Researchers at South East Technological University (SETU) have secured one of six new UK-Ireland research networking awards aimed at strengthening collaboration across the creative economy.
Dr Susan Flynn, Head of SETU’s newly established Department of Creative Arts, will co-lead the Shared Authorship: A UK-Ireland ECR Network for Participatory Cultural Practice project with Professor Zey Suka-Bill, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at the Royal College of Art (RCA), London. Dr Susan Connolly, Lecturer and researcher in Department of Creative Arts is also a member of the project team.
The collaboration brings SETU together with one of the world’s leading institutions for art and design education. The Royal College of Art was ranked the number one university globally for Art & Design in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, marking its 12th consecutive year in the top position.
The 12-month award is funded through the UK-Ireland Collaboration in the Creative Economy Research Networking Awards programme, delivered by Research Ireland in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in the UK.
Supporting more inclusive cultural participation
Shared Authorship will establish a network of early career researchers exploring participatory cultural production in museums and galleries across Ireland and the UK.
The project will connect researchers with cultural practitioners, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration while exploring approaches that can support more inclusive participation within the cultural sector.
The network forms part of a wider programme involving researchers from 18 higher education institutions and 53 partner organisations across Ireland and the UK. Cultural and creative organisations involved across the six funded projects include galleries, government and state agencies, screen and creative industry organisations, professional bodies and literary organisations.
To co-lead this work with Professor Zey Suka-Bill and the Royal College of Art, the world’s highest-ranked university for Art and Design, is a significant opportunity for SETU and for the development of our creative arts research."
Dr Susan Flynn Project Co-lead, Head of Department of Creative Arts at SETU
Among those involved is GOMA Gallery of Modern Art Waterford, further strengthening the regional dimension of the initiative and its connection with the cultural and creative sector in the South East.
Dr Flynn said, “Shared Authorship is an exciting opportunity to build a network of early career researchers and cultural practitioners across Ireland and the UK who are interested in making cultural participation more inclusive. To co-lead this work with Professor Zey Suka-Bill and the Royal College of Art, the world’s highest-ranked university for Art and Design, is a significant opportunity for SETU and for the development of our creative arts research.
She continued, “To have this work supported as one of just six networks funded through the UK-Ireland programme is particularly significant as we establish SETU’s new Department of Creative Arts. It reflects our ambition to develop creative arts research that is rooted in our region, connected internationally and capable of contributing to important conversations across the cultural and creative sector.”
A new chapter for Creative Arts at SETU
The research success coincides with the establishment of SETU’s new Department of Creative Arts, bringing together programmes in Visual Art, Graphic Design, Music, and TV and Film Production at the University’s Waterford campus.
Led by Dr Flynn, the new Department is regionally grounded and internationally connected, engaging with the cultural and creative sector across the South East while building relationships with leading partners in Ireland and internationally.
Its establishment reflects SETU’s commitment to the cultural and creative industries and recognises their contribution to the identity, vibrancy and development of the South East.
Professor Suzanne Denieffe, Head of the Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences at SETU, said, “This award is a significant achievement for Susan and her colleagues and an excellent endorsement of the research ambition underpinning SETU’s new Department of Creative Arts. The Department brings together our strengths in Visual Art, Graphic Design, Music, and TV and Film Production, while creating new opportunities for research, collaboration and engagement with the creative and cultural industries.
“The opportunity to collaborate with the Royal College of Art on this project is particularly significant. It connects SETU researchers with an institution recognised internationally for excellence in art and design and demonstrates the calibre of partnerships we want to develop as the Department grows.”
Strengthening UK-Ireland creative connections
The six Research Networking Awards have a combined value of €268,498 and are designed to develop new collaborations between researchers and organisations working across the creative sectors in Ireland and the UK.
The funded networks will explore a range of issues and opportunities within the creative economy, including social inclusion, cultural participation, reading engagement, migration and mobility, and the sustainability of careers within the creative industries.
Through Shared Authorship, SETU and the Royal College of Art will bring together researchers and cultural practitioners from across Ireland and the UK, strengthening international connections while supporting new approaches to participatory cultural practice.
The award provides an early international research milestone for SETU’s Department of Creative Arts as it develops its research, education and external engagement activities across the South East and beyond.
