Participations: Participatory approaches to Research and Practice

Participation is a growing area of relevance to all areas of the University’s stated vision for Education, Research, and Creative Practice. The Participations network has two main thematic areas: participatory research methodologies and participatory practice and action-based research.

Aims

As well as existing successful participatory research projects in the Arts, Media and Culture areas, there is strong interest in participatory methodologies across disciplines such as Education; Community, Youth and Social Work; Health and Wellbeing; Criminology; Childhood Studies; and Computer Science.

The network aims to foster a ‘joined up’ approach to this growing field – we think we have a lot to learn from each other and successful funding bids and research projects can be strongly enhanced by a focus on this approach.

Our aims are:

To establish the University of Sunderland as a centre of excellence for participatory research practice.
To facilitate the formation of interdisciplinary research teams involving both experienced and Early Career researchers (ECRs).
To develop and support a community of practice in this interdisciplinary area.
To share work taking place across the University and identify what we can learn from each other across disciplines, theory, practice, and pedagogy.
To identify areas for productive collaboration and funding bids that foreground participatory research and methods.
To find practical and pragmatic ways to support staff to write and submit successful interdisciplinary bids.
To discuss areas of mutual interest.

Who we are

Caroline Mitchell is the main convenor of the Participations network.

She is Professor of Radio and Participation in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries. Her research and practice are centred on community media production and cultures of transnational community radio and women's/feminist radio.

You can contact Caroline for further information or queries about the Participations network: caroline.mitchell@sunderland.ac.uk.