2023 Research Placement Project
About The Project
This project seeks to address the social isolation experienced by asylum seekers living in temporary accommodation by harnessing the power of the arts, specifically creative writing and walking practices. The organization Refugee Roots (RR) has already initiated arts activities, including creative writing sessions, alongside their existing services. However, they have identified the need to overcome language and literacy barriers and to ensure their provision aligns with the specific needs and values of their participants. This project aims to explore walking-and-writing methodologies to create new spaces for creative exchange and foster meaningful dialogue, moving beyond models that simply “give a voice” to asylum seekers.
Project Aims
The placement will enable a researcher to facilitate walking-and-writing activities to address the following aims:
- Challenge models of creative writing that reinforce practices of muting and move beyond the classroom setting.
- Enable participants to overcome barriers to inclusion and forge new connections to the local community and landscapes through walking-and-writing practices.
- Promote meaningful dialogue, addressing imbalances in research collaboration and ensuring future provision is led by the specific needs and values of the participants.
The project aims to produce two outputs:
- A short paper (up to 2500 words) outlining the project’s context, methodologies, activities, and initial findings for dissemination to RR, NGOs, and academics.
- A small-scale co-designed and co-created creative writing or spoken-word output or event (e.g., a geo-located poem, site-specific installation/performance, or collaborative text) celebrating the voices of the participants, disseminated among refugee communities and the wider public.
The Project Team
- PhD Candidate: Leanne Moden
- Lead Supervisor: Sarah Jackson, NTU
Sarah Jackson is an Associate Professor in Modern and Contemporary Writing with extensive experience in creative and critical theory and practice research. She is well-versed in collaborative work with academic and cultural partners and has designed activities for refugee communities.
- Co-Supervisor: Professor Joanna McIntyre, UoN
Professor Joanna McIntyre’s work focuses on creating inclusive educational spaces for people from refugee backgrounds. She has significant experience in refugee studies and research projects in the field. Jo has contributed to the establishment of educational provisions for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees.
- Community Supervisor: Theo Stickley, Refugee Roots
Theo Stickley, representing Refugee Roots, brings expertise in Arts and Health and has been instrumental in delivering arts activities for refugees and asylum seekers. With his extensive experience in the field, Theo plays a key role in managing the Arts Council-funded program for RR.