TCCE (The Culture Capital Exchange) is an experienced leader with a robust track record in designing, developing and delivering successful, effective, and ground-breaking collaborations and Knowledge Exchange programmes between Higher Education and the arts and cultural sectors for mutual benefit and wider impact.
We were established as LCACE (London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange) in 2005 with Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) funding and were the first university-led network to focus specifically on knowledge exchange, collaboration and wider engagement between the research base and the arts, cultural and creative sectors.
We rebranded as TCCE, becoming an independent company in 2011, and with extensive networks in and knowledge of both sectors, we continue to pioneer developments in our fields of expertise.
TCCE designs, develops and delivers programmes, events and resources to catalyse and support Research Collaborations, Knowledge Exchange and Public Engagement. We also work into wider challenge areas for research, the arts and more widely across our lives, such as resilience, health and digital creativity.
Many of our larger-scale programmes are developed in collaboration with funders and partners from academia and beyond. Some examples of these include: Boosting Resilience, The Exchange, funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Creativeworks London funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Partnership, collaboration and knowledge exchange, in its widest sense, are at the heart of everything we do. We focus particularly on bringing Higher Education together with arts, culture and creative sector and further afield for mutual exchange and wider social, cultural, environmental and economic benefit.
TCCE has 11 core members, works with over 40 partners in London through our work on Creativeworks London and over 20 partners across England through our work on The Exchange. We also work with many cultural and creative organisations and individual collaborators in the delivery of our annual programme of activities.
Please email info@tcce.co.uk to get in touch.
Suzie Leighton is a Founder Director of The Culture Capital Exchange, and joined TCCE’s predecessor, The London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange as a member of the start up team in 2005. Between 2012 – 2016 she was also joint Head of Knowledge Exchange Programme for Creativeworks London. Since then she has developed and project directed The Exchange, co-funded by HEFCE and Arts Council England 20-16 -2018, and was also a Co-Investigator on the Arts Council England flagship Boosting Resilience project. Her professional background encompasses dance and theatre production and management, a 5 year stint at Arts Council England as a Senior Officer and a secondment as a researcher to the DCMS Select Committee. Suzie is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of Jasmin Vardimon Company, an international dance theatre company and a mentor on the Time to Stare Artists Fellowship Programme. Most recently, continuing her long term partnership with Evelyn Wilson, she has co-conceived and will co-direct the new TCCE initiative, the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE).
Gemma has a strong background in UK HE with over 11 years in the sector. She gained her PhD in History in 2018 from Edge Hill University and has worked as a lecturer and researcher in several HEIs since then. Prior to undertaking doctoral study, she was a Project Manager and event organiser in UK HE. She also has some experience in the theatre and arts industries with consultancy experience for a north-east theatre company.
Noshin worked as Operations and Content Coordinator at Knowledge Quarter (KQ), playing an integral role within the KQ team and working closely with the CEO to ensure that the aims and objectives of the KQ were met. Before joining Knowledge Quarter Noshin was the Communications and Administration Officer for Creativeworks London, Queen Mary University of London. Noshin holds a BSc in Fashion Technology from De Montfort University.
Pauline has a background in fine art, international business, co-operative development, teaching and research most recently within the Values and Sustainability Research Group at the University of Brighton. Her work focuses on the interrogation of climate and social justice, reframing how we imagine the future together.
Rebekka has 25 years experience in education and ten years experience in senior leadership roles, including two Head of School roles and an Associate Dean role. During her 25 years of teaching she has written, developed and launched over 20 courses including diverse subjects such as Experience Design, Entertainment Management, Fashion and Creative Enterprise. She has published in education, cultural studies, music and performance. Her PhD focussed on academic identity construction. She has been a member on various boards including as Chair of the board of East Street Arts for the last 3 years.
Giorgia holds a master’s degree in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths University, London and an M.Res. in Media, Arts and Performance Studies from Utrecht University (NL). She has several years of experience working in the arts and culture sector across Europe, and more recently teaching courses at a BA level. She also works as independent researcher and curator and collaborates with the research collective Museum for Equality and Difference (MOED).
Pete is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sussex School of Global Studies. His writing has appeared in publications including the Times Literary Supplement, Asymptote, and The Quietus. He was Creativeworks London Researcher-In-Residence with TCCE in 2013/14 and works with us on the production and editing of our publications.
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