Training on Using Participatory Theatre and Walking Methods for Social Research

1 May 2018, University of York, Kings Manor, the Huntingdon Suite. See https://www.york.ac.uk/about/campus/landmarks/kings-manor/facilities/

The training day is offered by the PASAR team and University of York MIgNet. It will take place in the Huntingdon Suite, Kings Manor, York between 10:30-4:00pm on 1 May 2018.

The PASAR (Participation Arts and Social Action in Research) project addresses the UK social science community's need to gain a better understanding of how participatory action research approaches engage marginalised groups in research as co-producers of knowledge. The training workshop combines methodological and practical experience of walking methods, participatory theatre methods and how we might combine them. The workshop aims to develop knowledge, understanding and confidence in employing mobile and participatory research methods and explores their potential benefits for social research.

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of using participatory arts based methods in social research
• Gain experience in and understanding of walking methods and participatory theatre
• Gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of using participatory arts methods

Participatory Action/Arts Research is based on the principles of inclusion, valuing all voices and action-oriented interventions and allows for engaging marginalized groups into research as a citizenship practice. By doing so the project contributes to the National Centre for Research Methods’ methodological initiatives. PASAR Team include: Umut Erel (PI) and Erene Kaptani (Open University/Greenwich University) Maggie O’Neill (University of York) Tracey Reynolds (Greenwich University)

Erene Kaptani and Maggie O’Neill will lead the Training session at York University

Erene Kaptani is an anthropologist, participatory theatre artist and dramatherapist with expertise in applied theatre/arts for social research, community building and public impact. She devises performances and arts events to question constructions of identities, institutional and public communications. https://erenekaptani.wordpress.com

Maggie O’Neill is a sociologist, a member of the walking artists network and has a long history of conducting biographical, participatory action research and participatory arts in collaboration with artists and communities. She recently held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship ‘Methods on the Move: experiencing and imagining borders, risk & belonging’   https://walkingborders.com/

Registration

The Programme:

10:00 Registration and Refreshments

10:30-11:00 Welcome & Introduction to the PASAR project (links to film, training tools and resources). Description of the Day.

We invite you to think of a research project or topic that you would like to explore using theatre and walking methods.  Keep some notes during the day on how the methods we share might be used in your project.

11:00-12:00 Theatre games and images 

12:00-1:30 Visualising, Mapping and Walking [an hour for the walk- and time for visualising, mapping and walking in pairs before going to to walk in the city]

1:30-2:00 Lunch

2:00-2:30 Sharing the Walks

2:30-3:40 Creating Images and Soundscapes

3:40-4:00 Feedback & Goodbyes

The PASAR Team
Here is a link to some resources from the ESRC/NCRM Research project.

hhtp://fass.open.ac.uk/research/projects/pasar