March 2025 has seen the community forums change from a focus group/world café-style event to using creative methods. Funded by AHRC, creative methods form a valuable and critical part of our project research. Our first, was working with a multi-lingual storyteller/performer called Sef Townsend, who utilises language commonalities and cross-cultural narrative similarities to draw out and explore participants’ responses to traditional stories and elicit experiences relating to wellbeing.
Sef’s focus was on home, and belonging, under the ‘accommodation’ element of our study. At each community forum (in 12 fieldsites) we have up to 6 different nationalities present, and up to 8 languages. Sef’s linguistic skills quickly connected and engaged with the diverse group of participants to bring out their artistic sides in a fun and enjoyable way. The team have used lessons learned from this first session to enhance and develop their approach in selecting the creative methods focussing on food, access to services, and health.
Photos: c/o Mary Humphrey https://www.maryhumphrey.co.uk/
