Host organisation: Creative Glasgow
Project title: A Creative and Cultural Data Observatory for the Glasgow City Region 
Project description

In the long term, Creative Glasgow seeks to develop capacity to create an 'Observatory' about the Creative and Cultural Sectors within the Glasgow City Region. This internship project would explore different definitions and boundaries of the Glasgow City Region and its CCIs, and develop speculative approaches to realising this 'Observatory' approach. This would include researching equivalent practices in other geographic contexts in the UK and Internationally, and producing speculative project plans and partnership models. This work aligns with a broader programme theme within Creative Glasgow - 'Convene' - where we seek to bring together a range of stakeholders around data, research and evaluation about the creative and cultural sectors (demographics, value, work, practices, needs, interests) to explore and develop shared priorities and actions within the Glasgow City Region, thinking about how evidence and data is used in decision making and policy advocacy. The SGSAH intern would work closely with the Creative Glasgow team to explore the potential of this approach, develop and present the outputs detailed below, and would be supported to develop and share their own research. We would also ensure we provided professional development and network-development support - building in time for them to meet with and exchange with a range of organisations and institutions relevant to their own research interests and (where appropriate) creative practices.

Outputs
  1. Defining the Glasgow City Region - short paper summarising the different approaches and methods currently used, and the implications this has on defining and delimiting this region, and understanding the scale and value of the Creative and Cultural Industries within the Glasgow City Region. We envisage the intern would present this at a Creative Glasgow member event such as our proposed Lightning Night in April 2026, and share it digitally through our website and newsletter.
  2. Review of City Region Creative and Cultural Sector data sharing partnerships - short case studies of 3-4 examples from UK and International contexts of equivalent work, summarising the models, partnership approaches, what data is collated, and how this is used / operationalised. Again, we envisage the intern would present this at a Creative Glasgow member event, and share it digitally through our website and newsletter.
  3. Speculative Plan for A Creative and Cultural Data Observatory for the Glasgow City Region - this could take the form of a short paper, video, presentation, animation, podcast, or other format that can be shared within Creative Glasgow's proposed annual Symposium (Sep/Oct 2026). In this we would be open to the Intern bringing their research interests, creative practices, and theoretical perspectives to inform the format and result - this could consider what a 'feminist', 'decolonial', 'caring', 'sustainable' etc approach could look like, and would be used within a workshop format with symposium guests to generate other speculative approaches.
Location

Hybrid working is envisaged, with a regular in-person working day within Civic House, inclusion in team meets and project check-ins, and self-directed research and writing / development time. At the start of the internship the intern and membership and programme manager would meet to agree the working pattern and key check-ins linked with milestones and outputs.

Benefits to the researcher
  • Insight into the cultural policy context for the creative and cultural sectors within the Greater Glasgow Area.
  • Desk research skills - using gray / policy literature.
  • Skills in empirical case study research (with possibility to carry out some short telephone or video call interviews to develop these).
  • Project development, planning, time keeping, and administration.
  • Writing for non-academic / creative sector audiences.
  • Presentation and visual communication skills.

*Note: we would also seek to understand the development needs and interests of the individual intern, and tailor the internship project appropriately with input from them at the outset.

Key relationships
  • Creative Glasgow Team including: Membership and Programme Manager, Digital Comms Manager, Administrator, Creative Learning Manager, Board of Directors.
  • Creative Glasgow Members: ranging from creative practitioners, artists, cultural organisations, collectives, venues, institutions across all disciplines / sectors.
  • Glasgow City Region Stakeholders: we would seek to enable the intern to attend relevant Glasgow Cultural Forum meetings and related events with Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life.
  • UK and International City-Region Partnerships: Looking at (and possibly meeting online with) equivalents from European Cultural City Network, World Cultural Cities Network etc.
Timescale

Start date: Flexible February 2026 onwards

End date: November 2026

Work structure: Flexible - Ideally completed March to Sept 2026

Subject areas

This opportunity would be relevant to the following subject areas:

Architecture; Creative Writing; Dance; Design; Drama & Theatre Studies; Music; Visual Arts; Curating; Museum Policy & Management; Cultural Geography; Policy, Arts Management and Creative Industries; Gender and Sexuality; Cultural Studies and Pop Culture; Information and Knowledge Management; Archives; Records Management; Information Science and Retrieval; Library Studies; Information and Knowledge Management; Computational Studies; Cultural History; Economic and Social History; Media and Communication Studies; New Media/Web-Based Studies; Literary and Cultural Theory. 

Person specification

A1. Knowledge Base
  • Essential: Information seeking; Information literacy and management.
  • Desirable: Subject Knowledge; Research methods – theoretical knowledge; Research methods – Practical application.
A2. Cognitive Abilities
  • Essential: Analysing; Synthesising; Critical thinking; Evaluating; Problem Solving.
A3. Creativity
  • Essential: Inquiring minds; Intellectual insight.
  • Desirable: Innovation; Argument construction; Intellectual risk.
B1. Personal qualities
  • Essential: Enthusiasm; Perseverance; Integrity; Self-confidence; Self-reflection; Responsibility.
B2. Self management
  • Desirable: Commitment to research; Time management.
B3. Professional & career development
  • Desirable: Responsiveness to opportunities; Networking.
C1. Professional conduct
  • Essential: Ethics, principles and sustainability; Respect and confidentiality.
C2. Research management
  • Essential:  Project planning and delivery.
  • Desirable: Research Strategy; Risk management.
D1. Working with others
  • Essential: Collegiality; Equality and diversity.
  • Desirable: Team working; Collaboration.
D3. Engagement & impact
  • Desirable: Public engagement; Policy.

First published: 9 October 2025

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