The Institute for Collective Place Leadership
The Institute for Collective Place Leadership undertakes place-based research to support regional growth, development and regeneration through creative and collaborative approaches that brings together policymakers, communities, businesses and academics. Our research equips place-based leaders with the tools, skills and knowledge to operate in complex and changing environments, to develop responsible and sustainable practices, and to imagine alternative and inclusive futures.
Our work is clustered around three thematic areas:
- Empowered and Inclusive Places
- Imaginative and Innovative Places
- Sustainable and Resilient Places
To become an international beacon for collective place-based leadership, a place where community voice, business knowledge, and policymaker expertise connects with academic research and innovation to drive forward shared, inclusive, and prosperous futures.
Mission
Dedicated to catalysing social, cultural and economic change within regions in transition, the Institute for Collective Place Leadership brings together arts, humanities, business, and social science research to address some of the most complex challenges facing society today.
Our expertise
Place Leadership and Community Empowerment
Through portfolio funding from regional and national charities and foundations, our research fosters creative cross-sector conversations on the future of our neighbourhoods, towns and cities. Supporting the development of place leadership and community research skills, our work develops new and innovative models for placemaking, community engagement, and regeneration that bring a diverse range of regional actors into dialogue.
Evidence-Based Policy and Practice
Our work with local and regional authorities, through programmes such as the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded Health Determinants Research Collaboration, support infrastructure development that embeds research and innovation within regional policymaking and practice. Working closely with public sector professionals, our research ensures that policy and practice in the public sector is data-driven and people-centred, with outcomes aligned to stakeholder needs.
Workforce Development and Business Growth
Our research seeks to close regional education and skills gaps through participatory projects with education providers, employers, and policymakers. The Skills for Growth Programme, for instance, funded by our regional authority (Tees Valley Combined Authority) has provided training on leadership, entrepreneurship, and business strategy, supporting local SME leaders to expand and grow their businesses. Through both our research and practice, our work supports the development of sustainable regional and organisational growth strategies that balance environmental, social, and economic considerations.
Environmental Justice and Climate Change Adaptation
Our work on the social, economic and ethical dimensions to sustainable development brings together cross-sector and community perspectives to explore how energy and climate transitions are responsible and socially just. Our research explores the intersection of technological development, climate change, environmental and energy policy, and public health to support community, business and policy interventions that can help to mitigate the impact of climate change at the local and regional levels.
Youth Empowerment and Education
Through sustained partnerships with education providers, our research empowers young people to become future leaders and change-makers. Our research support the development of inclusive and empowering educational environments to support critical thinking, futures thinking, and civic engagement.
Creative and Digital Skills for Social Good
Research on arts, creativity, and entrepreneurship has actively supported the continued growth of the creative, cultural and digital sectors within the Tees Valley and the North East. Through projects such as Borderlands (funded by Arts Council England) and Creative Fuse (funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council), our research supports the development of more inclusive digital and creative economies that can contribute positively to society.
Disability
Disability is central to our public-facing research culture, informing how knowledge is produced, shared, and contested. Drawing on disability-led and collaborative research practices, our Institute foregrounds access, embodiment, and lived experience as critical forms of expertise. Through co-produced methodologies, archival research, and exhibition-led enquiry, disability is approached not as a marginal topic but as a vital lens for rethinking art, culture, and social value in the public realm.
Leadership team
Professor Antonia Liguori
Programme Director for Imaginative and Innovative Places
Dr Gbemisola Ogbolu
Early Career Researcher Representative and innovation and entrepreneurship expert
Dr Jean Pierre Elonga Mboyo
Mid-Career Researcher Representative and educational leadership and inclusion expert
Research at Teesside
High-quality and impactful public health research translates into real-world benefits to society in terms of improved health, wellbeing, and quality of life. When carried out with rigour and integrity, research can help improve people’s lives.
Impact case studies
Combatting organised crime
Informing smarter approaches for preventing and dealing with organised crime
Read moreAre commemorations more than they seem?
Analysing commemorations of the 1916 Easter Rising to understand how historical events create meaning in the present
Read moreCreating 'useful museums'
Reimagining the role of communities in curating museums and galleries
Read moreEngaging everyone in public health policy
Highlighting the value of stakeholder participation when developing public health programmes
Read moreImproving access to justice for vulnerable people
Exploring the role of rapport-building and intermediaries in engaging vulnerable individuals in the Criminal Justice System
Read moreLong-term health conditions: Putting experience first
Helping people with long-term health conditions and their health professionals improve self-management and wellbeing
Read morePlacing disability arts centre stage
Increasing the visibility of marginalised disabled people in cultural spaces and cultural production
Read moreRe-interpreting the North East’s industrial past
Giving value to alternative narratives for the North East’s heavily industrialised past
Read morePromoting gender equality in writing and research
An immersive three-day workshop focused on advancing the research careers of next generation women scholars in Pakistan.
Read more
