Centre for Public Engagement in Arts and Humanities

Led by

School of Advanced Studies, University of London

Engagement Practice Support Service

The Engagement Practice Support Service is for teams in UK Higher Education Institutions and UKRI-recognised Independent Research Organisations to receive subsidised training support with their arts, humanities and social science public engagement practice.  

Successful applicants for the support service will be matched with experienced facilitators who will deliver targeted training, facilitated learning and skills-development support relating to public engagement practice, based on the expressed need of the teams. This support will be offered at affordable, subsidised prices. 

Applications are now open for teams to apply for support, and for facilitators to be added to a register of available training providers.  

For more information on the scheme, please see the relevant guidance documents linked below. 

For teams applying to the EPSS

Applications are now open for teams to apply for subsidised support in any area of their arts, humanities or social sciences public engagement practice. This is a great opportunity to receive targeted advice to enhance your public engagement experience.

Applications will be reviewed termly for support to be delivered in the following term. 

For more information, including eligibility and costs, and to apply for support, click on the links below.

 

Application Guidance
Application form
Application form (Word document)

For facilitators interested in providing training

The EPSS provides an opportunity for facilitators to bring their specialised expertise to real-time support needs identified by teams in Higher Education Institutions and Independent Research Organisations.

We are building a register of facilitators who

  • are passionate about enabling public engagement with arts, humanities and social sciences research
  • believe in the impact of public engagement, and in supporting others to improve their public engagement practice
  • have a facilitation style that is clear, inclusive and
    approachable
  • are interested in building a relationship with the Centre and fostering best practice public engagement for arts, humanities and social sciences researchers

For more information and to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to become an EPSS facilitator, click on the links below.

Facilitator EOI Guidance
Facilitator Expression of Interest form

Key dates

Application deadline Support offered
29 January 2027 From April 2027
26 June 2027 From October 2027
9 October 2027 From January 2028
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Photo of a coastal landscape, with a red cliff face on the left hand side. A crouched figure in a teal waterproof looks at something on the cliff rock. Other figures in the background are walking, crouching and roaming the beach, which is a sandy green shade. The beach is otherwise empty and atmospheric. The sky is grey and you can see the sea in the horizon.
Read the report

Highlighting the need for the EPSS

Carried out by Flow Associates through 2026, the School of Advanced Study has published a new report, Public Engagement Practice in Arts, Humanities and Social Science in 2026 – A Qualitative Study, which highlights the need for support of this kind.

Key findings include that there remains significant commitment to public engagement work by researchers and professional staff, but this faces challenges arising from undervaluation of arts, humanities and social sciences subjects within institutions, difficulty in quantifying public engagement impact using existing metrics, constrained funding being a barrier to relationship building, the tension between organisational and personal drivers for public engagement, and a basic insufficiency of time and funding.

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Photo of a coastal landscape, with a red cliff face on the left hand side. A crouched figure in a teal waterproof looks at something on the cliff rock. Other figures in the background are walking, crouching and roaming the beach, which is a sandy green shade. The beach is otherwise empty and atmospheric. The sky is grey and you can see the sea in the horizon.