The 3.5-year research project will examine how 'co-creation' - a collaborative process in which artists, cultural institutions, and community members share creative control - can bring artists and local communities together into a mutually beneficial two-way partnership.
The project will look at how this approach can promote inclusion, amplify local voices, and help shape the future of publicly engaged theatre.
Emma Rogerson, the newly appointed PhD researcher, is an award-winning writer, theatre maker, facilitator, and researcher. Emma expressed her excitement, saying: "I'm really looking forward to embarking on this wonderful project with the Belgrade and University of Warwick. The ethos of collaborative work and community engagement is so deeply visible and apparent within the Belgrade's truly remarkable programming and extensive community work.
"My particular research focus will be on the upcoming production Nanny of the Maroons (2027), a retelling of the story of Jamaican freedom fighter Queen Nanny that links her legacy of resistance and community leadership with modern struggles for justice and empowerment. The creative process will involve more than 1,000 participants from across the West Midlands, including members of the Black Creative Network, Coventry Caribbean Centre, and other community groups, who will actively shape the making of this ground-breaking production."
Throughout Emma's work, there is a sustained commitment to creating and sustaining inclusive, radical and ambitious creative communities. Her research will examine the Belgrade's use of co-creation to explore how this commitment is transforming the theatre's culture and creative process.
Dr Matt Franks, Associate Professor of English, University of Warwick, said: "Co-creation is one of the most important developments in theatre today, with the aim of having civic theatres truly reflect the local communities in which they are embedded. This project will help to evaluate the strengths and challenges presented by co-creation, in order to inform wider arts policy and practice."
Corey Campbell, Artistic Director of the Belgrade Theatre, added: "Co-creation sits at the heart of our vision to be a people-first theatre, shaping not only the work we make but also the relationship we have with our city. It builds upon and extends the long-standing work we have done in Coventry's communities in exciting new ways.
"Partnering with the University of Warwick on this important research project is a brilliant opportunity to deepen our understanding of what co-creation makes possible - for communities, for audiences, artists, and the Belgrade. Working with Emma and the Warwick team offers a chance to reflect, learn, and keep on evolving; so that our work truly reflects the people of Coventry and the wider region."
