From Practice to PhD Workshop

A workshop for arts and cultural organisations and researchers to explore how to collaborate through PhD research - and what it takes to make it work.

Arts and cultural organisations are increasingly engaging with academic researchers - but what does meaningful collaboration really look like in practice?

Co-hosted by the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE) and Bath Spa University, this online workshop focuses on one of the most impactful ways to work together: collaborative doctoral supervision - where academic and industry partners co-support a PhD student over time.

But that’s just one part of a broader picture. This session will also open up wider conversation about the range of ways arts and culture organisations can embed research, from formal partnerships like Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) schemes, to more flexible models such as researcher residencies, co-designed projects, and practice-based consultancy.

We'll explore:

• Some of the different ways researchers and arts organisations can collaborate
• How to shape a good research question together - and why it matters
• What it means to co-supervise a practice-based PhD student in real terms
• What organisational capacity, support, and culture are needed to host a researcher
• What methods and approaches can be used in practice-based PhDs
• What challenges arise - and how others have navigated them

The roundtable will include reflections from academics, doctoral students, and arts professionals with hands-on experience, and plenty of time for open discussion and shared learning.

We’ll also invite your input to a new Collaborative PhD Toolkit being developed for the sector - bringing together case studies, guidance, and resources to support future partnerships.

This event is open to all arts and cultural organisations whether you’re already collaborating with researchers, or just curious about where to start. We also look forward to welcoming those considering undertaking a collaborative PhD, or those within academia interested in finding out more about co-supervising with an arts and cultural organisation.