In January 2026, members of the PARTICIPATE Research Cluster gathered at the beautiful Bagden Hall in Denby Dale for a three‑day residential writing retreat – a much‑needed chance to step away from emails, timetables, and the usual everyday chaos and instead sink into uninterrupted writing, thinking, conversation, and near-constant rain outside. The retreat built on…
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New member: Annie Carpenter
Annie Carpenter is a Lecturer in Fine Art and visual artist whose research explores how art can create the conditions for meaningful exchange between art and science. As part of her practice-based PhD with the Cultural Negotiation of Science research group at Northumbria University, Annie uses research-driven art practice to disrupt the standard terrains (physical…
Thinking is Material Podcast Episode 2: Priscila Beni on Self-Knowledge of Autistic Traits
In this second episode of the thinking is material podcast, ‘Self-Knowledge of Autistic Traits,’ visiting Brazilian PhD student Priscila Beni talks about her personal experience of being autistic and how that led to a SWOT analysis tool that will help autistic people with developing their self-advocacy. download the transcript
Unlocking Creativity in Participatory Research – A Day of Exploration and Exchange in Cambridge
On a bright day in Cambridge, the Lord Ashcroft International Business School at Anglia Ruskin University became a hive of energy as it hosted a workshop on Creative Methods and Outputs in Participatory Research. Organised by the UK Participatory Research Network, the event brought together researchers, artists, and practitioners from across the country, united by…
Thinking is material podcast series – by Dr Joanna Leah
Dr Joanna Leah received funding to support the development of her ‘thinking is material’ podcast series that will launch in 2025. This podcast explores how thinking itself manifests as a material process in approaches to research, emphasizing the creative acumen and adaptability that define the methods of today’s creative practitioners. As a mover and drawer,…
Climate Adaptation Book Writing Workshop, Nairobi – by Prof Rachel Julian
There is a gap in knowledge and literature of African voices on impact of and adaption to the climate crisis. People’s experience is not sufficiently captured in research, and those affected most directly do not have a way of sharing their stories to show the impact it has on them. Initiated by local academics and…
Imagining Greece – by Dr Mary Ikoniadou
The funding allowed Dr Mary Ikoniadou allowed the expansion of the project ’Digital Archive: Tourism and Nation Branding in Greece, 1945-1990‘ by incorporating the Greek American Diaspora Youth voices, which have been neglected to date. This aspect is part of a broader interdisciplinary study that analyses the complex and multifaceted visual history of how Greece has been branded…
Transition minerals and energy justice – by Dr Anne Schiffer
Argentina is part of what is known as the ‘lithium triangle’ alongside Chile and Bolivia which combined account for most of global lithium reserves, a ‘critical mineral’ in the transition to renewable energy. The research aimed to explore the drivers and impacts of lithium extraction to support ‘just transitions’ to renewable energy. Image: Tierra Nativa/Friends of the Earth…
30 Jan 2025: Hosting Scholars and being a Visiting Scholar
For this session we welcomed Priscila Beni, a visiting PhD researcher from Brazil. Priscila was successful in gaining a one-month visiting scholarship from CAPES Brazil. She was embedded into the Autism Research Lab and hosted by Dr Marc Fabri. During her stay, Priscila met several autism researchers to find out about their work and also…
18 Nov 2024: How to put a personal research plan together
Dr Anne Schiffer talks about her personal research plan, and how this covers multiple areas of her role. A research plan can serve as a roadmap for career development as well as career direction. It allows researchers to identify opportunities for acquiring new skills, gaining teaching experience, progressing paper/book projects or taking on leadership roles…
23 Oct 2024: Patterns of Migration – a Participatory Community Approach – by Dr Mary Ikoniadou
Sharing stories through textiles about home and belonging. Patterns of Migration is a project led by Dr Mary Ikoniadou which shares stories through clothing and textiles, exploring themes of identity, home, and belonging. The Patterns of Migration website features a collection of objects from across the world alongside the memories and lived experiences of their…
Liquid Bodies – by Dr Joanna Leah & Dr Liz Stirling
Together Dr Joanna Leah & Dr Liz Stirling used the seed funding to explore the relationship between mature women and water in wild swimming in Ireland and England as part of their project ‘Liquid Bodies’. This shed light on the social and cultural relationships of the menopause, body and self-image, liberation outside institutional and domestic processes in drawing ecologies of women…
11 Sep 2024: LEGO®Serious Play® Workshop with Jenny Chalkley
LEGO®Serious Play® is a facilitation methodology that uses LEGO bricks to encourage dialogue, reflection, and problem-solving. It helps individuals and teams explore complex issues and develop solutions through hands-on building and storytelling. For this workshop, the PARTICIPATE Cluster came together under the direction of Jennifer Chalkley, who recently became an accredited LEGO®Serious Play® facilitator after completing…
Energy & Climate Change: Barriers to just transitions in the Global South
The Friends of the Earth International report (2023) Renewable Energy and Land Use: barriers to just transition in the global South depicts case studies from Argentina, Bangladesh, India and Palestine highlighting key barriers to just transitions including: ‘Green grabbing’ and energy colonialism; Lacking consideration regarding patterns of land and water use; Lack of conservation policy,…
A welcome from the cluster leads
We are exited to introduce the new online home for the PARTICIPATE Research Cluster. This platform serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and scholarship aimed at promoting equitable, just, and inclusive futures. Here, you’ll find the latest updates on our research collaborations alongside access to resources from our diverse community. Our mission is to…