops to 15 librarians at the National Library of Wales and Sheffield City Library with 3 events subsequently codesigned and delivered to 52 children (aged 0-6). In Sheffield, this led to permanent changes to 3 programmes: the use of digital stories and resources in the monthly Bookstart Early Years (0-5s) and the annual Summer Reading Challenge (ages 0-8), and the incorporation of digital fiction in after school Code Clubs (ages 9-11) held in libraries across the city [ E2].

Bell’s research has saved digital fiction produced in Flash from being lost. Her work shows that many important works from the 1990s/2000s were produced in Adobe Flash software [ R2]. In December 2020, Adobe withdrew Flash from web browsers, meaning that digital fiction works made in Flash disappeared. Anticipating the devastating impact that this universal technological change would have on digital fiction, Bell led the Digital Fiction Curios project – collaborating with Dreaming Methods from 2018-20 – to preserve, archive, and maintain access to Flash based fiction. Defined by the British Library as a ‘playful and innovative approach to preserving digital works’ [ E8] the Curios provides a new methodology for preserving Flash content and, to date, has saved 3 key works from being lost. Unlike other solutions to Flash obsolescence, Curios provides a playful, engaging, and aesthetically rich Flash archive. Utilising Bell’s findings on immersion [ R5], the Curios project is designed to encourage more intuitive and creative engagement with the Flash archive through an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) rendering of a curiosity shop, accessible to experienced and novice users of VR. Readers’ access to and engagement with the Flash fiction archive is thus as interactive, immersive, and entertaining as the Flash texts themselves. Readers also have access to interactive learning resources within the Curios such as analyses of the works and artists’ lectures.

The Curios has been downloaded 109 times (as of 10 December 2020) [ E2] and presented to 653 writers, curators, archivists, and software developers at 5 events internationally (e.g. the 10th New Media Writing Prize) [ E3] including to 24 curators, archivists, and preservationists from the British Library as part of their Twentieth-First Century Curatorship series. The Digital Preservationist for the Electronic Literature Organization, which has been promoting and preserving digital fiction and poetry worldwide for over 30 years, states: “ The need for this project is urgent … [Curios] ensures that future generations will have access to this treasure trove of late 20th century and early 21st century digital literature.” [ E2].

These projects:

Throughout the Outfalls project Tarlo and Tucker, worked with the Louth Navigation Trust (LNT)to organise twelve events. For example, for ‘Visions of and for the Louth Canal’ the researchers invited members of the LNT, Hubbards Hills Trustees, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Mayor of Louth, and members of the public to view their exhibition at the canal warehouse and invited them to discuss their differing priorities. As a direct result a small grant was given by the Mayor to the LNT to support preservation work. Local relations and sense of collective place value were improved - “ sometimes seeing the place through someone else's eyes makes you cherish it even more" and “I hadn’t realised how much of backdrop the canal has provided and how its informed where my family has grown - until I visited the exhibition” [ E3]. The project contributed to preservation of the sites concerned, mobilised community action, and fostered increased value of these marginalised areas, and the subsequent wellbeing of inhabitants.

The chair of the Fitties Community Interest Company (CIC) writes “ Project Fitties work in 2016 highlighted both the history and ecological importance of The Fitties Chalet Park to a wide audience from our chalet dwellers to a much wider global community." She acknowledges that the formation of the CIC in 2016 was directly influenced by Project Fitties as was their agenda, especially its environmental emphasis and successful campaign to retain the Fitties’ conservation status [ E1]. The CIC used text and image from the project in their representations to the new owners of the site. A local resident commented on how the project had helped community cohesion: “ People have come together and stopped arguing as much”. Again, place value increased: “ It has been a stunning piece of work and benefited so many with pride and enjoyment” and “ Really interesting combination of images and words … I will think a little differently of the Fitties now when I walk the dog each Sunday morning through there.” [ E2].

The Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn, the first and only gallery in the U.K. to be devoted to the environment, invited Tarlo and Tucker to organise and host a study day in 2018 entitled "Conserve? Restore? Re-wild? art & ecopoetics rise to the challenge" on how local projects such as Outfalls relate to macro issues around rewilding. This attracted 40 specialist speakers and participants from around the U.K. including writers, artists, scientists, interested public and representatives from The National Trust and Wildlife Trust. Feedback forms stated that the event “crystallised some key issues” (Norfolk), was “ hugely inspiring” (Bristol) and that the mix of scientists and artists produced “ surprising perspectives” (Birmingham). Similar public events took place all over the country (Cambridge, Torrington, London, Hull) bringing publicity to the projects and to Northeast Lincolnshire and focusing on environmental issues raised [ E10].

A range of thirty-five events in varied venues (including libraries, galleries, outdoor industrial spaces, and guided walks) took arts to audiences who would not normally have accessed them. A local curator writes that the work “Encouraged pride and esteem in our area; we are in an isolated county, area of low cultural provision and aspiration". Local reach was high. For example, the Excavations and Estuaries Exhibition outreach events at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre in 2014 attracted 115 participants, a live audience of 2,337 and a broadcast/online audience of 57,000. Many of those who filled in feedback forms had never or rarely attended art exhibitions or poetry readings (of 39 local respondents to a Fitties event in 2016, 12 had never or rarely attended a poetry event; 9 stated they would if they felt such events were available/accessible, and 37 said they would attend a similar event in future) [ E2]. Of the Outfalls weekend in 2018, the secretary of the LNT noted [ E4] that events "attracted a wide range of people and of all ages who would not normally attend an art exhibition but who sat and gazed at a painting or read a poem about their favourite place and started reminiscing.”

The Principal Arts Officer for NE Lincs [ E5] writes how the work “ clearly convinced the powers that be that an Arts Development Team remains something NE Lincolnshire needs.” A local curator acknowledges that both projects “ influenced my approach to curating exhibitions and managing projects both in galleries and independent situations.” She went on to feature place-based works and poetry in programming at Abbey Walk Gallery, Grimsby (2014-16) and Gallery Steel Rooms, Brigg 2017 -2019 [ E6]. As a direct result of the research, the CIC inaugurated a an annual Fitties Festival, first held in 2019, 120 participants and the LNT commenced Culture on the Canal, an ongoing programme of events and exhibitions at the Louth Navigation Warehouse where a storeroom has been converted into a gallery as a direct result of Outfalls [ E4]. Their events regularly attract audiences of 60+ to the canal’s banks. Encounters with the research directly benefitted writers and artists from N.E. Lincs over 6 years of exhibitions, workshops and mentoring which inspired and developed the careers of twenty individuals [ E10].

Texts and images from Project Fitties and Outfalls have been selected for exhibition over 30 times. This showed how environmental artwork could bring originally site-based community arts-led research on local environmental issues to national and international attention. These exhibitions included local, accessible venues mentioned above, to national galleries in London, Cambridge and Kings Lynn and, internationally at The Sino-British Biennale, Yantai Art Museum, China, 2018 and Beyond Other Horizons: Contemporary paintings made in Britain and Romania, Iasi Palace of Culture, 2020. Poems were translated into Mandarin and Romanian for these exhibitions. A strong relationship was formed with the curator of the Yantai Art Museum who recognised the significance of the work: stating “ What emerged was that despite our differences in locality there was much in common and that art and poetry can affect how we feel about landscape and place.” [ E9] Artists' books which were accessible and affordable for all were shown at art fairs in Barcelona, London, South Yorkshire and Leeds.

The director of The Groundwork Gallery [ E7] notes “ A number of artists said it gave them the courage to contemplate trying to combine visual art and writing. …[this] has opened up a whole new area of inspiration which has continued to develop and has been carried through to other gallery events.” An American poet [ E8] writes of the impact of the research on her, “ It has helped me think through the rich possibilities for place-based artistic collaboration … my fifth book of poetry, Mississippi (Wings Press 2018), is a collaboration with the Delta photographer Maude Schuyler Clay”. Tarlo and Tucker featured over sixty such collaborations (many brought together specifically for these events) into two public group exhibitions of interdisciplinary work: In the Open Cambridge 2015 (New Hall Women’s Art collection) and In the Open Sheffield 2017 (Sia Art Gallery; Bank Street Arts). Subsequently two exhibitions were curated in Sheffield and Devon in (2018, 2019) that “ build on precedents set by Tarlo and Tucker,” as the curator Camilla Nelson stated in her open call for “Radical Landscapes: Innovation in Language and Landscape Art” (Torrington, Plough Gallery, Devon) [ E6].