It’s always busy here in Cambridge, but between October 2021 and March 2022, it seemed especially so as we travelled further down the road to pandemic recovery<\/a>. We delivered a huge spread of activity from exhibitions, programming, collections care, community engagement and a very exciting new research initiative, all while continuing to manage changing levels of COVID guidance in order to keep everyone safe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Perhaps we should start with <\/span>Collections-Connections-Communities<\/span><\/a>. This is a new interdisciplinary research initiative, supported by the University, and running for three years in the first instance, which aims to capitalise on the expertise already held in the University\u2019s collections – including the museums, the Botanic Garden and University Library – and across the research community. CCC brings together researchers and collections specialists to create new knowledge around the collections aimed at addressing the key challenges of our time: Society and Identity (addressing political extremism, racism and inequality), Health and Wellbeing (addressing physical, mental and emotional health); and Environment and Sustainability, addressing biodiversity loss and unsustainable living.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n While these are big goals, the collections are a powerful resource for delivering them. That\u2019s to do with what the objects themselves can reveal to researchers, but also the audiences and community groups that come together around them. Natural history collections, for example, can enable researchers to track changes in biodiversity over time (as they have been doing at the Museum of Zoology – more on that below). And the UCM has longstanding links with healthcare providers, including at Addenbrooke\u2019s Hospital, and a range of partnerships aiming to improve wellbeing and mental health through cultural activities around the collections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n As well as bringing researchers together, CCC will provide a platform for new funding applications and enable the University to influence national and international policy-making. <\/span>CCC officially launched in February and hosted a first event in the Cambridge Festival<\/a>, with a film series showcasing current research projects. Follow the CCC team on Twitter at @CamGLAMresearch<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n