Supporting Creative Collaborations: Ignite Funded Projects, 2024 to 2025
Through the Ignite Fund, we support projects that aim to tackle real-world issues and engage the public in meaningful ways.
The Ignite Fund encourages researchers to partner with external organisations, promoting diverse, impactful research that connects creative practices with social, cultural, and environmental change. Here are four exciting projects for 2024 to 2025.
Palatable protein: cultural challenges of novel and alternative foods
Professor Alan Mackie, School of Environment, in collaboration with Compass Arts.
One of the most pressing challenges of our time is the need for sustainable food sources, particularly in the form of alternative proteins. Alan Mackie’s project, in partnership with Compass Arts, will bring together academics researching alternative proteins from the University of Leeds and artists for a two-day workshop. The goal is to explore unconventional ways of engaging the public in the transition to more sustainable protein sources, from insect protein to lab-grown meat.
By combining art and science, the project aims to overcome cultural barriers and make these alternative proteins more acceptable and exciting to the public. Ultimately, the project seeks to ensure that innovations in sustainable food sources are not only environmentally viable but culturally embraced.
Embodying fatigue: creative approaches to understanding, sharing, and amplifying lived experience
Dr Lucy Prodgers, School of Medicine, in collaboration with Polite Rebellion.
Persistent fatigue is an invisible yet deeply debilitating condition that many struggle to articulate effectively. In this project, Lucy Prodgers aims to use creative practices to shed light on the lived experience of this often misunderstood symptom through a series of workshops.
In collaboration with Polite Rebellion, the project will explore how academics, artists, and those who live with fatigue can come together to create meaningful dialogue and understanding. The workshops will culminate in the recording of a podcast that shares personal experiences, providing a platform for fatigue sufferers to amplify their voices. This project also lays the groundwork for future funding bids to support arts and health collaborations.
Uncovering Leeds’ history of protest art
Dr Rebecca Starr and Dr Maki Fukuoka School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, in collaboration with South Asian Arts UK.
In partnership with South Asian Arts UK, this project invites young people from Leeds to explore representation, identity, and the hidden histories of protest art. The project will involve visits to Leeds Art Gallery, where participants will engage with the gallery’s collection, exploring the interconnection among representation, identity, and art.
echome (and) in mature company
Dr Maria Kapsali, School of Performance and Cultural Industries, in partnership with Yorkshire Dance.
In this project, artists will be trained to use echome, a wearable technology that enables the creation of sound through movement.
Following the exploration of echome as a creative tool for encouraging physical activity and communicating experiences of arthritis, this project will introduce echome to care homes across the region. The goal is to enhance movement, create opportunities for interaction, and stimulate cognitive engagement for residents by integrating art and technology into their daily lives.
The project also provides a unique opportunity for artists to expand their skill sets in digital and interactive media, increasing their professional opportunities and creative reach.
Through interactive workshops, participants will create their own artworks and contribute to an exhibition, as well as a co-produced zine. This initiative aims to deepen understanding of Leeds’ connections with South Asia and create space for young people to have their voices heard in the conversation about decolonising art collections.
What is the Ignite Fund?
“…It was brilliant to be surrounded by experts and people passionate about the circular economy. I was sat with academics, and it was good to hear their thoughts on the theoretical concepts behind the more practical aspects.”
The Ignite Fund was launched in 2012 to encourage the development of research projects that build lasting relationships between the University of Leeds and external organisations. The fund supports initiatives that can lead to engaging, impactful research, fostering partnerships that create opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and social change.
Over the years, Ignite has supported over 120 individuals, resulting in a variety of successful partnerships and projects that continue to inspire and make a difference. From tackling climate change to addressing health issues, Ignite-funded projects provide a platform for exploring ideas, improving research quality, and generating long-term impact.