Arts and Humanities Research Council awards £483,000 grant to DAReS CoLab, co-led by Dr Gauti Sigthorsson

Dr Gauti Sigthorsson, Deputy Dean of the School of Arts and Digital Industries, will be a co-investigator on the DAReS (Digital Arts and Humanities Research Skills) CoLab project, which has been awarded a £483,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The 12-month project, launched on April 1, 2023, aims to develop an inclusive model for advanced digital research skills provision within arts and humanities.

The project is particularly focused on prioritising diversity and inclusion as important preconditions for innovation and high-quality research. This pilot scheme seeks to address known gaps in current research practices and training in the arts and humanities by developing and testing new, more inclusive models for digital research skills development and training.

Dr Sigthorsson stated, "I am thrilled to be part of the DAReS CoLab project. This pilot scheme has the potential to transform the way we approach research and training in these fields, and I am excited to see the impact this project will have on the arts and humanities community."

The project will be led by Principal Investigator Dr Zoetanya Sujon of the London College of Communication, along with co-investigators Dr Anna Troisi of the Creative Computing Institute at UAL and Dr Maitrayee Basu of the London College of Communication. The project will also collaborate with partner-organisations CRAC/Vitae and WikiMedia UK.

The investigators aim to address known gaps in current digital research skills provision and training in the arts and humanities. By prioritising diversity and inclusion in the development of new training models and methodologies, the project seeks to create game-changing solutions, artistic practice, and impactful, high-quality research in these fields.

The project will prototype and deliver training, addressing and transforming these gaps into good practice for better research outcomes. Its unique focus on inclusive practice for the arts and humanities aims to generate models of good practice that can be adopted and adapted by practitioners and institutions globally.