Intergenerational Justice, Consumption and Sustainability in Comparative Perspective
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Geography
Abstract
The creation of 'a society for all ages' is one of the United Nation's key goals. Intergenerational solidarity is fundamental if we are to achieve the social change necessary to fulfil this ideal. Yet this solidarity is threatened by environmentally unsustainable models of consumption that raise fundamental questions about justice between generations in the Global North, rising powers, and the developing world. However, intergenerational justice has overwhelmingly been researched from a Western perspective.
INTERSECTION will internationalise this debate though innovative, multi-method, cross-national research to explore inequitable consumption practices between different generations across time and space. The research will be located in three contrasting national contexts: China, Uganda, and the UK, where we will work in partnership with academic colleagues at Makerere University (Uganda) and Beijing University (China) and key stakeholders from international and national Non-Governmental Organisations (e.g. The Beth Johnson Foundation, Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations, World Council's Commission on Future Justice and Citizenship Foundation). These national contexts have been chosen because they are differentially positioned in terms of demographics (e.g. the composition and spacing of generations); cultural values (e.g. understandings of familial obligations, moralities and notions of personhood); histories; material cultures; patterns of consumption; environmental assets and problems.
INTERSECTION is organised into three core elements (theoretical; methodological and analytical) and three strands of enquiry - Strand A, Who is Entitled to What? Generational Views on Entitlements to Consumption; Strand B, Who Wins and Loses? Perceptions of Intergenerational Equity in Consumption; Strand C, Who Owes What to Whom? Strategies to Produce a Society for All Ages. It brings together expertise from Geography (Valentine & Vanderbeck), Linguistics (Chen), East Asian Studies (Zhang) and English/ African Studies (Plastow).
The research involves active collaboration with partners from the creative sector: the sculptor Anthony Bennett and the animated film-maker Nick Bax. They will create public art that will be: used as research tools; act as a focal points for the development of public engagement and knowledge exchange activities with our non-academic stakeholders; and will provide impact beyond the award by providing a lasting reminder of our obligations towards future generations
The findings will meet the challenge of developing new international and interdisciplinary understandings of intergenerational justice by developing an evidence base about how changing consumption values and practices relate to and/or impede the production of intergenerational solidarities. In doing so, it will produce new insights into how the relationship between consumption practices and intergenerational justice are understood outside of the global North. The research will also further develop cross-national research methods for understanding questions of intergenerational justice, promote transdisciplinary networks, and build research capacity through facilitating training and collaboration between researchers in different national contexts.
INTERSECTION will achieve impact by contributing to transnational questions about how to achieve cultural change in consumption practices and will inform government and international priorities in relation to building sustainable societies, and addressing intergenerational inequalities in national and international contexts. In doing so, it will contribute to the shaping of the future development of the AHRC's Care for the Future Programme, providing a leadership role by highlighting the significance of non-Western and international ways of thinking about intergenerational justice and sustainability and will contribute to the United Nations goal to produce a society for all ages.
INTERSECTION will internationalise this debate though innovative, multi-method, cross-national research to explore inequitable consumption practices between different generations across time and space. The research will be located in three contrasting national contexts: China, Uganda, and the UK, where we will work in partnership with academic colleagues at Makerere University (Uganda) and Beijing University (China) and key stakeholders from international and national Non-Governmental Organisations (e.g. The Beth Johnson Foundation, Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations, World Council's Commission on Future Justice and Citizenship Foundation). These national contexts have been chosen because they are differentially positioned in terms of demographics (e.g. the composition and spacing of generations); cultural values (e.g. understandings of familial obligations, moralities and notions of personhood); histories; material cultures; patterns of consumption; environmental assets and problems.
INTERSECTION is organised into three core elements (theoretical; methodological and analytical) and three strands of enquiry - Strand A, Who is Entitled to What? Generational Views on Entitlements to Consumption; Strand B, Who Wins and Loses? Perceptions of Intergenerational Equity in Consumption; Strand C, Who Owes What to Whom? Strategies to Produce a Society for All Ages. It brings together expertise from Geography (Valentine & Vanderbeck), Linguistics (Chen), East Asian Studies (Zhang) and English/ African Studies (Plastow).
The research involves active collaboration with partners from the creative sector: the sculptor Anthony Bennett and the animated film-maker Nick Bax. They will create public art that will be: used as research tools; act as a focal points for the development of public engagement and knowledge exchange activities with our non-academic stakeholders; and will provide impact beyond the award by providing a lasting reminder of our obligations towards future generations
The findings will meet the challenge of developing new international and interdisciplinary understandings of intergenerational justice by developing an evidence base about how changing consumption values and practices relate to and/or impede the production of intergenerational solidarities. In doing so, it will produce new insights into how the relationship between consumption practices and intergenerational justice are understood outside of the global North. The research will also further develop cross-national research methods for understanding questions of intergenerational justice, promote transdisciplinary networks, and build research capacity through facilitating training and collaboration between researchers in different national contexts.
INTERSECTION will achieve impact by contributing to transnational questions about how to achieve cultural change in consumption practices and will inform government and international priorities in relation to building sustainable societies, and addressing intergenerational inequalities in national and international contexts. In doing so, it will contribute to the shaping of the future development of the AHRC's Care for the Future Programme, providing a leadership role by highlighting the significance of non-Western and international ways of thinking about intergenerational justice and sustainability and will contribute to the United Nations goal to produce a society for all ages.
Planned Impact
WHO WILL BENEFIT
* INTERNATIONAL NGOs i) The Beth Johnson Foundation (BJF) which promotes an understanding of the potential of intergenerational practice to address social issues; ii) the United Nations including UNICEF and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; iii) International Consortium for Intergenerational Programmes which promotes intergenerational work from a global perspective; iv) Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (FRFG) an advocacy think-tank; v) Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation that aims to connect individuals, families and communities by addressing transnational issues and acting as an 'exchange' for ideas
* NATIONAL GOVERNMENT/THINK TANKS: e.g. government ministries responsible for Education, Environment in each context; Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK; Children's Commissioner, UK; Development Research Centre of the State Council, China; China Development Research Foundation Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs; Economic Policy Research Centre, Uganda
* NATIONAL NGOS e.g. Think Intergenerational: Connecting Generations to Support Communities; Age UK; the China Youth Development Foundation and Ford Foundation, China; Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, Young, Empowered and Healthy, Uganda.
HOW WILL IMPACT BE ACHIEVED
* DESIGN: NGOs have been involved in the design ensuring it addresses concerns beyond an academic agenda. The proposal has been informed by pilot work. The co-applicants have track-records of working in partnership with non-academic organisations, involving 'users' in academic projects, advisory groups and dissemination strategies, as well as undertaking applied research
* EXECUTION: (i) an international advisory group will be established including representatives from beneficiaries. This group will establish key performance indicators for the research, advise on impact, help develop knowledge exchange opportunities, acting as 'knowledge brokers'
* KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE/PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT:
(i) A high-level multi-stakeholder forum to debate the outcomes/recommendations of the research, with a particular focus on transnational implications and creating effective inter-professional dialogue. Feedback Forums: will also be held with research informants to reflexively inform the final report
(ii) The outcome of the above will be disseminated with the support of BJF through its Centre for Intergenerational Practice. It is the principal provider of intergenerational resources in the UK and delivers a wide range of products to support organisations develop and promote intergenerational work.
(iii) The research will develop intergenerational fairness indicators which will be fed into the World Council's Commission on Future Justice
(iv) Learning resources will be developed from our original data. We aim to work in partnership with the Citizenship Foundation - which runs projects in schools - because it wants to expand its reach and offering from local/national issues to global ones.
(v) A project exhibition - including an animated film by our creative partner Nick Bax will form the basis of public engagement events in Sheffield, Kampala and Bejing on Intergeneration Day Worldwide.
(iv) Public artwork produced as part of the research by Anthony Bennett will be displayed permanently in public space to remind us of our future obligations (contributing to the mission of FRFG)
(v) International conference (2017) on the Creation of a Society for all Ages to bring together academics and beneficiaries. The proceedings will be disseminated through the media, and academic publications
(v) We will invite a think-tank which holds high profile public seminars to organise a debate on intergenerational justice (eg Demos, The Work Foundation)
(vi) Website with podcasts of our events; briefings; a blog, and 'ask the expert' section will provide research updates. Subscribers will receive quarterly e-newsletters.
* INTERNATIONAL NGOs i) The Beth Johnson Foundation (BJF) which promotes an understanding of the potential of intergenerational practice to address social issues; ii) the United Nations including UNICEF and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; iii) International Consortium for Intergenerational Programmes which promotes intergenerational work from a global perspective; iv) Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (FRFG) an advocacy think-tank; v) Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation that aims to connect individuals, families and communities by addressing transnational issues and acting as an 'exchange' for ideas
* NATIONAL GOVERNMENT/THINK TANKS: e.g. government ministries responsible for Education, Environment in each context; Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK; Children's Commissioner, UK; Development Research Centre of the State Council, China; China Development Research Foundation Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs; Economic Policy Research Centre, Uganda
* NATIONAL NGOS e.g. Think Intergenerational: Connecting Generations to Support Communities; Age UK; the China Youth Development Foundation and Ford Foundation, China; Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, Young, Empowered and Healthy, Uganda.
HOW WILL IMPACT BE ACHIEVED
* DESIGN: NGOs have been involved in the design ensuring it addresses concerns beyond an academic agenda. The proposal has been informed by pilot work. The co-applicants have track-records of working in partnership with non-academic organisations, involving 'users' in academic projects, advisory groups and dissemination strategies, as well as undertaking applied research
* EXECUTION: (i) an international advisory group will be established including representatives from beneficiaries. This group will establish key performance indicators for the research, advise on impact, help develop knowledge exchange opportunities, acting as 'knowledge brokers'
* KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE/PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT:
(i) A high-level multi-stakeholder forum to debate the outcomes/recommendations of the research, with a particular focus on transnational implications and creating effective inter-professional dialogue. Feedback Forums: will also be held with research informants to reflexively inform the final report
(ii) The outcome of the above will be disseminated with the support of BJF through its Centre for Intergenerational Practice. It is the principal provider of intergenerational resources in the UK and delivers a wide range of products to support organisations develop and promote intergenerational work.
(iii) The research will develop intergenerational fairness indicators which will be fed into the World Council's Commission on Future Justice
(iv) Learning resources will be developed from our original data. We aim to work in partnership with the Citizenship Foundation - which runs projects in schools - because it wants to expand its reach and offering from local/national issues to global ones.
(v) A project exhibition - including an animated film by our creative partner Nick Bax will form the basis of public engagement events in Sheffield, Kampala and Bejing on Intergeneration Day Worldwide.
(iv) Public artwork produced as part of the research by Anthony Bennett will be displayed permanently in public space to remind us of our future obligations (contributing to the mission of FRFG)
(v) International conference (2017) on the Creation of a Society for all Ages to bring together academics and beneficiaries. The proceedings will be disseminated through the media, and academic publications
(v) We will invite a think-tank which holds high profile public seminars to organise a debate on intergenerational justice (eg Demos, The Work Foundation)
(vi) Website with podcasts of our events; briefings; a blog, and 'ask the expert' section will provide research updates. Subscribers will receive quarterly e-newsletters.
Publications
Diprose K
(2019)
Building common cause towards sustainable consumption: A cross-generational perspective
in Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space
Diprose K
(2017)
Corporations, Consumerism and Culpability: Sustainability in the British Press
in Environmental Communication
Diprose K
(2019)
Caring for the future: Climate change and intergenerational responsibility in China and the UK
in Geoforum
Diprose K
(2018)
Climate change, intergenerational justice and geographies of responsibility
in Africa
Liu C
(2018)
A Chinese route to sustainability: Postsocialist transitions and the construction of ecological civilization
in Sustainable Development
Liu C
(2018)
Rural-urban inequality and the practice of promoting sustainability in contemporary China
in GeoJournal
Liu C
(2018)
Placing 'sustainability' in context: narratives of sustainable consumption in Nanjing, China
in Social & Cultural Geography
Liu, C.
(2018)
A Chinese route to sustainability: post-socialist transitions and ecological civilisation
in Sustainable Development
| Title | Anthony Bennett 'Sustainabiliy Dancer' INTERSECTION sculpture |
| Description | Sheffield sculpture Anthony Bennett has created a permanent artwork, 'Sustainability Dancer', reflecting the main findings and themes from the INTERSECTION project in consultation with research staff from each country. This sculpture will be permanently installed in the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Sheffield as an artwork and public engagement tool, with a public unveling event planned for 29 March 2017. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | TBC. (The sculpture has not been unveiled yet) |
| Title | Documentary film: Performing Sustainable Worlds |
| Description | We commissioned filmmakers Gravel & Sugar to make a documentary about INTERSECTION's intergenerational community theatre work in Jinja, Nanjing and Sheffield. The finished film 'Osbomb, Love and Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds' was premiered at public screenings in each city in 2016, and has been made freely available on Vimeo as an educational resource: https://vimeo.com/177615603 Additionally, the filmmakers made a number of shorter films for our project website, which introduce the project and show some of the scenes created across each city www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/films |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The film has facilitated knowledge sharing across all three cities involved in the INTERSECTION project, with public screenings followed by discussions of the similarities and differences in people's interpretations of sustainability across generations in Jinja, Nanjing and Sheffield. Additionally, the documentary and shorter films are a really useful educational resource for teaching intergenerational creative methods, and have been used for teaching and public speaking engagements by various members of our team - for example, in Dr Kristina Diprose's work in schools with The Brilliant Club Scholars Programme. |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/films |
| Title | Intergenerational Community Theatre Performances |
| Description | A series of Intergenerational Community Theatre Performances about Sustainability in Jinja, Uganda (June and August 2015, April 2016), Sheffield, UK (November 2015) and Nanjing, China (June 2016), for which a number of scenes were developed which are documented on the INTERSECTION website. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The performances were in themselves used as Public Engagement Events, and also developed into a documentary called 'Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds' for community and stakeholder screenings (see seperate entries). The spin out community organisation 'We Are Walukuba' formed in Jinja as a result of this work. |
| URL | http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/home |
| Title | Write About Time online time capsule |
| Description | In July 2016 we ran a workshop led by Sheffield Next Generation poet Helen Mort, for people of all ages to come and Write About Time. This resulted in a series of group and individual poems, short stories and performances. These are documented on our website, in an online 'time capsule' of people's writing. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | Several people who came to this workshop were participating in a creative writing workshop/reading aloud for the first time, and have told us that they have engaged with more events in Sheffield since as audience and performers. |
| URL | http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/writeabouttime |
| Description | INTERSECTION set out to: (i) Develop an evidence base on the relationship between changing consumption cultures and intergenerational solidarities in China, Uganda and the UK. (ii) Internationalise theories of intergenerational justice, by contributing insights from outside of the Global North. (iii) Inform debates about how to achieve cultural change in consumption practices through partnerships with the creative sector, knowledge exchange and public engagement activities. (iv) Build international research capacity for understanding questions of intergenerational justice. (v) Inform national government and international priorities about building sustainable societies for all ages. In the course of the research we have: • Generated a significant cross-national and cross-generational dataset of: discussion group and interview transcripts (>500) inclusive of national and local stakeholder interviews, generational dialogue groups, narrative interviews and three-generation family interviews: survey responses (n=2250); and document and media analysis. Our sample is diverse and locally representative in terms of age, gender, race and class. • Organised a series of public engagement events in partnership with the creative sector, including: cross-national intergenerational community theatre workshops, performances, poster exhibitions and public film screenings (theatre partners included Ignite Imaginations, Sheffield College Performing Arts, Nanjing Arts Institute, and Passages Theatre Group, and local co-facilitators Baron Orran in Jinja, Ping Chen, Ziyi Li and Kai Yu in Nanjing and Matthew Elliot in Sheffield). We also worked with acclaimed Sheffield poet Helen Mort and arts charity Theatre Deli to host an intergenerational Write About Time workshop for 30 people, and developed an artistic legacy for the INTERSETION project through on online time capsule of creative writing, the documentary film Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds (collaboration with Gravel & Sugar Productions, available on vimeo and our website), and the Sustainability Dancer public artwork (collaboration with sculptor Anthony Bennett, which is permanently installed in the foyer of the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Social Science building). • The multi-method interdisciplinary approach has captured more nuanced perspectives on intergenerational justice, consumption and sustainability than the polarised views (e.g. Millennials versus Baby Boomers, industrial blame for climate change) often reported in the media. It offers a significant original contribution to a debate that has tended to favour legal, philosophical and policy approaches over empirically-grounded research, inclusive of Global South perspectives. The key findings of our research are: • People tend not to see climate change as an issue of intergenerational justice, despite it being commonly framed in this way by politicians and environmentalists. • The research has contributed new insights on the relationship between consumption, intergenerational justice and geographies of responsibility for climate change. We found that people's views on personal responsibility for environmental problems do not map onto their relative carbon footprints or those of their nation (based on current and historic contributions to climate change), with far more Jinja residents saying they are responsible for protecting the environment, than those in Nanjing and Sheffield. This is influenced by the extent to which climate change is perceived as remote in space and time, or immediate and locally rooted. • A key cross-national theme from our empirical work on intergenerational justice and solidarity, is that people tend to think about the future through the family lens, and focus on the practical things they can do for their immediate descendants, rather than taking a more long-term view of responsibility for future generations. • On achieving cultural change in consumption practices, we found that people are concerned about wasteful consumption and worry that younger generations are becoming more materialistic; this manifests in specific cultural discourses that valorise frugality and socially responsible consumption, such as 'make do and mend' and 'qinjian jieyue' (being diligent and thrifty). • On achieving cultural change in consumption practices and informing government priorities, across all three cities we found that residents emphasise the influential role of national governments and industries over the state of the environment and want/expect them to take action towards sustainable development. In Nanjing and Sheffield especially, people are sceptical of consumer behaviour change approaches without this leadership from 'meta-emitters'. • On priorities for building sustainable societies, our discourse analysis work revealed how sustainability and sustainable development are framed very differently in each country's national press, with internationalist policy discourses being conspicuously absent in UK press coverage in particular, which tends to focus more on green consumer lifestyles and corporate social responsibility. We have achieved our original objectives through: • Academic publications: Disseminating our research through publications in quality international journals in the disciplines of Geography, International Development and Sociology and in the field of Intergenerational Relations. Recent and forthcoming INTERSECTION publications from across all three national contexts contribute new insights to debates on issues such as generational responsibility for climate change and sustainable consumption, and detail methodological innovating in intergenerational community based research. • We are also in discussions to publish a book as part of the Policy Press Shorts: Research series entitled 'Climate change, consumption and intergenerational justice: A comparative perspective from China, Uganda and the UK.' This will bring together empirical material from across the INTERSECTION case study sites in a single volume, that will offer a comparative thematic analysis inclusive of Global North and South perspectives. • Methodological innovation: To support the development of international research capacity for understanding questions of intergenerational justice, we organised a workshop on Methodological Issues in Intergenerational Research at the University of Leeds, and produced three methodology focussed publication on the methodologically innovative work in Uganda, in Critical Stages, the Journal of International Development, and the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. • Stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange events, including: - Involving research users on our advisory board, with representatives from the Intergenerational Foundation (Antony Mason) and Beth Johnson Foundation (Elaine Willis) being particularly engaged, attending and contributing to several of our public events and workshops, and to our website. - A Sheffield Solutions knowledge exchange end of grant event on the theme of the Sustainable Development Goals, which was attended by representatives from Sheffield City Council, the Intergenerational Foundation, the Beth Johnson Foundation, and the former leader of the Green Party, among others. - In Uganda, partnership working with Jinja Municipal Council on the theme of gender and sustainable development. through the INTERSECTION spinout community organisation We Are Walukuba. - In the UK, the production of a Sheffield Solutions policy brief for policy makers working on climate change and sustainable development. This has been disseminated at various public and stakeholder events, including a high-profile Westminster Forum on 'Priorities for the National Adaptation Programme and Addressing Climate Change' in October 2017. - Also in the UK, a recent meeting with Ellen Wratten, Head of Emerging Policy, Innovation and Capability at DfID to discuss key findings from our research and organising a Departmental seminar for climate change policy leads (See Narrative Impact for more details) • Creative collaborations, public engagement, and dissemination activities, including: - Website: We have developed and maintained a project website at www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection. This hosts information about the research, team, advisory board and publications; film, theatre, public art and creative writing collaborations; and a blog which various members of the project team, advisory board and research participants have contributed to. - Public engagement events: We have organised various community-based intergenerational theatre workshops and public performances in Jinja, Nanjing and Sheffield from 2015 to 2016. In Sheffield, we also organised an intergenerational Write About Time workshop with poet Helen Mort, culminating in an online time capsule of creative writing, and a public exhibition in Sheffield as part of the Festival of Social Science. - Film: We have produced a documentary with Gravel & Sugar Productions on the theatre work, entitled Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds. This had a public screening in each city, and is now available on vimeo and the project website, along with several short films of the intergenerational theatre work. - Public art: We commissioned Sheffield sculptor Anthony Bennett to produce the Sustainability Dancer public artwork, which was unveiled at a public event in March 2017 and is on permanent display in the foyer of the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Social Science building. - Educational Resource: Working with national widening participation charity The Brilliant Club, Kristina Diprose has developed a pupil Handbook for a Key Stage 4 course of tutorials on 'Space, time and climate change: Exploring international and intergenerational responsibility', based on INTERSECTION's key themes and using case study data from our research. Dr Diprose is working with The Brilliant Club in three schools in the Bradford district in spring/summer 2018. |
| Exploitation Route | • Professor Robert Vanderbeck and Dr Katie McQuaid received an Impact Accelerator Award from the University of Leeds in June 2016, for a project entitled 'Increasing girls' educational opportunities in Uganda'. This project built upon the innovative intergenerational community theatre approach developed by INTERSECTION, to develop a Social Platform to raise awareness of gender inequality and target girls' education. • INTERSECTION China Research Associate Dr Chen Liu is applying for further grant funding in China for a project entitled 'Sustainable consumption and its geographies in urban Guangzhou', continuing the work we began in exploring how sustainable consumption is conceptualised in non-Western contexts. • INTERSECTION UK Research Associate Dr Kristina Diprose is applying for further grant funding in the UK for a project entitled 'High tides and watermarks: Storying climate change at the water's edge'. This project employs an intergenerational community-based research approach to explore the cultural geographies of climate change in flood vulnerable communities in Yorkshire, drawing on insights from the Global South to consider the role of indigenous environmental knowledge in helping or hindering climate change adaptation in the UK. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection |
| Description | • INTERSECTION's work in Uganda resulted in the establishment of an independent organisation called We Are Walukuba, comprised of an intergenerational group of women and men in Jinja's Walukuba district using creative arts to promote sustainable development in their local community and beyond. We are Walukuba was registered as a Community Based Organisation (CBO) at the Jinja District Local Government Department of Community Based Services on 30th October 2015 and has had various engagements with Jinja Municipal Council, including: - 6 October 2015 We Are Walukuba workshop on Incorporating Gender into Sustainable Development, with a cast of 5 women and 10 senior members of Jinja Municipal Council including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk and Principal Environment Officer. - 3 November 2016 We Are Walukuba performances on gender and land grabbing for the Jinja Muncipal Council Management Committee, with a cast of 11 and an audience of 35 including Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk, Town Clerks of Walukuba/Masese, Central and Mpumudde divisions, Physical Planner, Local Chairman III for Walukuba/Masese Division, Senior Planner, Senior Education Officer, Economic Planner, Anti-Corruption Officer, Population Officer • Robert Vanderbeck and Katie McQuaid's 2016 Impact Accelerator Award on 'Increasing girls' educational opportunities in Uganda' is delivered in partnership with Jinja Muncipal Council, in line with their work on Sustainable Development Goal 5 ('Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'). • Following on from our work on the Sheffield Solutions knowledge exchange workshop and policy brief, Gill Valentine and Kristina Diprose were invited to meet with Ellen Wratten, Head of Emerging Policy, Innovation and Capability at DfID, in February 2018 to share findings from our research. DfID has expressed interest in organising a follow-up Departmental seminar for its communications and climate change teams, to discuss key insights from our project regarding UK press reporting of sustainable development, and how the public perceives climate change and sustainable development. This will take place in spring/summer 2018. • As a result of stakeholder engagement in the project in Nanjing, Dr Chen Liu received requests to share key findings with three Chinese environmental NGOs: Ever Green (a national organisation based in Beijing), Green Friends (a provincial organisation based in Nanjing) and Green Stone (a local organisation based in Nanjing). • Working with national widening participation charity The Brilliant Club, Dr Kristina Diprose has developed a pupil Handbook for a Key Stage 4 course of tutorials on 'Space, time and climate change: Exploring international and intergenerational responsibility', based on INTERSECTION's key themes and using case study data from our research. Dr Diprose is working with The Brilliant Club in three schools (with a total of 36 gifted and talented pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds) in the Bradford district in spring/summer 2018 to introduce them to interdisciplinary climate change research and mentor their writing of a university-style assignment. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | AHRC Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement: 'Performing Living Knowledge: Developing a replicable model for arts-based empowerment of marginalised urban communities in Uganda and Malawi' |
| Amount | £99,973 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 01/2018 |
| Description | ESRC Responsive Mode Impact Grant, via Leeds Social Sciences Institute's Impact Acceleration Account: 'Keeping girls in school and safe from exploitation in Jinja Municipality, Uganda' |
| Amount | £13,673 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 04/2017 |
| Description | Festival of Social Science public engagement funding |
| Amount | £1,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 11/2016 |
| Description | University of Leeds Undergraduate Research Leadership Award (James Ward, Discourse Analysis) |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2016 |
| End | 09/2016 |
| Description | Nanjing Theatre Collaboration with local facilitators |
| Organisation | Nanjing University of the Arts |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We organised a series of community theatre workshops and performances with people of all ages from the city of Nanjing, China in May and June 2016. The workshop process was developed in collaboration with three local theatre practitioners including one academic, with the connection developed through Nanjing University of the Arts and workshops held on the premises. Intersection team members including theatre lead Jane Plastow and research associates Katie McQuaid, Kristina Diprose and Chen Liu participated in a knowledge exchange visit and the initial workshops in May 2016. Following this visit, the process was led by local facilitators Ping Chen, Ziyi Li and Kai Yu, supported by our China Research Associate Chen Liu. This work culminated in a public screening of a documentary based on the theatre work at Nanjing University of the Arts in December 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Ping Chen, Ziyi Li and Kai Yu developed locally appropriate workshop material and led the workshop process in Nanjing after the initial knowledge exchange visit. They also curated the INTERSECTION Nanjing theatre performance and participated in local film screenings/Q&A on behalf of the project. |
| Impact | Two outputs listed in 'Artistic and Cultural Products': - Nanjing Intergenerational Theatre Performance - 'Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds' documentary |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Theatre workshops collaboration with Sheffield College |
| Organisation | Sheffield College |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | UK Research Associate Dr Kristina Diprose contacted Tom Fields, a Performing Arts Tutor at Sheffield College, about recruiting young people to take part in intergenerational theatre workshops. We entered into a formal agreement to work with a Performing Arts Level 1 group of 15 students as part of their work placement scheme. INTERSECTION facilitators Jane Plastow, Matthew Elliott and Kristina Diprose ran three full-day workshops at the College in autumn 2015. These were followed by staff and student attendance at a weekend of intergenerational workshops culminating in a final performance event in November 2015. The INTERSECTION team maintained communication with the lead Tutor to share short films made as part of this project, and to invite College staff and students to a documentary screening as part of the Festival of Social Science in November 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Sheffield College provided access to and recruitment of 15 students to take part in our intergenerational theatre workshops, ensured that consent forms (including parental consent where appropriate) were obtained and that students attended all workshops and the final performance weekend. The College also arranged for the UK Research Associate to conduct some interviews and focus groups with young people on the premisis. |
| Impact | Two outputs listed under 'Artistic and Creative Products': - Sheffield Theatre Performances - 'Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds' documentary |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Write About Time workshop collaboration with Helen Mort |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | School of Earth and Environment |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | INTERSECTION UK Research Associate Dr Kristina Diprose initiated a collaboration with Sheffield Next Generation poet (and Douglas Caster Cultural Fellow at the School of English, University of Leeds) Helen Mort to develop and run and intergenerational creative writing workshop in Sheffield. Kristina provided thematic guidance on the workshop based on the emerging findings from INTERSECTION, took charge of recruitment and advertising, event booking, collecting outputs and writing up the event. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Helen Mort devised the workshop format and facilitated all activities on the day. She also promoted the event and INTERSECTION project before and after, on her widely followed social media account, enabling INTERSECTION to reach a larger audience. |
| Impact | The INTERSECTION Write About Time online 'time capsule' of creative writing, as detailed as an output in 'Artistic and Creative Products'. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Company Name | We Are Walukuba |
| Description | We are Walukuba' is an intergenerational community group of some 60 women and men of all ages from the Walukuba district of Jinja, Uganda. They began working together in February 2015, initially through the INTERSECTION research project's intergenerational theatre workshops which ran until August. We are Walukuba was registered as a Community Based Organisation (CBO) at the Jinja District Local Government Department of Community Based Services on 30th October 2015. They aim to use creative arts to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation in their local community and beyond. Their group meets to share ideas, identify key social and environmental concerns, and use creative expression to generate ground-up and sustainable interventions through local action designed to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on research, inclusive discussion, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, they use a variety of art-forms including image theatre, poetry, music and dance, scripted and devised drama, to communicate and discuss key issues they identify at the local and national level to a variety of stakeholders. WAW operates on a principle of inclusivity with a revolving management structure to ensure those of both genders and all ages have the opportunity to work as equal partners. |
| Year Established | 2015 |
| Impact | The group has been invited to perform scenes on sustainable development issues and engage with Jinja Municipal District Council on a number of occasions, and also regularly takes their theatre work out into the community to educate and spark critical discussion with their peers on issues of sustainability and fighting inequality. |
| Website | http://wearewalukuba.com/index.php/who-we-are/ |
| Description | INTERSECTION Scholars Programme Tutorials and Handbook |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | INTERSECTION UK Research Associate Dr Kristina Diprose has been working with national charity The Brilliant Club's Scholars Programme, to design and deliver a series of weekly Tutorials based on our research, to a select group of gifted Year 9 and 10 pupils at Bradford Academy. All students have received a bespoke course Handbook entitled 'Space, time and climate change: Exploring international and intergenerational responsibility', which includes various academic and educational resources. The aim of the Scholars Programme is to support the progression of state school students to top Universities, especially those from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in student recruitment (including, for example, pupil premium). This work is ongoing to April 2018. In Tutorials so far, this work has introduced pupils to subject material they would not have had the opportunity to study as part of the curriculum, addressed misconceptions of geography at HE level, and introduced them to both social science and arts-based research methods. The course of Tutorials focuses on climate change and geographies of responsibility and has generated lively debate in class, leading to an increased interest in this subject area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Intergenerational Methods Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The INTERSECTION team hosted a 'Methodological Issues in Intergenerational Research' knowledge-sharing workshop at the University of Leeds on 9 February 2017. There has been a substantial recent increase in interest in issues of intergenerationality within geography as well as a range of other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. This one-day event focused on innovative methodological approaches to researching intergenerational relationships (including both familial and extra-familial relationships). Key themes explored by the invited speakers included: - Intergenerational theatre and other creative approaches to intergenerational research - New approaches to researching questions of intergenerational justice - Participatory approaches to fostering intergenerational solidarity and engagement in relation to sustainability - Using qualitative secondary analysis for intergenerational research - Intergenerational research with refugee families - The ethical dilemmas of intergenerational research Speakers drew on examples from a range of contexts internationally, including the UK, Ireland, China, Uganda, the Philippines, and beyond. The event was designed to be a relatively small one (35 participants, including the invited speakers) to promote interaction and discussion. Participants included: - Members of the INTERSECTION team (Robert Vanderbeck, Kristina Diprose, Chen Liu) - Ruth Evans, University of Reading - Caleb Johnston, University of Newcastle - Gina Porter, University of Durham - Michael Richardson, University of Newcastle - Anna Tarrant, University of Lincoln |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/news/methodsworkshop-1.676608 |
| Description | Invited seminar paper: Girls have powers - Creative child-led research combining ethnographic and applied arts methodologies in urban Uganda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invitation to present ongoing work using creative methodologies and action research with young people in Uganda. This discussion took place at a seminar on 15 November 2018 in the Sussex Africa Centre, University of Sussex. The paper sparked discussion and questions, with several post graduates reporting that they would include creative methods in their doctoral fieldwork. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Mobilities, livelihoods and the 'right to the city' in the lives of older people in Ghana and Uganda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar paper for the Transport, Mobilities and Social Justice Seminar Series, School of Geography and the Environment, at the University of Oxford on 23 January 2018. Open to interdisciplinary academics and the general public. Sparked discussion and questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Mpuliliza! Combining ethnographic and participatory arts in child-led creative research practice and action with girls in urban Uganda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Conference paper at 'Theorising young people's aspirations in a global context: An interdisciplinary conference at Brunel University on 27 March 2018. Presentation to an international academic audience involved/interested in youth-related research in developing contexts. Sparked discussion and questions regarding the use of creative methodologies to collect data and engage policymakers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Nanjing Public Film Screening |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The INTERSECTION film 'Osbomb, Love and Supershop: Performing Sustainable Words' had its first screening in a packed community center in Jinja late last summer. The documentary, by Gravel and Sugar Productions, follows different generations coming together in community theatre workshops across three cities and continents, to share stories about sustainability. After its successful premiere in Uganda, we took the film back to Sheffield, UK and Nanjing, China in Autumn/Winter, to share with our participants and the wider public. In December 2016, two film screening events were organised in Nanjing. The first was part of a seminar series at the School of Sociology in Nanjing University, primarily for students. The second event was a public screening at Nanjing Arts Institute, attended by the local film cast, facilitators, city residents and interviewees. At each event, the film screening was followed by an audience discussion. The Nanjing audience liked the idea of gender-reversed 'Love & Money' play in Jinja and the appeal to gender equality, which they said is an important theme of social justice across the world. They perceived the older generation's scenes - in both Sheffield and Nanjing - as more energetic, creative and active then their younger counterparts. These performers challenge the age stereotype that older people are weak and vulnerable in public, which is a mainstream discourse at least in China. Audience members who had not taken part in the theatre workshops were curious about the process and why the INTERSECTION research team decided to use theatre as a way to do social research. China Research Associate Chen Liu reflects: "The most impressive thing for me, is the theatre participants' passion for the project." Since the performances and film screening, participants of all ages have expressed an interest in sharing the film with others, seeing more footage of their performances and connecting projects in Nanjing on the major themes of air pollution, overconsumption and gender equality. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/news/filmpremieres-1.673673 |
| Description | Nanjing intergenerational theatre workshops and performance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | We organised a series of community theatre workshops and performances with people of all ages from the city of Nanjing, China in May and June 2016. Intersection team members including theatre lead Jane Plastow participated in a knowledge exchange visit and the initial workshops in May 2016. Following this visit, the process was led by local facilitators Ping Chen, Ziyi Li and Kai Yu, supported by our China Research Associate Dr Chen Liu. Both the Chinese facilitaors and participants said that participatory theatre methods are new to local people in Nanjing. We divided our participants into three age groups: a younger group (16-25), middle-age group (26-45) and older group (aged 48+). In the workshops, these three groups of people discussed environmental issues, intergenerational relationships and (un)sustainable consumption separately, and came up with creative ways to show their concerns to other generations, such as using shadow play and mimicking commercials. They came together for a final weekend workshop to form an intergenerational group of 43 people and to create new theatre work performed by people of all ages. An audience of around 60 family members, friends and local stakeholders attended the final performance on 26 June. After the performance, there was a discussion about environmental problems in Nanjing, different generation's ways of life, and people's experiences of participating in this type of theatre project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/nanjing |
| Description | Osbomb, Love and Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds screening in Jinja |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | 62 people from We Are Walukuba and the local community in Jinja, Uganda, attended a public film screening and discussion of the INTERSECTION documentary 'Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds', which featured footage from intergenerational community theatre performances in China, Uganda and the UK. The audience reported increased interest in intergenerational practice and affirmed the importance of protecting the environment. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/news/olsjinjafilmscreening-1.642504 |
| Description | Public Lecture at Mekele University, Ethiopia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | w/c 21 February 2016 - Professor Jane Plastow was invited to give a lecture on 'Making Community Theatre in Uganda' for all students of Theatre Arts at Mekele University, Ethiopia. This lecture focussed on the INTERSECTION intergenerational theatre work in Walukuba, Jinja. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Public Lecture at the University of Manchester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | INTERSECTION project lead Professor Gill Valentine was invited to give a public lecture, entitled'Future generations will be "roasted, toasted, fried and grilled": Reflections on climate change and intergenerational justice'. Invited public lecture as part of the 125 Anniversary Lectures, Department of Geography, University of Manchester, UK, 25 October 2017. This was a high profile event attended by academic staff, students and the general public, including University of Manchester alumni. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Sheffield Communities Live Radio Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | INTERSECTION UK research associate Dr Kristina Diprose gave an interview to local community radio station Sheffield Live, on 29 June 2016, discussing the INTERSECTION project and appealing for more three generation families from Sheffield to come forward to take part in the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2mDyOHVRU8 |
| Description | Sheffield Festival of Social Science Event: Film Screening and Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public film screening, exhibition and discussion of the INTERSECTION documentary 'Osbomb, Love & Supershop: Performing Sustainable Worlds'. The film features footage from intergenerational community theatre performances in China, Uganda and the UK. The film screening in Sheffield, on 8 November 2016, was part of the city and nationwide Festival of Social Science. Around 85 people including many of the Sheffield stars of the film, friends and family, members of Sheffield City Council and the general public joined the film makers and INTERSECTION team for a screening and exhibition at the Showroom Workstation. This event took place almost exactly a year after an intergenerational cast of 30 first performed 11 short plays about sustainability in Sheffield, which raised a variety of environmental, economic and social concerns from fracking to austerity and immigration. The film screening was followed by a Q&A and a lively discussion. The Sheffield audience commented that it was "excellent to see the realization of young and old that they can learn from each other" through creative projects. They also reflected on the value of theatre in social science research, as giving power to ordinary people to express the issues they care about. The different ways in which performers had interpreted sustainability across age groups and cultures was of particular interest. Some of the audience had expected a more environmental focus, but recognized that "working out what they [the performers] meant by sustainability was an important part of the process". Antony Mason from the Intergenerational Foundation spoke about the value of INTERSECTION in connecting ideas about intergenerational justice, fairness and sustainability across diverse national contexts. With so much intergenerational research focusing on Europe and the West, our film offers an alternative perspective grounded in ordinary people's lives in three very different cities. It also suggests possible connections. It was great to see themes from the Jinja and Nanjing scenes, such as tree cutting and negative age stereotypes, also strike a chord in Sheffield. The project and film was introduced by INTERSECTION team members Gill Valentine and Jane Plastow, who were joined by Kristina Diprose and Chen Liu afterward for a Q&A about how the project had worked across the three countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/news/filmpremieres-1.673673 |
| Description | Sheffield Star Recruitment Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Local newspaper The Sheffield Star ran a story (in print and online) based on a press release by INTERSECTION UK research associate Dr Kristina Diprose, in July 2016. This story discussed the INTERSECTION project, appealed for more three generation families from Sheffield to come forward to take part in the research and previewed two upcoming public engagement events in Sheffield. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/families-urged-to-take-part-in-unique-study-involving-sheffield-and-ci... |
| Description | Sheffield intergenerational theatre workshops and performance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | From September to November 2015, Professor Jane Plastow worked with collaboraror Matthew Elliot and UK RA Dr Kristina Diprose to deliver a series of theate workshops on the theme of sustainability. Participants included local residents, Passages Theatre Group (a group of older performers who explore representations of age and ageing), and Performing Arts level 1 students from Sheffield College. This culminated in an intergenerational weekend workshop and performance, with a cast of 28 and an audience of around 50-100 including family and friends and an Advisory Board member from the Intergenerational Foundation. A feedback survey afterwards showed a positive impact on participants' interest in working with people of different ages, in global problems, environmental and social justice issues, and using theatre to share ideas, particularly among the younger generation. Feedback from participants - "I've become more aware of certain issues. I'd heard of fracking but I now understand more about it, so I've learned something. I was really impressed by what the young people came up with, it shows that they do have a lot to give and I feel more positively about working with that age group in the future." (Older generation) - "I never thought I'd be performing with people older than myself. It was good working with my peers and to have acknowledgement for my ideas, it really boosted my self-confidence." (Younger generation) - "A highlight for me was doing scenes with the young people, from a rather unpromising start on Saturday to seeing the young people engaging with the issue, our older selves and the performance." (Older generation) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/sheffield/about |
| Description | Sustainability Dancer sculpture unveiling |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Sheffield Anthony Bennett's public artwork 'Sustainability Dancer' was unveiled at a wine reception in ICOSS, immediately following the Sustainable Sheffield workshop on 29 March 2017. This event was attended by those who had been at the workshop, including representatives of Sheffield City Council, the Green Party, The Intergenerational Foundation and the Beth Johnson Foundation, as well as study participants and others from across the University and beyond who had registered interest. This was a 90 minute event with plenty of opportunity for discussion after Anthony had said a few words about the concepts behind the sculpture - and participants also had an opportunity to browse an exhibition about INTERSECTION's intergenerational theatre and creative writing work. Coupled with the Sustainable Sheffield workshop, these events raised the profile of the project and led to requests for further information, published papers etc. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Sustainable Sheffield workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | INTERSECTION hosted a workshop titled 'Sustainable Sheffield: How might we best implement the Sustainable Development Goals in Yorkshire?' on 29 March 2017, at the University of Sheffield's Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICOSS).This workshop presented emerging findings from the INTERSECTION research project on local attitudes to intergenerational justice, consumption and sustainability, and discussed how these findings relate to national and local sustainable development commitments. Natalie Bennett, former leader of the Green party and (then) prospective parliamentary candidate for Sheffield Central, Michelle Cook from Sheffield City Council and Antony Mason from the Intergenerational Foundation provided reflections on, and responses to, the findings outlined by Professor Gill Valentine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Town is for the young: Becoming and being old in urban Uganda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited conference paper at the Association of Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth Conference, 19 September 2018. Invited contribution to conference panel on imagination, migration and (im)mobility, to an audience of international academics and postgraduates and professional practitioners. This sparked discussion and questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Walukuba Kingfisher Play and Waste Action Intervention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Building on the success of their first community performance and knowledge exchange workshop, We Are Walukuba embarked on a new Waste Action Intervention programme, with the aim of encouraging both the local community and Jinja Municipal Council to adopt better waste management practices. The group's first 'Waste Action Intervention Day' was held at Works Village in Walukuba West, Jinja, in June 2016 and the same model has since been applied elsewhere. We Are Walukuba members conducted research at the household level and with Jinja Municipal Council to find out people's attitudes to waste disposal and management, and what services the Council offers. Whilst the Council is supposed to collect waste from commercial sites, this is sporadic and mired in corruption. Household waste is the responsibility of the community. People have little choice but to bury or burn their own waste, both organic and plastic, with detrimental effects on health, soil fertility and peri-urban agriculture so crucial for family subsistence. On the day itself, We Are Walukuba members instigated a community clear up, collecting scattered waste with the help of local residents and showing them how to separate organic and non-organic matter. Organic waste is collected to use in We Are Walukuba's Green Briquette Project. The community clear up is followed by a performance of their play, 'The Kingfisher's Story'. 'The Kingfisher's Story' was developed by INTERSECTION theatre lead Jane Plastow in collaboration with We Are Walukuba members. At the beginning of the play women come onto stage singing their anthem 'We Are Walukuba' and begin conducting a community clean-up. These women are challenged by passers-by who disparage their work, using real opinions collected during research such as members are "stupid to work for no money", '"it is dirty work for less developed people", and "it is the council's responsibility to deal with rubbish". There is then a singoff between the community group and those who do not care for their environment. When there is a risk of the two groups fighting, a storyteller breaks in and invites the actors and audience to listen to her. 'The Kingfisher's Story' is adapted from a Kenyan folk story. The story tells of animals meeting in the forest when it is very, very hot. Elephant, Giraffe and Snake debate the causes until interrupted by the foolish King Lion, who threatens to eat everyone. At this point Eagle flies in and tells everyone to run for their lives because there is a forest fire. The animals panic and head for the Nile to escape. They worry about the smaller animals who won't be able to cross, but the Lion says the strong must look after themselves and dives in - whereupon he gets eaten by a huge crocodile. While the animals are reeling with shock, a Kingfisher flies across the Nile and swoops to pick up a beak full of water before heading towards the fire. Eagle asks what she is doing and she says she is going to put out the fire. When the other animals challenge her, saying she is only one tiny bird, she replies that she might be one but at least she is trying to do something to save their home. The storyteller steps back, inviting the audience to share their ideas about what the animals should do next. Members of We Are Walukuba encourage the community to discuss their ideas about waste management and to generate grassroots solutions to environmental problems by working together as a community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/news/rubbishplay-1.565687 |
| Description | We are Walukuba theatre workshops, performances and knowledge exchange |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Around 60 people from the Walukuba district of Jinja, Uganda, attended weekly intergenerational theatre workshops led by Professor Jane Plastow and Dr Katie McQuaid between February and August 2015. This culminated in a number of performances and knowledge exchange workshops as follows, and the independent establishment of We Are Walukuba as an intergenerational community arts organisation. (i) 13 June 2015 We Are Walukuba community theatre performance, with a cast of 60 and an audience of 500 community members. (ii) 18 August 2015 We Are Walukuba Knowledge exchange performance and workshop on sustainable communities with a cast of 18, 19 community delegates and 80 representatives from Jinja Municipal Council, local third sector and industry. (iii) 6 October 2015 We Are Walukuba workshop on Incorporating Gender into Sustainable Development, with a cast of 5 women and 10 senior members of Jinja Municipal Council including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk and Principal Environment Officer. (iv) 3 November 2016 We Are Walukuba performances on gender and land grabbing for the Jinja Muncipal Council Management Committee, with a cast of 11 and an audience of 35 including Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk, Town Clerks of Walukuba/Masese, Central and Mpumudde divisions, Physical Planner, Local Chairman III for Walukuba/Masese Division, Senior Planner, Senior Education Officer, Economic Planner, Anti-Corruption Officer, Population Officer. Some feedback from We Are Walukuba members: - "It is a group formed to raise the voices of the voiceless. We raise to the ones in power, like that land issue. We do this as a group through drama. Last week we acted at the town hall in the presence of the Mayor. In Precious Women we tackled many issues affecting people down here. We speak in acting. And the other thing, we are intergenerational. This group was formed, usually you hear of those groups of youth, elderly, women, but this combines the young and old, and all genders, we don't discriminate." (27 year-old woman) - "We are sharing the knowledge, skills and acquiring confidence to address inadequacies that underpin development, addressing problems like gender violence, working conditions in factories and environmental degradation, and we are keeping the young and old together" (33 year-old man). - "This group has really empowered us, the workshops help us to learn essential life skills like self-esteem and confidence. We do community outreaches and team-building. Theatre and poetry helped us to express ourselves and the key messages in an interesting way. Through fun people get to learn what is taking part in the community. It is an open organisation and a movement that keeps growing, growing and spreading. And we do not stay with our skills, we are sharing and we teach them out and they teach others." (25 year-old man) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/theatre/wearewalukuba/about |
| Description | Write About Time workshop with Helen Mort |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | INTERSECTION UK research associate Kristina Diprose collaborated with Sheffield Next Generation poet Helen Mort to run an intergenerational creative writing workshop. 30 people attended this workshop, it resulted in a number of poems and short stories for the INTERSECTION website and recruited 10 more people to take part in the wider research study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/intersection/writeabouttime |