Sustaining Ethno-Cultural Significance of Products through Urban Ecologies of Creative Practice

Lead Research Organisation: Lancaster University
Department Name: Lancaster Inst for the Contemporary Arts

Abstract

By drawing on experiences from the traditions and cultural heritage of China and the UK, and through knowledge
exchange, this project examines the challenges and opportunities for sustaining designs and products of ethno-cultural
significance through the creation of urban ecologies of creative practice in major Chinese cities. It will result in a joint
authored report that includes: Urban Ecologies of Creative Practice: A framework for understanding the current condition
and future potential, socially and economically, of culturally significant designs, products and practices in Chinese cities.
This will be of interest to those in government and business sectors related primarily to The Creative Industries, with strong
associated links to the themes of Humanities Contributing to Development and Urban Transformations. The project will
develop a common understanding that recognises:

a. different qualities and stages of sustainment of culturally significant designs, products and practices in China and the UK;
b. related rural-urban contexts, between the two countries and
c. from the above, investigate commonalities, differences and opportunities for mutual learning and research development
in relation to culturally significant designs, products and practices - leading to a framework defining key characteristics,
strengths, weaknesses, benefits and obstacles, and future potential and opportunities for culturally significant designs and
products within Urban Ecologies of Creative Practice in Chinese cities.

While there are more and more re-examinations of the quality of Chinese cities after their rapid expansions in recent years,
this urban development can lead to a transition from hard power (politics, law) to soft power (culture, economy). The rich
ethnic cultures in China, especially those migrating from rural areas into cities, are set to reshape the soft power, which has
the potential to promote the sustainable development of cities and ethnic cultures. This research aims at how to understand
and carry forward ethnic cultures in the transformation of Chinese cities through studying creative designs, products and
services.

This research will be conducted in China and the UK. The project includes 6 visits - 3 by China researchers to the UK in
Autumn 2016, 2017, 2018 and 3 by UK researchers to China in Spring 2016, 2017 and 2018. Each will include site
visits and workshops. The latter two (one in UK, one in China) include extended workshops to develop the framework and
the final workshop includes Creative Industries representatives from the private sector and government.

These visits will each result in a Summary Report and contribution to a joint website Gallery and Blog Series. In addition,
joint summary reports will be produced documenting the emergent understandings of the relevance and role of the internet
and digital space in the future directions of culturally significant designs, products and practices. Emerging understandings,
insights and conclusions will inform the creation and successive refinements of the Framework. A summary report and
Gallery contributions will document the outcomes and insights drawn from the International Studios with students.

The final project report will provide an overview of the project, the finalised framework, as well as project outcomes,
conclusions, and identification for future joint research themes and opportunities.

ODA Compliance: Ethno-Cultural products and practices have a strong relationship to the notions of 'good work' and
employment thus to economic development and growth. This research will contribute to education and knowledge
development, among researchers, the students, and private sector and government participants. Wider dissemination of
findings through various publications will inform future research directions related to the creative industries, humanities
contributing to development and urban transformations.

Planned Impact

Impacts are: 1) Establishing foundations for research between China/UK in culturally significant designs & products in
China's Urban Creative Ecologies & the relation to ethno-cultural-economic development; 2) Developing collaborative
research projects; 3) Outcomes orientated to economic development and policy to enhance relevance to economic
development; 4) Dissemination: publications to academia & professions, a website.

These impacts concern knowledge-exchange, -building and -dissemination among Chinese & British academics from
various fields, including:

- Design: creativity, sustainability, strategies;
- Ethnology & Anthropology: ethno-cultural significance, heritage;
- Economic Development: ethnic economic & cultural policy;
- Urban Development & Social Research: urban & industrial anthropology;
- Ethnic Culture: identity, languages & arts history;
- Input by Private Sector & Government will allow research findings to be oriented to economic & urban development (re:
creative ecologies);
- Creative Industries: longer term impacts will: a) inform urban planners/developers of environments supportive of creative
industries; b) urban policy makers aiming to encourage economic development through Creative Ecologies; c) enhancing
understandings (policy, enterprise) of benefits & deficits of Urban Creative Ecologies; d) revealing how environmental
factors serve to a) support creative industries; b) inform policy makers; and c) contribute to an ethos of innovation &
creativity, some outcomes of which may be scalable.

The research will allow: Ethnology & Anthropology Academics in China to learn from experiences in UK in sector of
culturally significant design & products, brands, heritage and development of strategies at the local, regional and national
scales, to promote and develop these aspects of heritage in China in a period of rapid urbanization; Design Academics in
UK to learn from experiences & knowledge in China and their ecologies of creative practices, which offer excellent
examples of research underway by UK team; and Urban Planners & Developers to appreciate the benefits and potential of
heritage and facilitating ethno-cultural creative industries through support of creative ecologies of practice. Also, Creative
Industries, designer-maker enterprises in particular, will benefit in the longer term from this research as it forms a
foundation for development of condusive ecologies of practice with common facilities, synergistic opportunities.

The shorter term impacts will be manifested through collaborative conference papers [e.g. European Academy of Design,
IUAES (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences), Inter-Congress, Croatia, 2016; IUAES World
Congress, Brazil, 2018 ], journal papers (e.g. Design Journal; Journal of Chinese Literatures & Culture), and chapters (the
UK team will be publishing Design Routes, 2017 related to current AHRC research in Culturally Significant Designs and
Products and, through this collaboration, findings can be included.

In the longer term, activities centre around each country's culturally significant products and their viable future, especially
via ecologies of practice, providing a rich basis for project developments that bring together ethno-cultural factors and the
value of culturally significant designs & products, with design research in sustainability, design futures and development of
a framework for future viability. Also in the latter stages, the findings will be collaboratively presented to relevant private
sector parties in China to build links to business and to invite input and involvement.
 
Title DESIGN FOR LIFE - engaging with sustainability by Stuart Walker 
Description Design for Life- engaging with sustainability, Blue Gallery and throughout the house, Brantwood (John Ruskin's House), Coniston, Cumbria April 16th - July 18th 2016. An exhibition of 30 new works including audio-visual video piece and short dramatic film piece. The exhibition was supported by Arts Council England and Lancaster University and included a public forum and school workshops to create Tastes of Sustainability. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact This was the first design exhibition in the history of Brantwood House - John Ruskin's home in Cumbria England. The exhibition attracted a wide audience and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Audience reviews indicated that they found the work extremely thought provoking and enlightening about the nature of design for sustainability. 
URL http://www.designforlife.website/
 
Title Design Realities: creativity, nature and the human spirit 
Description Photography exhibition (40 pieces) plus Notebooks, Objects and Exhibited writings, 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Opening attended by around 70 people - exhibition was open to public for one week. Comments from the visitors book are as follows: Anonymized Comments on exhibition and opening event 3.11.18 Love the Comment in note book i.e. NZ tariffs on cheap ceramics to support local potters. We share the same political philosophy. Thank you for the exhibition. 5.11.18 Lovely! 7.11.18 Awesome! Lovely exhibition. Thought-provoking. Great stuff! 9.11.18 Very impressive Inspirational Thanks for the thought-provoking exhibit and talk on an important subject. Thought-provoking. Great evening. Keeping the 'old' and just rekindling without having to look for 'new'. Congratulations! 10.11.18 Sorry to have missed the opening. Very clear and necessary statement. Strong images, grim poetry. Valuable thoughts to be assimilated. Thank you. Yes. I get it. Lovely clear work. Makes you think. Inspiringly provocative. Very subtle poetic wording. Thank you. 12.11.18 Thank you. A lot of food for thought. 14.11.18 'Auto Repair' my fave. Great blend of detail. 16.11.18 Thank you very much, the event was lovely! Fantastic job. I have also learnt a lot. Exhibition was fascinating Enjoyed especially the readings. Such awe-inspiring work and words! 17.11.18 The idea that we should 'lay things aside' for re-consideration is apt for our times. Both those things that rule us - products and institutions - and those things that charm us. In this way we will see the value of the ephemeral - that which we live for - and that which will not sustain us. 
 
Title Design for Life Exhibition - Public Forum 
Description This activity relates to the exhibition DESIGN FOR LIFE: enagaing with sustainability reported elsewhere. It involved a tour of the exhibition followed by a series of talks, followed by questions and discussion, followed by drinks and canapes -- note the food was prepared by the Chef of Brantwood from recipes designed by the school children at the local primary school. The receipes were based on their impressions from their visit to the exhibition earlier in the month. Approximately 20 children plus their teachers and two facilitators were involved in the preparation of the recipes. Approximately 50 people attended the forum. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact Feedback from this event was excellent - people reported that it had changed their perspectives 
URL http://www.designforlife.website/
 
Title Embracing Innovation Volume 5, Craft ACT: Canberra Craft and Design Centre 
Description Embracing Innovation Volume 5, Craft ACT: Canberra Craft and Design Centre, Canberra Australia, 23 July - 29 August 2015, I was invited to contribute two propositional/experimental design objects to this prestiguous exhibition. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact This invitation enabled me to exhibit my design work for the first time in Australia's capital city. The exposure this enabled, subsequently led to further invitations - in 2016 - to deliver a Keynote talk at Australia National University and to open a design exhibition in Canberra. 
URL https://craftact.org.au/
 
Title Living Design Exhibition 
Description An exhibition of craft artefacts from the UK and international to accompany the Living Design Symposium at Lancaster University 14th November 2019 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact The exhibition enhanced the symposium that was attended by ca. 80 academics, students, NGOs, private enterprise and craft support organizations 
 
Title Unmaking Waste Exhibition, SASA Gallery, University of South Australia 
Description Unmaking Waste Exhibition, SASA Gallery, University of South Australia, Adelaide May 5 - 29, 2015 8 designs plus 12 photographs of design work. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact This was the first time I had been invited to exhibit my work in Australia so it introduced by design work to a new audience. It accompanied an invitation to provide a keynote speech at the UNMAKING WASTE conference in University of South Australia, Adelaide. 
URL http://aad.unisa.edu.au/research/research-areas/sasa-gallery/
 
Description During this Knowledge Exchange project, a series of exchange visits were conducted in both the UK and China. In the UK, partner colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) visited heritage sites related to the Industrial Revolution in Manchester and Liverpool; British Romanticism in Cumbria; and heritage organizations and archives in Swindon and London. A reciprocal series of visits to China included visits to culturally significant maker enterprises and relevant museums in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Jingdezhen, and Beijing. In broad terms, the Key Insights and Findings are as follows:

Terminologies and tensions regarding the cultural and creative industries in the UK and China: The UK and China teams use different terms to describe and categorise a wide range of cultural and creative activities. The term 'Creative Industries', which originated in the UK, has been adopted worldwide as different countries have come to recognise the economic value of activities as wide ranging as computer games, creative technologies, fashion, film and TV, art, design and crafts. However, tensions have also been identified with this term. The inclusion of 'industries' tends to suggest large scale and emphasise economic importance of the activities. Consequently, the inclusion of traditional crafts and other heritage-related practices can be problematic. These are often practised in order to continue a tradition for its own sake, rather than seeing them in predominantly economic and instrumental terms.

Differing approaches to policy support of heritage and culture in China and the UK: China's heritage and cultural institutions are predominantly governed and administered by the Chinese government at national, regional and local levels, whereas in the UK there is a broad (and often difficult to fathom) mix of government owned/administered organisations, charitable trusts and private organisations.

Cultural Heritage Volunteers: The Chinese team found the importance and significance of volunteers within the UK's cultural heritage landscape to be very different from China, which does not have a history of volunteering. In the UK, there is a rich tradition of volunteers within organisations such as the National Trust, which is run as a charity and relies heavily on unpaid volunteers to maintain and run many of its properties and natural landscapes. In China, interpretative staff are trained to maintain sites and host visitors at sites of importance, but there is no reliance on a voluntary sector.

Differing approaches towards Intangible Cultural Heritage in China and the UK: China supports its Intangible Cultural Heritage through its adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is also inscribed into Chinese law and overseen by the Association of Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding, which was established in 2013 and is administered by the Department of Culture. In contrast, the UK has not ratified the UNESCO Convention on ICH. The Chinese team observed that the UK seems to focus more on tangible cultural heritage, such as landscapes, historic buildings, museums and galleries. This focus, however, means that many traditional or heritage crafts and other intangible practices are unsupported and in decline. In the UK, the Heritage Crafts Association was formed (2009) to help counter this decline. This organization also published the Radcliffe Red List of British endangered crafts.

Differing approaches towards 'living' heritage in China and the UK: The China team commented upon the UK's approach to the conservation and preservation of heritage, which keeps a sense of 'living' heritage. The Lake District embodies this approach, in that it is a UNESCO World Heritage area that is also an area in which people still live and work. In China, such areas are often depopulated in order to preserve the heritage and become focussed specifically upon tourism; one of our Chinese partners referred to this as 'dead' heritage. In contrast, in the Lake District there is an ecosystem of tourism and heritage, in addition to communities who live and work there.

The potential for design to contribute to sustaining traditional making practices: During the visits so far, the UK team has determined particular areas in which design may be able to contribute to the development and sustainment of cultural heritage and traditional making practices. These include the potential for design visualisation of the interrelated and interdependent eco-systems of design and production that was observed in Jingdezhen Ceramics Factory. The team observed that at Taoxichuan Creative Zone design was making a considerable contribution to the design of the artefacts, point of sale, branding and packaging. There is potential for this example to be explored further with different case studies, perhaps in tandem with the UK team's Living Design project, which explores how design can contribute to the sustainment of small maker enterprises in Cumbria.

Shared Understanding: A common understanding was developed from the knowledge exchange visits and the visit reports created by each of the respective teams. This led to a set of conclusions, insights and themes for understanding the current condition and future potential, socially and economically, of culturally significant designs and products in relation to urban ecologies of creative practice.
Exploitation Route The findings and insights from the project formed the basis for a usable framework for understanding the current condition and future potential, socially and economically, of culturally significant designs and products in relation to urban ecologies of creative practice. In addition, it laid the groundwork for a new project that followed this one (Located Making AH/S00341X/1) with project partners at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and Ningxia University, funded under the AHRC Development Through the Creative Economy in China programme.

Students and practitioners will be able to use the findings and framework to better understand the role of design in exploring and valorizing intangible culture heritage. The Essence of Place and Values-based approaches developed in this project and used at the DRS Conference in Brighton (2016), Lancaster (2016, 2017), and Greece (2016, 2017, 2018) is an example of a framework for learning, which can be of benefit to tourism, small makers, retailers, support organizations, maker spaces and apps for creatives in the region, and apps for citizens and historians that contribute to understandings of place and local history.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Creative Economy

Education

Environment

Leisure Activities

including Sports

Recreation and Tourism

Government

Democracy and Justice

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

Retail
URL http://www.designecologies.org
 
Description The Design Ecologies approach, which includes 'essence of place' and 'values' components, which we have developed through our work enables research projects to engage with local citizens to learn about the local history of making, materials, patterns, designs and products. Engagement through face to face meetings, social media, the internet and presentations to local citizens, tourism personnel and policy makers contribute to a sense of local identity, community and community building. Similarly, exhibitions and presentation of our research (e.g. Design for Life, at Brantwood in Cumbria, 2016) reached thousands of people either via visits to the exhibition or via it dedicated website: http://www.designforlife.website/, and through radio interviews. Our work with Chinese colleagues is informing continuing research that is concerned with Applying Design for Sustainability in Small Maker Enterprises. This work was presented at the 15th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Canada, 17th January 2019. The findings from this project have been published as a Field Studies in the International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology (Springer), 2019, 3/10, 1-33, entitled: Design Ecologies: Sustaining Ethno-cultural Significance of Products through Urban Ecologies of Creative Practice. This research has informed the British Council funded 'Tai-Lu Weavers' project in Northern Thailand within their Crafting the Future programme undertaken by colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University. The project and the follow-on AHRC-Newton 'Located Making' project has resulted in close collaboration with the Crafts Council, the Heritage Crafts Association and a range of small makers enterprises. In addition, and together with results from ourlater Living Design and Located Making projects, the findings have contributed materially to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Crafts work in advancing the case for UK's ratification of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention. We shared our research, findings and their implications, including economic potential, through consultations with Patricia Lovett MBE (Secretariat, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Craft, Co-Director and Chief Judge, Stanford University Calligraphy Collection, Patron, Lettering Arts Trust Previous Chair, Heritage Crafts). The UK's ratification of the UNESCO ICH convention is now scheduled for Spring 2025, and our research helped materially to support this advancement. Furthermore, our research has considerable resonance with Welsh government policies for ensuring the well-being of future generations. We have met with and our research reports have been discussed and shared with Jane Davidson, author of #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country, Andrew Renton, Head of Design Collection, Museum Wales, St Fagans and Lynsey Jackson and Clare Sain-Ley-Berry from Sustain Wales. In all cases, a strong relationship became evident between the Values and Place-based evidence of heritage craft activities emerging from our research and the aspirations of the Welsh Agenda in facilitating high quality work within a diversified, geographically distributed economy that is consistent with sustainable principles.
First Year Of Impact 2015
Sector Creative Economy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Economic

Policy & public services
 
Description Consultation by Heritage Crafts Association on Ratification of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Treaty by UK Government
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Conservation of Climate Change Endangered Cultural Furniture Industry Heritage in Damietta, Egypt
Amount £188,721 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/V006479/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2020 
End 02/2022
 
Description Located Making: Unlocking the Potential of Cultural Heritage by Design
Amount £198,933 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/S00341X/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2018 
End 03/2022
 
Description SEE CHANGE: A Design Manifesto for Sustainability, Inclusivity and Resilience, a collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University (Not funded)
Amount £0 (GBP)
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description TRADECRAFT: Co-creating an Interactive Viability Roadmap for Small Maker Enterprises, a collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2022 
End 04/2023
 
Title Progressive Design Praxis by S. Walker (applied in Located Making) 
Description A way of making integrated, holistic values-based judgements within the design process. Described, with background theory, and published in Design Realities book by S. Walker (Routledge) 2019. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact integrated into the QBL as a way of practically assessing working practices and their improvement based on values-based evaluations. 
 
Title Research Tools: The Located Making Framework - Values, Place and Sustainability (outcomes of Located Making) 
Description Located Making focuses on purposeful goods whose design, production and use are strongly related to the heritage, culture or geography of place. The Located Making framework is designed for small maker enterprises, policymakers, heritage sector organizations and academics. The framework informs decision-making and will offer practical benefits to cultural- and heritage-based making practices. It has come about from the team understanding the motivations of craftspeople in the UK, China and elsewhere; exploring their skills, mapping their values and relating these to sustainability. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact A Located Making framework film was released in the UK in early 2022 and will be launched in China later in the year. A booklet detailing the framework and the other research undertaken for Located Making is due for release as the project draws to a close. 
URL http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk/update/located-making-film/
 
Title The Quadruple Bottom Line of Design for Sustainability by S. Walker (applied in Located Making) 
Description A way for determining the relationship of a small maker enterprise to sustainability - environmental, practical, social, personal, and what needs to be done to be economically viable. Made available and described in the Located Making Film and the Located Making Framework, which is being converted into an online resource in our new AHRC-funded TradeCraft Project. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The QBL is being used in design education in many design schools around the world e.g. at Kingston in London, METU in Turkey, and has been translated into Chinese and Persian. First described in 2014, but sequentially improved in terms of precision and visualization - new visualization were developed in Living Design and again in Located Making, there are also adapted to the Chinese context. 
 
Description Collaborative Partnerships: CRAFT PROJECT in Damietta - Salford, Lancaster and CEDARE (Cairo) 
Organisation University of Salford
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Participation, expertise and insights from skilled furniture makers in Damietta and the Damietta city major - total c 60 participants, 8 hours per person.
Collaborator Contribution Project was progressed as an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Hisham Elkadi, with input about product design for sustainability, and expertise in GIS and data collection from CEDARE (Cairo)
Impact (A project report will be published in due course)
Start Year 2020
 
Description CASCA/IUAES2017 Conference in Ottawa 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This panel will discuss the intangible cultural heritages and their relations with design ecologies and creative industry. We will discuss the intangible cultural heritages and their relations with design ecologies and creative industry, and consider intangible cultural heritage to be compatible with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development. This panel involves the scholars and practitioners from any culture to share their findings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.nomadit.co.uk/cascaiuaes2017/en/index
 
Description Conference Panel Coordination 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Panel Coordinator for 2 Panel Sessions and Paper Presenter at the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Science (IUAES) Inter-Congress - 2-7 May 2017, Ottawa, Canada. Note this was a joint initiative between the academic team in the UK (at Lancaster University and Manchester Metrolopolitan University) and our colleagues at the China Academy of Social Sciences. The Panel activities reaches a select audience of practitioners, academics and postgraduates. The papers centred around our knowledge exchange findings from our visits to China, and much discussion and various questions arose. This was wonderful opporunity, entirely enabled by the AHRC/Newton award to a) coordinate and set up a conference panel and run two conference sessions in collaboration with our colleagues from China b) attend and learn from a conference in Anthropological and Ethnological Science -- which normally we would not attend because this is not our discipline and c) present a design-based perspective (by UK team) along with an anthropological perspective (by China team) based essentially on the same experiences. These two perspectives enabled new realizations and insights, which formed the basis of considerable discussion.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Conference Paper 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Paper Presentation: Intangible cultural heritage, design ecologies and creative industry -- presented in my roles as Panel Coordinator at the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Science (IUAES) Inter-Congress - 2-7 May 2017, Ottawa, Canada. Paper presented in Sessions 2&3 02 May, 2017.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Creative Transition: Design for a Future Beyond Economic Growth, Design Commit 2024 - 1st International Conference on Design & Industry, Braga, Portugal, May 20th-22nd, 2024. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dissemination of research to key stakeholders.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Design Ecologies sustaining ethno-cultural significance of products through urban ecologies of creative practice 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Walker, S., Evans, M. & Mullagh, L. (2018) Design Ecologies sustaining ethno-cultural significance of products through urban ecologies of creative practice, China, Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 25th September 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Design Ecologies: sustaining ethno-cultural significance of products through urban ecologies of creative practice, China, Academy of Social Sciences - invited talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Walker, S., Evans, M. & Mullagh, L. (2018) Design Ecologies sustaining ethno-cultural significance of products through urban ecologies of creative practice, China, Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 25th September 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Design Realities: creativity as a tool for positive change (webinar from Professor Stuart Walker) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Design Realities: creativity as a tool for positive change, Webinar from Professor Stuart Walker: Educational Experience + Innovation + Social Purpose. This was a keynote talk to an international group of academics hosted by University of São Paulo, Brazil, 17 December 2020, ca. 50 attendees.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Design Roots: values, place and sustainability, keynote address by Prof. S. Walker at China Summit, Warwick China Development Society (WCDS), University of Warwick, 6 February 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A keynote speech from a series around Europe by Professor Stuart Walker, making links with other institutions/audiences and promoting the research of ImaginationLancaster in collaboration with others.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.warwicksu.com/societies-sports/societies/cpass/
 
Description Design Routes: culturally significant designs, products and practices 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Evans, M., Walker, S. (2018) Design Routes: culturally significant designs, products and practices, China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 26th September 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Design after a Pandemic, keynote address by Prof. S. Walker at Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 26 February 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A keynote speech from a series around Europe by Professor Stuart Walker, making links with other institutions/audiences and promoting the research of ImaginationLancaster in collaboration with others.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Design after a Pandemic, keynote address by Prof. S. Walker at Designmonat Graz festival, Austria, 10 May 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A keynote speech from a series around Europe by Professor Stuart Walker, making links with other institutions/audiences and promoting the research of ImaginationLancaster in collaboration with others.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4S0hEc4Fjg
 
Description Design after a Pandemic, keynote address by Prof. S. Walker at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 16 April 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A keynote speech from a series around Europe by Professor Stuart Walker, making links with other institutions/audiences and promoting the research of ImaginationLancaster in collaboration with others.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.metu.edu.tr/
 
Description Design and Spirituality 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Visiting Professor Talk: Walker, S. (2019) Design and Spirituality, Kingston University, London, 14th March 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Design for Life: Practice-based Design Research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Design for Life: Practice-based Design Research, Emily Carr University, Vancouver, BC, 21st January 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Design for Life: creating meaning in a distracted world 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Walker, S. (2018) Design for Life: creating meaning in a distracted world, Lancaster University College, Beijing Jiaotong University, Weihai, China, 2nd April, 2019.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Design in the Realm of Silence, keynote address by Prof. S Walker at the European Academy of Design Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact More keynotes to follow from Professor Walker at the Eindhoven Design Academy, The Netherlands, in March 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://eadresearch.org/conference-programme
 
Description Design, Sustainability and Spirituality 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Design, Sustainability and Spirituality, Master of Studies (MSt) in Sustainability Leadership, Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge, 4 September 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description EXHIBITION OPENING SPEECH - Canberra: Object Therapy Exhibition 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Keynote: Object Therapy Exhibition Opening Speech, Hotel-Hotel, Canberra, Australia, 14 Oct 2016

I was asked to deliver the opening speech to a large audience attending the opening of a new exhibition of design work that centred around ideas of design for sustainability, product repair and meaning.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/fixandmake/events/object-therapy/
 
Description Essence of Lancaster (A week intensive course at Lancaster University) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The research team (Lancaster University and Manchester Metropolitan University) led the LICA429 ImaginationLab module at Lancaster University (1-week intensive 'deep dive' studio course) with 31 postgrad students (MA Design Management and MSc International Innovation). Each class participant was asked to get to know the city of Lancaster and its environs, especially its creative heritage and current creative activities, using the Creative Ecologies diagnostic tool developed and provided by the research team. Based on the evaluations and conclusions emerging from the Creative Ecologies Mapping, and the Introduction to Design Strategies, each group was asked to consider which strategies are the most appropriate for Lancaster; refer also to the Revitalisation Strategies document provided. As a group, and based on their creative ecologies' evaluation of Lancaster, used this document to decide on which revitalisation strategies to use. As a result of this module the research team was able to see the opportunity to improve the Creative Ecologies diagnostic tool to better serve in a workshop format with a group of participants elsewhere in the future.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Essence of Place - Revitalisation Strategies presented by Walker 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact A talk given about research from Design Ecologies and Living Design that relates to revitalisation of traditional craft products.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Essence of Place, A Syros Workshop. Lecture delivered by Walker - University of the Aegean, Greece 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact A lecture given to students as part of the week long Essence of Place workshop - including Living Design, Design Ecologies and Design Routes projects
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Invited Talk - Loughborough University: Imagination's Promise 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Imagination's Promise: practice-based design research, Waste-D Research Forum, School of the Arts, English and Drama, Loughborough University, UK, 26 February 2016.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Invited Talk: Evans, M. Design Roots: Ecologies of Creative Practice. AHRC Global Activities, January 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Evans, M. (2020) Design Roots: Ecologies of Creative Practice. 'AHRC Global Activities' visit by Gary Grubb (AHRC), Manchester Metropolitan University, 10 January 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description KEYNOTE - 31st World Cultural Council Award Ceremony & Aalto University Academic Summit, Finland: Creativity 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote: Creativity - the imperative of solitude, 31st World Cultural Council Award Ceremony & Aalto University Academic Summit, November 18, 2014, Helsinki, Finland. An international audience of scientists, medical researchers, business people and academics, ca. 100 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://wcc.aalto.fi/en/
 
Description KEYNOTE - 3rd International EurOMA Sustainable Operations & Supply Chains Forum 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Keynote Address outside the design field - to practitioners in Management related are:
Design for Life - creating meaning in a distracted world, The Local Versus Global Sustainability Debate, 3rd International EurOMA Sustainable Operations and Supply Chains Forum, Lancaster University Management School, 11 - 12 April 2016, Lancaster, UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/euromaforum/
 
Description KEYNOTE - Anadolu University, Turkey: Practice-based Design Research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Practice-based Design Research for Sustainability, Faculty of Design, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, 21 April 2016. An audience of ca. 100 academics and students.

Although many were already familiar with my work, this was the first time students and staff at Anadolou University were able to hear me talk about my work and answer questions. I received many questions and discussion point from staff and students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.anadolu.edu.tr/en/academics/faculties/192/faculty-of-fine-arts/general-info
 
Description KEYNOTE - Australia National University: Design for Life 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Design for Life: creating meaning in a distracted world, Australia National University, Australia, 12 Oct 2016.

This talk generated much discussion amoung faculty and students and I was informed that it was the best talk they had received at their Design Forum talks series.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://soa.anu.edu.au/design
 
Description KEYNOTE - Brantwood House, UK: Beyond the Superficial 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Keynote: Beyond the Superficial: Ruskin, Sustainability and Contemporary Design, Design for Life Exhibition Public Forum, Brantwood Museum: The Home of John Ruskin, Coniston, Cumbria, UK, 14 May 2016. An audience of ca. 40 members of the general public, academics and students.

This talk was one of the engagement events that accompanied the DESIGN FOR LIFE exhibition at Brantwood.
At this event, food was served that had been designed by children at the local school after visiting and based on what they had seen at the DESIGN FOR LIFE Exhibition. The food was prepared by the Brantwood Chef.
The talk generated much discussion and a lively debate.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.designforlife.website/
 
Description KEYNOTE - Iowa State University: Progressive Design Praxis 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The College of Design at Iowa State University invited me to their campus to deliver a keynote address to staff and students, run a workshop and provide input and advice about developing their postgraduate design for sustainability education.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description KEYNOTE - MAKLab, Glasgow: Design Shift 2.0 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote: Design Shift 2.0, MAKLab, Glasgow, 6pm August 28, 2015. An invited address to designers, entrepreneurs, academics and students, ca. 50 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/event/17483/
 
Description KEYNOTE - Middle East Technical University, Ankara: Imagination's Promise 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Imagination's Promise: practice-based design research, Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 24 March 2015. An audience of academics and students, ca. 150 people from METU and Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015
 
Description KEYNOTE - RMIT, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Design for Sustainability 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Design for Sustainability, RMIT, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 26 May 2015. An audience of academics and students, ca. 60 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description KEYNOTE - Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan: Design for Sustainability 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Design for Sustainability, Technical University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan 26 Oct 2016

This talk to staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students introduced my research to a new audience. Approximately 80 attendees. The talk generated many questions from the audience and a lively discussion about how my approach - which prioritizes human values - offers an original insight into the nature of design for sustainability.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.geidai.ac.jp/english/
 
Description KEYNOTE - University of New South Wales: Designing Sustainability 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Designing Sustainability, University of New South Wales, Australia, 5 Oct 2016

This talk was to academic staff at the university. It introduced them for the first time to the relationship between propositional design practice and theory development related to sustainability, values the the Quadruple Bottom Line of Design for Sustainability.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.artdesign.unsw.edu.au/future-students/undergraduate-degrees/design
 
Description KEYNOTE - University of South Australia, Adelaide, Unmaking Waste Conference Keynote 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote: Design Shift: the narrow path to holistic design, Unmaking Waste Conference, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, May 21-23, 2015. An audience of designers, academics and students, ca. 150 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://unmakingwaste2015.org/stuart-walker-umw2015-keynote-speaker/
 
Description KEYNOTE - University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: : Design Shift 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Design Shift: the narrow path to holistic design, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 29 May 2015. An audience of academics and students, ca. 100 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description KEYNOTE - Wollongong Uni., Australia: Design Practice for Sustainability 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote Talk: Design Practice for Sustainability, University of Wollongong, Australia, 6 Sept. 2016

This talk introduced new ideas about design and sustainability to audience members and a large number of questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://lha.uow.edu.au/taem/index.html
 
Description KEYNOTE - Wollongong University, NSW, Australia: Practice-based Design for Sustainability 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Practice-based Design for Sustainability, Wollongong University, NSW, Australia, 11-15 May 2015. An audience of academics and students, ca. 50 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015,2016
 
Description KEYNOTE: 4th World Conference on Design and Arts, Russia - Radical Change for Sustainable Futures 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Keynote: Radical Change for Sustainable Futures: a practice-based design research approach, 4th World Conference on Design and Arts, The St. Petersburg Christian University, St. Petersburg, Russia, 26-28 June, 2015. An international audience of academics, >100 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://www.worldeducationcenter.eu/new/index.php/DAE/WCDA2015
 
Description KEYNOTE: Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne: Words and Object 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Keynote: Words and Objects: A perspective on the Future Role of Museums, Designing Futures Debates, Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 3 November 2015.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008,2015
 
Description Keynote address by Prof. Stuart Walker: Museo Egizio, Turin, November 28th, 2023 - an invited talk to and international forum of Egyptologists and Archaeologists 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dissemination of research to practitioners involved in an overlapping discipline, prompting discussion and forging relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: S. Walker (2023) Creative Shift: from novelty to authenticity, The Royal College of Art, London, March 7th-8th 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Addressing students and practitioners at a prestigious institution; disseminating research and prompting discussion.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: S. Walker (2023) Design Roots and Sustainable Futures, Innovation through Global Collaboration, online - Manchester School of Art and 5 Universities in India, February 2nd 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Disseminating research, prompting discussion and forging new relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: S. Walker (2023) Design for Greed: the trappings of success and/or the future of the planet, Sustainable Innovation Conference 2023 (online), 24th International Conference: Accelerating Sustainability in the Creative Economy and Creative Industries, University of the Creative Arts, London, March 20th 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Disseminating research to key stakeholders and interested parties; prompting engagement and forging new relationship. More here: https://www.uca.ac.uk/events/research/sustainable-innovation-2023/
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Creative Shift, PiNA - Association for Culture and Education, Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 10th, 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Addressing a large audience comprising city representatives, businesses, academics, and others; sharing research with a wider, international audience and building academic and non-academic relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Design for Resilience, IM/MATERIALITIES Conference: Museums between Real and Digital, Nov 28th to Dec 1st 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dissemination of research to an international audience in an overlapping discipline, prompting discussion and forging relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Design for Resilience, Systemic Design Conference, MIT, Cambridge, MA, Friday, Oct. 13th, 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dissemination of research to stakeholders and engaging with a wider audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Is Design Lost? European League of Institutes of the Arts, Manchester Metropolitan University, October 19th, 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A presentation designed to prompt debate and interaction succeeded in helping develop relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Is this the Way the World Ends? European League of Institutes of the Arts, Manchester Metropolitan University, October 19th, 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Delivering a presentation designed to prompt debate, interaction and cooperation to follow.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2023) Making the Future We Leave Behind, Morningside Academy of Design, MIT, October 2nd, 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Disseminating research and engaging with students and practitioners.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2024) Creative Transition: Design for a Future Beyond Economic Growth, Design Commit 2024 - 1st International Conference on Design & Industry, Braga, Portugal, May 20th - 22nd, 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presenting alongside long-term collaborator Prof. Martin Evans in order to share latest research and questions raised by it; aim is to prompt discussion, interaction and forge new relationships.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2024) Design for Resilience, Kingston University, London, January 29th, 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact An in-person presentation at a prestigious institution followed by valuable discussions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2024) Design for Resilience, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, Malaysia, March 21st, 2024, (online) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This online keynote will reach a valued international audience and prompt follow-up interactions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Keynote address: Walker, S. (2024) Making the Future We Leave Behind, The Royal College of Art, London, March 13th, 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact An in-person address at a prestigious institution to be followed by audience/peer discussion.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Living Design - Driving Innovation in Local Maker Enterprises, Kyung Hee University, South Korea, October 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact 80 undergraduate and postgraduate students attended a public lecture exploring how design can drive innovation in local maker enterprises. Students were particularly interested in how a research approach was revealing new insights in maker enterprises in the UK and how this may be translated into a Korean context and in doing so, drive the sustainment of traditional making practices.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Living Design project presentation - delivered by Walker - at The Atlantic Wonder summer school, University of Madeira, Funchal 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Talk given at summer school about Living Design research project and Design Ecologies
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Living Design symposium, Lancaster University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact A symposium to disseminate key results of the Living Design Project and introduce the Located Making Framework, Living Design Symposium, Lancaster University on 14 November 2019 attended by c. 80 people from business, third sector and academia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Living Design symposium, Lancaster University - a symposium to disseminate key results of the Living Design Project and introduce the Located Making Framework 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Living Design - a symposium to disseminate key results of the Living Design Project and introduce the Located Making Framework, Living Design Symposium, Lancaster University, 14 November, 2019, attended by ca.80 people from business, third sector and academia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Living Design, Ethnic Development Forum, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Keynote Address: Walker, S. (2019) Living Design, Ethnic Development Forum, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences, Beijing, 26th March 2019.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Living Design: Sustainability of Small Maker Enterprises, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, 27 November 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Research seminar presentation exploring the role of design in sustainability in maker enterprises.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Living Design: sustaining small enterprises by design 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Mullagh, L., Walker, S., Evans, M. (2019) Living Design: sustaining small enterprises by design, Lancaster University College, Beijing Jiaotong University, Weihai, China, 2nd April, 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Living Design: sustaining small maker enterprises by design 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Walker, S., Evans, M. & Mullagh, L. (2018) Living Design: sustaining small maker enterprises by design, China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 26th September 2018
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Living Design: sustaining small maker enterprises by design, China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing: invited talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Talk: Walker, S., Evans, M. & Mullagh, L. (2018) Living Design: sustaining small maker enterprises by design, China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 26th September 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Located Making 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Symposium, Ningxia University China Meeting at M-Hotel, Zhengzou, 23rd September 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Located Making Film from Walker, S., Evans, M., Zhang, W. (2022) Located Making: A Framework for Supporting Heritage Making Practices in China (in English and Chinese) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A summary of major research findings, The Located Making film shows the development of a practical framework for unlocking the potential of cultural heritage by design. It is based on our AHRC-supported research in the UK, China and the US. It is available on Vimeo (see link below) and YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bylp0jyu5z4&t=3s
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://vimeo.com/670767102
 
Description Located Making: unlocking the potential of cultural heritage by design, invited talk for: Heritage For Global Challenges 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Walker, S., Evans, M., Mullagh, L. (2020) Located Making: unlocking the potential of cultural heritage by design, invited talk for: Heritage For Global Challenges, A Praxis /AHRC/GCRF, organized by University of Leads, West Bek'aa, Lebanon, 24-26 February 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Prof. S Walker on Design and Spirituality, New Books Network podcast, USA, Interviewed by Bryan Toepfer, 30 June 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Professor Stuart Walker was interviewed by Bryan Toepfer about his book Design and Spirituality on the New Books Network in the USA. Interview date 30 June 2021. The book encompasses previous/ongoing work under Located Making and Living Design and the interview gave it a wider reach.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Wu7ZvPr3CHhVIA1oHrPNW?si=t5DdQLuSQUSlhTfUDgm6Rg
 
Description Prof. S. Walker - Expert Interview on Sustainable Futures, FutureTense, Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 6 August 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Prof. Stuart Walker gave an interview on Sustainable Futures on FutureTense, Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), broadcast on 6 August, allowing him engagement with a wide, international audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/
 
Description Public Lecture - Design Routes: Revitalisation Through Design 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Over 80 people attend this professoriate public lecture titled "Design Routes:
Revitalisation Through Design" in the Manchester School of Art ASK: Art Seeks Knowledge lecture series at Manchester Metropolitan University on 18 May 2016. Audience engagement was significant and a number of the audience members requested additional information regarding the project. In addition, academics from other institutions attended which has led to emergent research collaborations. A key factor in the success of the events was the use of examples from fieldwork conducted in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA as this effectively illustrated the theoretical aspects of the research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/events/2016/ask-martyn-evans/
 
Description Spirituality and Design - creating a meaningful material culture through progressive design praxis, Spirituality in Society and the Professions - International Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Spirituality and Design - creating a meaningful material culture through progressive design praxis, Spirituality in Society and the Professions - International Conference, 16-18 May 2019, Waterford Institute of Technology, (WIT), Waterford, Ireland, 16th May 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Talk given at Essence of Place workshop, University of the Aegean - Design for Life delivered by Walker 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact A lecture relating to practice based research carried out by Professor Walker that includes examples from Living Design and Design Ecologies projects
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description The Journey from Design Routes to Located Making 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 'The Journey from Design Routes to Located Making' was hosted by Helsinki University by the Department of Teacher Education. The presentation provided an overview of key research activities related to a series of linked projects that explore the revitalisation of traditional crafts and their relationship to place. A key aspect of the presentation and linked discussion considered the link between craft practitioner motivations and their values. The audience was particularly interested in how the research has been instrumentalised in a future viability tool and linked 'roundels'. These provide the ability to profile craft practitioners through impactful visualisations that support comparisons between different contexts and motivations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description The Third Exit (a keynote talk from Professor Stuart Walker to postgraduates at Kingston University) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The Third Exit, Keynote talk from Professor Stuart Walker to Masters students, Kingston University, London, 27 February 2020, ca. 40 attendees.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description The Third Exit (a webinar from Professor Stuart Walker hosted by ArchiNet, Riyadh) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The Third Exit, Webinar from Professor Stuart Walker: Keynote talk to an international group of practitioners and academics hosted by ArchiNet, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 3 September 2020, ca. 40 attendees.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description The Third Exit (a webinar from Professor Stuart Walker hosted by Bilgi University) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The Third Exit, Webinar from Professor Stuart Walker: Keynote talk to a national group of academics hosted by Bilgi University, Istanbul, Turkey; 10 December 2020, ca. 40 attendees.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description The Third Exit, keynote address by Prof. S. Walker at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 21 June 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A keynote speech from a series around Europe by Professor Stuart Walker, making links with other institutions/audiences and promoting the research of ImaginationLancaster in collaboration with others.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.metu.edu.tr/
 
Description Walker, S. (2015) Essence of Place: MA Masters Class, Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Turkey) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Essence of Place: MA Masters Class, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey - an Erasmus Funded Visit, March, 2015. Introduced prelilminary ideas about understanding the creative activities related to a particular location, which subsequently informed the development of of CREATIVE ECOLOGIES diagnostic research tools.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Walker, S. , Collett, A. and Jung, J. (2016) Ecologies of Practice Symposium, University of Wollongong (Australia) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Walker, S. , Collett, A. and Jung, J. (2016) Ecologies of Practice Symposium, University of Wollongong, Australia, 21 Oct 2016 - with academic and non-academic speakers and workshop using our unique diagnostic creative ecologies research to assess the design needs of the Illawara to enhance the creative industries.

This workshop introduced to a new audience - and informed participants - our newly developed CREATIVE ECOLOGIES diagnostic research tools. It enabled us to test these tools in a particular location with a highly active and well-informed audience. The benefit we found was that by engaging in the process, the participants revealed to themselves (for the first time) the richness and variety of creative activities that were occurring in their locale.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://designroutes.org/
 
Description Walker, S. keynote address on Design Criticism, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 4th March 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Walker, S. (2022) Design Criticism, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 4th March
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Walker, S. participation at Design, Technology and Finance Workshop, Sustainable Leadership MA Programme, Cambridge University, Friday 10 September 2021 
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 Walker, S. (2021) Design, Technology and Finance Workshop, Sustainable Leadership MA Programme, Cambridge University, Friday 10 September.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Walker, S. participation at Fairphone Workshop, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 26 February 2021 
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 Walker, S. (2021) Fairphone Workshop, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 26 February.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Walker, S. participation at Sustainability Workshop, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 4 March 2022 
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 Walker, S. (2022) Sustainability Workshop, Department of Design, Kingston University, London, 4 March.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Walker, S., Evans, M, and Jung, J. (2016) Design Ecologies Workshop, Design Research Society Conference 2016 (Brighton) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Walker, S., Evans, M, and Jung, J. (2016) Design Ecologies Workshop, Design Research Society Conference 2016, Faculty of Design, University of Brighton, 27 June 2016.

This workshop introduced to a new audience - and informed participants - our newly developed CREATIVE ECOLOGIES diagnostic research tools. It enabled us to test and develop these tools further.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/research/design-art-history/events2/drs2016
 
Description Week long Essence of Place Workshop, University of the Aegean, Greece delivered by Walker and Mullagh 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Carried out by Louise Mullagh and Professor Stuart Walker (project PI). 20+ students attended the week long workshop that involved visiting local businesses on the island of Syros to develop new designs for place-based products. The students gained increased understanding of and appreciation for their locality and understanding of the ecosystem of small businesses and what makes their products unique.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description What if ? workshop at Eindhoven Design Academy, The Netherlands, 21-22 March 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Workshop entitled What if ? At Eindhoven Design Academy, The Netherlands, 21-22 March 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Workshop on the Project to Preserve the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Furniture Industry in Damietta, Egypt, Furniture Technology Center, Damietta, October 24, 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Workshop on the Project to Preserve the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Furniture Industry in Damietta, Egypt, Furniture Technology Center, Damietta, October 24, 2021 in collaboration with Center For Environment & Development For The Arab Region & Europe (CEDARE), Cairo and Furniture Craft Enterprises in Damietta (Nile Delta) ca. 60 people in attendance. Co- Investigator, CRAFT: Conservation of Climate Change Endangered Cultural Furniture Industry Heritage in Damietta, Egypt, a collaboration with University of Salford and CEDARE, Cairo.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021