partnership and impact with special collections and archives

Partnership and Impact with Special Collections and Archives

Willy Russell: Back in Knowsley

Emily Parsons LJMU Archivist & Special Collections Librarian

Willy Russell Archive at LJMU• Deposited in 2013• Catalogued by project archivist, initially working

directly for Willy Russell• Over 5000 items• Exhibition and event held to launch the archive

Willy Russell Archive at LJMU

Material includes:

Kirkby

• New town, expanded from rural village to re-house residents from Liverpool slums in 1950s

• Deprived area, residents don’t tend to travel to Liverpool regularly

• Knowsley leisure and Culture Services aim to raise aspiration and attainment

Kirkby Gallery

• Opened March 2014• Large, high spec contemporary space• Located in combined services centre – non-traditional

audiences

Launch of archive in 2013 featured small exhibition – sparked interest

Willy Russell: Behind the Scenes

Material usedOver 250 items from archive


Material usedMaterial directly from Willy Russell


Material usedMaterial from Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatre


Material usedPainting from National Museums Liverpool


Education Pack•Self-led•Aimed at primary school•Would have liked to produce secondary school resources too•Tied in with school visits, but available for all


Exhibition Catalogue

Willy Russell: All Around Knowsley

Statistics

Exhibition open 05/10/2015 – 23/01/2016

2432 Visitors

8 School Groups

60 exhibition catalogues & DVDs sold

Feedback“Brilliant exhibition Willy Russell, like a roller coaster. Just goes on and on like yourself has a lot of thought and passion. Exhibition will educate many more, not just Rita!”

“What a gem of an exhibition. So many memories. The right size venue, brilliant presentation. Well done, give yourselves a pat on the back”

“Insightful and important. Learnt about a person I never knew but had heard of his work.”

“Made me proud of my town. I am an amateur writer and musician. Inspirational stuff!”

“Superb exhibition; came from East Yorkshire to see it. Best wishes”

Willy Russell: Behind the Scenes Exhibition

Successes/Failures:•Feedback very positive•Visitors numbers could have been higher, but each visitor stayed for longer than expected•Costs of exhibition catalogue compared to sales•Great exposure for the archive•Great experience for gallery – loan from NML•Definitely reached new audiences

Willy Russell: Behind the Scenes Exhibition

Impact/Legacy•Enquiries about archive – some as a result of exhibition•Possibility of touring exhibition•Willy Russell Painting Exhibition in 2017 at gallery•Possible work with gallery in future

Partnership and Impact with Special Collections and Archives

Femorabilia: making an impact with girls’ comics

Valerie Stevenson Head of Academic Services

• Femorabilia: around 2000 girls’ and women’s comics and magazines

• Lead researcher: Dr. Nickianne Moody• Acquired to support teaching: critical thinking, using

primary sources to challenge established theory• Also used in research and public events: impact?

HEFCE definitions of impact

2012For the purposes of the REF, impact is defined as an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia.

The Stern Review of the REF, 2016 has widened and deepened the notion of “impact” to include influence on public engagement, culture and on teaching:

“Institutions should be given more flexibility to showcase their interdisciplinary and collaborative impacts by submitting ‘institutional’ level impact case studies, part of a new institutional level assessment.”

A researcher’s definition of impact

“Impact is about having made a difference to how people outside of universityworld do stuff, or think about things”

David Gauntlett: Achieving REF-able ‘impact’ in the arts and humanities.Blog post, 21.8.15

Impact case study: example

Cover Girls Event 2015

• Student interns submitted successful application and wrote copy for Being Human event brochure

• Other students joined the team: 122 attendees

• Interviewed by Tony Snell and Billy Butler on Radio Merseyside

Charlotte and Aadrienne with Billy Butler

Cover Girls Event: Liverpool Central Library

Future Perfect Event 2016

Words are our Power Event: Merseyside Schools

Femorabilia: planning for impact

• Research outputs

• Partnership with Writingon the Wall: schools outreachand evaluation

• Find a national partner

• Events: gather data and findvolunteers willing to participatein oral histories or interviews

• Publicity

• Endorsements

Conference presentation: misconceptions aboutfemale adolescence and magazine advice

Project: “A tactical change”. Influencing professional development and supporting evidence-based practice within the football industry

• LJMU Impact Tracker

• Set up project site

• Add to Evidence Vault

• Publications, contacts, data,outputs, social media reach,events, evaluations

• Build Storyboards

• Research and GraduateSchool monitor andadvise

Questions and Comments