Digital revolution in humanities research

The two-year initiative called: ‘Toward a new Collaborative Computational Project for Arts, Humanities, and Culture (CCP-AHC),’ aims to revolutionise how researchers in these fields use digital tools to unlock new insights.

The project will explore the need for a dedicated computational research community, bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and the study of history, literature, and culture.

Bridging the digital divide in humanities

Unlike the physical and biological sciences, which have long benefited from digital research infrastructures (DRI), humanities research has seen less investment in advanced computational methods.

CCP-AHC seeks to change that by fostering a national community of researchers, software developers, and technical professionals.

The project will scope key software needs, support innovative digital workflows, and connect arts and culture experts with world-class computing resources.

Our Advanced Research Computing (ARC) team plays a crucial role in supporting this transformation.

By drawing on expertise in research software engineering, HPC, and performance analysis, we are strengthening our position as a national leader in computational humanities.

This initiative aligns with our broader involvement in high-performance computing, including our participation in the N8 Centre of Excellence in Computationally Intensive Research (N8 CIR) and hosting of major UKRI-funded compute resources like Bede and COSMA.

Building a collaborative future

Over the next two years, CCP-AHC will engage with researchers and institutions across the UK. Activities include:

• Town hall meetings – The first major event takes place at Durham on 22 May 2025, inviting researchers to contribute ideas and express interest in shaping the project.
• Regional engagement sessions – Meetings in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will address community needs and software development priorities.
• Software support and development – The project will identify and refine essential research tools, offering code review sessions to selected projects.
• Five-year roadmap – Findings will contribute to a long-term strategy for integrating computational methods in humanities research.

Our leadership in CCP-AHC represents a pivotal step towards a more digitally empowered humanities landscape.

Researchers are encouraged to get involved by signing up to the mailing list or expressing interest in the Town Hall event at www.ccpahc.ac.uk.

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Find out more

• CCP-AHC project is led by Dr Eamonn Bell of the Artificial Intelligence and Human Systems (AIHS) Group within our Computer Science department.
• This project is co-led by Dr Karina Rodriguez-Echavarria of University of Brighton and Professor Jeyan Thiyagalingam of UKRI/Science and Technology Facilities Council.
• Transformative Humanities at Durham harnesses the effectiveness and power of humanities research and education to link across fields and sectors enriching, shaping, and transforming lives.
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Visit our Computer Science webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.