Methods & TheoryConnection, participation and empowerment in community-based research: the case of the transition movement.
Principal Investigator: Professor Rachel Pain (Durham University); Centre for Social Justice and Community Action
From 2012 to 2013
The project addressed issues identified by Transition Network through its experience of fielding interest from researchers. It documented experiences of Transition groups and researchers involved in research collaborations, created draft guidelines for Transition research, and initiated a broader project on supporting Transition groups to devise appropriate methods for monitoring and evaluation. Read more
Participation’s “Others”: A Cartography of Creative Listening Practices
Principal Investigator: Julian Brigstocke
From 2014 to 2015
This project asks how participatory research might be extended to become better able to ‘listen’ to voices that do not fall within the boundaries of the traditional individual human subject, such as past and future generations, non-human life, radically decentred minds, and objects and technologies. Read more
Maker-centric: building place-based, co-making communities
Principal Investigator: Fiona Hackney; F.Hackney@wlv.ac.uk
From 2016 to 2018
Maker-Centric is one of a series of participatory arts research projects across the UK that are funded by The Arts and Humanities Research Council’s (AHRC) Connected Communities programme. The project takes a material placed-based approach to engaging communities in speculative co-design. Read more
Localism and connected neighbourhood planning
Principal Investigator: Phil Jones (University of Birmingham)
2012
The Localism Act, 2011 gives communities the power to set up a Neighbourhood Forum and produce a Neighbourhood Plan for development in their area. Those Forums have relatively little resource to undertake these complex planning exercises. Read more
Know Your Place
Principal Investigator: Professor Robert Bickers (University of Bristol)
2012
The University of Bristol, in partnership with Bristol City Council and a number of community groups, hosted a series of free public events about local community heritage. Each event allowed people to explore the local history and culture through the eyes of the community. Read more
Understanding everyday participation – articulating cultural values
Principal Investigator: Dr Andrew Miles (University of Manchester)
2011
This project proposes a radical re-evaluation of the relationship between participation and cultural value. We are used to thinking about the benefits of the arts as a traditional way of understanding culture and its value but what about the meanings and stakes people attach to their hobbies and pastimes? Read more
Meanwhile use as performance: Securing social value from vacant space
Principal Investigator: Andy Dearden (Sheffield Hallam University)
From 2012 to 2013
’Meanwhile’ use of temporarily vacant spaces is applied by many organisations to access cheap space during the recession. This project explored how community-based organisations could make the most effective use of these opportunities. We brought together community development practitioners, community groups, landlords, local authority representatives and ‘meanwhile’ brokers to explore issues. Read more
Starting from Values – Evaluating Intangible Legacies
Principal Investigator: Prof. Marie Harder, University of Brighton
From 2014 to 2015
The project brings together partners from the University of Brighton and two Connected Communities project: The Authority Research Network and Scaling-Up Co-Design. Read more
Ways of knowing: Exploring the different registers, values and subjectivities of collaborative research
Principal Investigator: Helen Graham (University of Leeds)
From 2013 to 2014
We are experimentally exploring the different ‘ways of knowing’ which emerge from collaborative, participatory or action research. Our research team is made of people who have been recently involved in collaborative research but who use different techniques and who come from different contexts and/or disciplinary backgrounds. Read more
Community? What do you mean? An investigation into how differing understandings of the term ‘community’ shapes care leavers’ move to independence
Principal Investigator: Dr Sarah Goldingay; University of Exeter
2012
We explored the ways in which a performance-led approach to community formation and personal development can inform care-leavers’ move to independence. Using a case study approach, working with two groups of participants: young people leaving care and their support workers in Devon County Council’s Children in Care team (DCCCCS). Read more
