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Creative Industries Research and Consultancy Unit (CIRCU)

Description

Launched on 1st October 2003, the Creative Industries Research and Consultancy Unit (CIRCU) incorporates FIRG (The Film Industry Research Group) which has an established reputation for research and comment on business and management issues pertinent to the film industry.

The Head of the Unit, Professor Keith Randle, is actively involved in research in the global film industries and CIRCU has established links with a range of UK and US academic and film industry bodies. Members of the Unit have worked on projects related to the film, TV and broadcasting, computer games and music industries.

Head of the unit

Key Unit Members

Nigel Culkin

Dr Norbert Morawetz

Visiting Professor Richard Miller

Aims of the unit

The unit aims to:

• Carry out business/management oriented research and consultancy in the, broadly defined, creative industries at a regional, national and international level
• Become a hub for creative industries collaborative activity and a centre for alignment of the Higher Education infrastructure to the business/management needs of creative industries within the Eastern Region of England
• Work alongside other Faculties, Schools, Research Centres and Consulting Units [for example the School of Creative Arts] to enhance the University’s offer in the area of the creative industries

Research themes

The unit’s research themes include:

• Digital cinema
• Equality and diversity
• Freelance working
• Employment relations
• Finance and co-productions
• Film marketing
• Entrepreneurism

Indicative Research and Consultancy Projects

Indicative research and consultancy projects that the unit has been involved in include:

• A Research/Consultancy project in 2008 for UK Music on music download behaviour of 16-24 year olds (with the School of Creative Arts)
• A British Academy-funded case study research on Valve (US Computer Games developer)
• Various research projects on digital cinema for the EEDA (East of England Development Agency)
• A project to help create a road map for the development of the Maltese Film Industry for the Maltese Government
• An EU EQUAL funded project ‘Creating Difference’ which looked at barriers to diversity in UK film and television employment

Other CIRCU consultancy projects

Indicative publications

View a list of the units indicative publications