PRAXIS is delighted to announce the launch of a new publication: “Engaging and Empowering Young People through Arts and Humanities Approaches in the Context of Global Challenges”, a report written by Dr Alyson Brody. Looking at youth-focused work from across the Global Challenges Research Fund, the report reflects on the value of innovative, creative arts-based research approaches for engaging young people and promoting youth voices in ways that go beyond tokenism, enabling positive change where current youth-focused policies and interventions often fail.
This blogpost records synchronous and asynchronous conversations between Pascale Aebischer, of the Pandemic and Beyond coordination project, and Luba Pirgova-Morgan, who is examining the impact of Covid-19 on research in the Global Challenges Research Fund and the Newton portfolios, as part of the PRAXIS project at Leeds University.
The podcast you are about to hear was recorded on 10th January 2020 following PRAXIS second workshop on the theme of Food and Heritage. This practical workshop provided space for participants to reflect on the sustainable development goals (SDG's) their projects had addressed (both intended and unexpected) and put forward their ideas for a future heritage and food research agenda based on the remaining SDG’s. The podcast episode is hosted Dr Tahrat Shahid, GCRF Challenge Leader for Food Systems at UK Research and Innovation, and features panellists Professor Naomi Sykes (University of Exeter), Professor Henrice Altink (University of York), Dr Sandip Hazareesingh (The Open University) and Dr Theano Moussouri (University College London). Following brief introductions, the panel discuss interdisciplinary research, balancing priorities of preserving local food varieties with feeding the population and the future food research agenda.
We are in the Anthropocene. Facing grand challenges as diverse and complex as extreme poverty, war and refugee crises, infectious disease, environmental degradation. Culture and Heritage are now understood to play an integral role in both enabling and driving international development and to be central to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. In February, a group of artists, film makers, researchers, policy makers and funders came together in West Bek’aa Lebanon to discuss Heritage for Global Challenges. This podcast, recorded in each of our individual homes during Covid-19 lockdown, is an opportunity to continue some of those conversations. The podcast episode is hosted by Jaideep Gupte (UKRI) and features Ian Thomas (British Council), Muna Haddad (BARAKA) and Dr Daniele Rugo (Brunel University London).
In September 2021, Changing the Story hosted a week-long work placement for a young person through the Arts Emergency Work Placement programme. Over the course of the week, Rachel engagement with the Changing the Story and PRAXIS team, and the wider network of researchers and young artists. We encouraged Rachel to share her reflections in a creative output of her choice, which would take centre stage in Rachel's final day takeover of the CTS Twitter account.
Report written by Post-doctoral Researcher Dr Francesca Giliberto, to put heritage research firmly on the international development agenda and to demonstrate the relevance of heritage research to tackle global challenges and foster sustainable development. The comprehensive report examines 87 Arts and Humanities projects implemented in 49 countries funded by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund, features 32 case studies, and a series of rich recommendations for maximising the potential of heritage research for international development.
“Heritage for Global Challenges” (24-26 February 2020, West Bek’aa, Lebanon) was a three-day workshop organized by PRAXIS with the goal to champion the distinctive contribution that Arts and Humanities research can make to tackle urgent global development challenges, focusing on heritage, in particular. This Heritage for Global Challenges Lebanon Workshop Report by Francesca Giliberto features reflections on the contribution of heritage research to sustainable development and global challenges from 28 AHRC-GCRF Heritage projects, 3 Newton Projects and 9 external organisations including UNESCO, V&A Museum and the British Council.
The policy-facing event Heritage Research to address the SDGs (Sept 2020) hosted by The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and PRAXIS brought together Arts and Humanities Research Council projects to explore the interface between policy and research, and to look for implementable outcomes from the research. The following policy brief highlight the key findings generated from the discussion.
Issue 10 report is the final report in the Heritage and Our Sustainable Future series, co-produced by PRAXIS, University of Leeds, and the UK Commission for UNESCO, and written by Dr Francesca Giliberto. The report calls for evaluation frameworks to better reflect and capture how cultural heritage contributes to sustainable development. The report features case studies by Harman Sagger (Arts, Heritage, adn Tourism), Jack Philips (DCMS), Jyoti Hosagrahar (World Heritage Centre, UNESCO), Lateefah Alwazzan (Culture|2030, UNESCO), Virginia Moscadelli (Culture|2030, UNESCO).
Issue 9 report from PRAXIS and the UK National Commission for UNESCO on Inclusive Development for Sustainable Cities. The latest report in the Heritage and Our Sustainable Futures series explores the most pressing challenges in historic urban environments, including development, gentrification and migration. The report features case studies from Prof Chris Whitehead, Dr Haili Ma, and Grant Butterworth.
Issue 8 report from PRAXIS and the UK National Commission for UNESCO on Heritage, Disaster Response and Resilience'. The latest report in the Heritage and Our Sustainable Futures series explores the role of heritage in disaster response, recovery, and long-term planning for disaster risk management. The report by Dr. Francesca Giliberto features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Prof Jennifer Barclay, Dr Karen Pascal, Volcanologist, Ali Raza Rizvi, Annika K. Min and Prof Robin Coningham.
Report from PRAXIS & the UK National Commission for UNESCO on 'Creative Industries and Tourism: Beyond Economic Development', which explores the role of heritage-based tourism and creativity in promoting inclusive development. The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Prof Sophia Labadi, Prof Steven Mithen, Ceasar Bita, Leila Ben-Gacem, Prof Paul Heritage, and Dr Jon Henderson, and written by Dr Francesca Giliberto, University of Leeds.
Report from PRAXIS & the UK National Commission for UNESCO on Heritage, Mental Health and Wellbeing. The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Dr Karina Croucher, Dr Adrian Evans, Prof Raghu Raghavan, Prof Owen Green, Prof Andrew Wilson, and Dr Beverley Costa.
Brief report from the PRAXIS and UK National Commission for UNESCO conference 'Heritage and Our Sustainable Futures' session on 'Using Digital Technology to Innovate' (Oct 2021). The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Isatu Smith, Prof Paul Basu, Prof Tim Unwin, and Prof Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem.
Report Issue 4 from PRAXIS & the UK National Commission for UNESCO on Reducing Inequalities & Decolonising Heritage Practices: the important of people-centred approaches. The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Dr Carly Bagelman, Liverpool Hope University, and Tesfalem H. Yemane, PhD Researcher at the School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds.
Issue 3 report brief from the PRAXIS and UK National Commission for UNESCO conference 'Heritage and Our Sustainable Futures' session on Re-thinking Capacity Strengthening for Sustainable Development. The report reflects on harnessing the potential of heritage to rethink current approaches for local capacity strengthening for sustainable development, from formal and informal education, to training and other learning activities. The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Eugene Jo, Dr Nelson Mlambo, Prof Loredana Polezzi, Alfonse M. D’Amato, Judith Hall, and Helen Jones.
Issue 2 brief report from the PRAXIS and UK National Commission for UNESCO conference 'Heritage and Our Sustainable Futures' session on Cultural Heritage for Climate Action. The report reflects on the role that heritage—and more holistic and integrated concepts exemplifying the interdependency between humanity and nature, like biocultural heritage and cultural landscapes—can play in promoting a more sustainable development. The report features key insights, recommendations, and case studies from Dr Sandip Hazareesingh, Dr Albino Jopela, Alice Lyall, and Dr Rebecca Jones.
PRAXIS is delighted to announce the launch of a new policy brief: ‘Beyond Tokenism: Empowering Young People through Arts-based Approaches. Looking at youth-focused participatory research from across the GCRF, this new policy brief reflects on the value of innovative, creative arts-based research approaches for engaging young people and promoting youth voices in ways that go beyond tokenism, and calls for increased, sustainable funding in these areas.
From 16-27 November 2020, PRAXIS hosted a virtual workshop on transforming conflict and displacement through arts and humanities research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was designed as an entirely virtual space where AHRC GCRF researchers and their communities could join conversations, engage in dialogue and debate key themes of conflict-related research. Part of this programme was around table discussion on 19 November, which brought together two field research experts, Dr Margaret Ebubedike (Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, the Open University) and Dr Heather Flowe (School of Psychology, University of Birmingham) to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on field research.
