Lancaster University

This project was devised by Psappha in collaboration with Lancaster University with funds provided by the University Friends Programme.

Lancaster University hosts an incredible artistic and cultural resource in the form of three internationally respected arts venues, recently merged as Live at LICA into a single interdisciplinary contemporary arts organisation for the campus, the city and the region.

Lancaster International Concert Series, the Peter Scott Gallery and the Nuffield Theatre bring a wealth of UK and international artists of the highest calibre to Lancaster every year in public programmes of professional theatre, dance, exhibitions and concerts. Music events include the likes of Opera North and the BBC Philharmonic, plus a range of unique webcast concerts viewable worldwide. Many of the most important theatre and dance practitioners of the last 30 years have presented work at the Nuffield Theatre, including Forced Entertainment, Station House Opera, DV8, Improbable and Goat Island. The gallery's visual and digital programmes include exhibitions exploring contemporary issues as well as drawing on the University's fantastic collections of Japanese, Chinese and 20th Century artworks.

Live at LICA delivers a range of young and emergent practitioner support through its Emerging Artists scheme, and commissions many innovative new works for national and international touring, enabled by regular funding from Arts Council England. We also develop unique participatory projects for local residents to encounter the creative process of innovative artists in unusual locations.

Live at LICA forms the prime site for LICA students' engagement with the creation, viewing and critique of professional contemporary arts, and provides a fertile industry context for academic teaching and research.

• The Lancaster International Concerts Series presents an internationally recognised programme of visiting orchestras, soloists, and ensembles, as well as opera, and events for young people. 'Meet the artist' sessions take place before most events, providing an invaluable insight into the creative process for the public and students. Its education policy aims to develop a future audience for the series and to enrich the cultural lives of young people in the region.
• The Nuffield Theatre has a respected tradition of staging and commissioning new performance from across the UK and abroad. Many of the most important performance makers of the last 30 years have shown their work here. The theatre is nationally recognised for supporting emergent and experimental practice through its Nuffield New Works commissioning programme and its Emerging Artists scheme.
• The Peter Scott Gallery presents a varied programme of temporary exhibitions and associated talks by contemporary artists. The gallery houses the University's international art collection, and fosters links with other areas of the University and the wider artistic community of the region. Open to the public free of change, the gallery also holds the most significant collection of Royal Lancastrian ceramics and related archive material in Britain, which is on permanent display.