Creative Methods

Creative Methods Workshops and Research

Workshops

Introductory Session

We will provide you with an introductory session which incorporates presentations, performance, discussion and hands-on activities. This will give you a taste of the wide range of creative methods and approaches we use. We will show you how to successfully apply these.  

A Look at ‘Creative Methods’

We will introduce you to innovative and cutting-edge creative methods including ‘collaborative poetics,’ creative writing, comics, clay modelling, and community theatre. We will provide examples of how our creative approaches have been applied in areas such as nursing, dementia care, arts inclusivity, and living with invisible illnesses.

How much time do you need?

We recommend you set aside three hours for this session; however this can be negotiated, based on your requirements.  We will provide you with resources to support you to take the methods away and apply them wherever they enhance and support your own practice. 

What happens after?

After initial contact and consultation, we will draw up, with your needs in mind, a bespoke package for your CC engagement. Some clients need intensive 2 hour workshops; others want a full day immersion. For others, handing over the creative work to us as part of your wider project might be what you need. You may want exposure to a range of different methods or you may want us to work within a set of possibilities within one related area. We work as a loose network so we are able to remain flexible yet comprehensive. We respond smoothly and quickly to whatever variety of needs you present.

Research

Depending on the clients needs we will work with you to explore how creative approaches, methods and activities can be used in your research. This can be in any part of the research process from drafting a research proposal, recruiting participants, data collection, writing up research and/or dissemination and evidencing impact. 

Presenting academic research

We offer an alternative to traditional formats for presenting academic research. These are engaging, easily relatable and communicable to a wide range of audiences. All academics are now obliged to conduct 'public engagement' and 'impact' work. They are also required to evaluate their success - but struggle with doing this successful or in ways that really change practices. Instead of not doing this kind of work properly or as a tick box exercise (such as trying to set up some kind of event, or turn it over to a single consultancy practitioner), academics can come to us for 'bolt-on' solutions. we can offer creative methods beyond the usual; public engagement activity workshops; research results showcase events with a creative twist.

Participants recruitment and engagement

Participants recruitment and engagement with scientific and academic research is a major problem in scientific and academic research. We know about - and how to use - research methods which are more fun for research participants to use than traditional questionnaires, interviews etc. We can do stuff like photo elicitation, live art workshopping, cut-up poetry, auto-ethnography creative writing, comic designing, craft and makers' events which act as a means of gathering research.

Helping you train others

We can also support academics to train creative community researchers so that there is more ownership over the research process. In this way participants gain additional skills and academics gain new ways of working with community partners as part of the research process