The Cambridge Collections

The Cambridge Collections

'The Cambridge Collections' strand is dedicated to fostering collaborative research projects that support and enrich the diverse collections of Cambridge University from the University Library and the Fitzwilliam Museum to Kettle’s Yard and the broader UCM, coordinated by the Collections Connections Communities Strategic Research Initiative. This aligns with overarching objectives of catalysing new research on collections, connecting stakeholders with collections for research, teaching, public interest, and wellbeing, and interrogating collections-based research methods to generate world-leading interdisciplinary research in the humanities. The strandfocuses on the critical mass of Arts and Humanities collections in particular to present a unique Cambridge proposition in this space.

The strand is also concerned with the visual aspects of research across Cambridge, including within but also beyond, our collections. Here Cambridge Visual Culture (CVC) coordinates activities, run by four partner institutions within the University – School of Arts and Humanities, Department of History of Art, Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettle’s Yard – with a steering committee and advisory board that extends across the UCM and into other Faculties and Colleges. CVC catalyses new research through incubation workshops and a visiting fellows programme, connecting researchers, curators, teachers and students via digital presence and public events. It opens up new audiences for humanities research beyond the University and into the city, developing pathways to impact. CVC drives cross-institutional initiatives that bring together collections from various academic and cultural institutions, developing strategies that showcase and integrate collections, making them accessible for research, education, and equitable and diverse public engagement.