Thinking with arts-based research: An assemblage of methods
Ann Dadich, Chloe Watfern, Priya Vaughan, Katherine Boydell, Barbara Doran, Stephanie Habak
What do we learn when we invite others to make, do, and create? How can thread, paint, scissors, and glue help us explore complex, or hard-to-talk about experiences? What do we miss when we ask only with words, and not with action? In this session, inspired by Jackson and Mazzei (2023), we will explore these questions, demonstrating how to enact different arts-based research methods in practices of inquiry to open the process of thought in research. With reference to one line of inquiry as an exemplar – namely, how to examine and/or address anxiety – this session will reveal the complementary value of several arts-based research methods – these include: body mapping; collage making; craftivism; and engaging with found objects. This interactive, creative session will present an overview of arts-based research methods, explaining what they are (and are not) and their purpose; demonstrate how arts-based approaches might be used to examine and/or address anxiety; clarify their benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations; as well as invite conference delegates to consider how they might incorporate arts-based research methods in their scholarship. This session is aimed at experienced and emerging scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
Participatory Research / Arts based methods
Holme Room