Community-Appropriated Research Model (CARM): from Connectivity to Impact through Making and Media

This project is to identify a viable community-led research process for building and sharing knowledge about capacity building and cohesion as service provision devolves to community level. It draws on the practical experience of two action research Connected Community projects and the methodological discussions of a third. It uses creative practice to inspire, organize and share community-generated research as radio/podcasts. The academic team will monitor three diverse regional groups devising this content and test the effectiveness of knowledge exchange over a wider geographic and social spread. Each case study area will choose and research a topic and make a radio pod/broadcast to share.

Of the many AHRC Connected Community projects funded this year, two stand out for their radical methodology, successfully bringing together community groups to conduct research and learn from each other. The project proposed here combines these exemplars, Participants Utd and Stimulating Participation in the Informal Creative Economy (SPICE), with a research network into craft practices, Connecting Craft and Communities (CCC) where the focus was on novel forms of expression through making, to extract the DNA of the processes that culminated in community researching and sharing (Light et al 2011). The CARM project focuses on the methods and methodology that exemplified these three Connected Community research activities to demonstrate how they support communities in creating identity and cohesion. It builds on insights into how using action methods, community media and creative production techniques, such as recording drama and narrative for reflection and sharing, could enable community groups to collect and share know-how and to communicate what makes them special. In constructing a model of 'community-appropriated research', CARM will provide a reproducible means for groups to share their perspectives and identify cohesive and identity-making practices, be that virtuous behaviour cycles, social entrepreneurship, significant events or engagement in local activities, considering issues such as the nature of rigour in analysing and reporting on experiential learning and how to engage diverse communities. In this way, CARM will offer a development of theories of community engagement while equipping communities as both research producers and research users to spread best practice and build capacity in a period of transition from centrally provided to locally provided services. It will also produce an archive of community podcasts for use on community radio and other forms of community, inter-community and inter-generational activity.

Light, A, Wakeford, T, Egglestone, P and Rogers, J (2011) Research on an Equal Footing? A UK Collaborative Inquiry into Community and Academic Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge Technology Conference 2011, Nov 2011.

The interdisciplinary nature of the research means that the impact will be broad ranging. This research has the potential to contribute to the nation's health, wealth and culture by:
* Increasing the effectiveness of public policy through community appropriated research methods
* Enhancing quality of life, health and creative output for the individuals involved, and beyond to other communities that use the media produced as a catalyst for their own projects
* Developing peer support networks of active communities around the UK that can share learning and collaborate
* Improving the richness and diversity of the nation's cultural resources through the production of engaging community radio performances.

The key to the impact of this research lies in the development of research techniques for research by (rather than on) communities. Immediately this generates impact within the community organizations directly involved in the project - developing their creative and reflective skills and their knowledge, while fostering community resilience. With broader application of the process, this effect can be multiplied countrywide and benefit from the effects of critical mass.

The Department for Communities and Local Government says it is 'working to help citizens and communities take action to solve their own problems' (www.communities.gov.uk/communities/). The CARM project acknowledges this agenda and provides a grassroots model tested in three communities across the UK to inform how knowledge can be shared in this new context and as service provision is devolved. We will target policy makers, local authorities and third sector/community leaders through our dissemination process, presenting at third sector policy events in late 2012.

An integral part of the project design is that communities share their learning on public platforms to facilitate cross-fertilisation of ideas and develop a network of peer support between communities around the UK (and potentially overseas). The outcomes of this project will include community media artefacts with the express purpose of communicating learning to other community organisations via internet/community radio. In addition to the content shared, this will demonstrate how other groups can use making and media as a means to understand and work towards meeting their own needs and interests and offer a platform for their. work in this area. Thus, the methodology produced will generate community cohesion and capacity building where it is implemented, acting as a catalyst for economic, social and cultural regeneration.

For those working in creative practice (from individual artists to community arts charities, through to The Arts Council and other strategic organisations) it will evidence the impact of the use of creative practice as a transformative tool for communities.

For policy makers, at local and national level, it will provide a model for community based participatory research that can be used to examine agendas such as the Big Society.

The project will provide a model for community radio stations and other community media to develop community reportage as a transformative tool for development. The potential of community media is underutilised as a means to share productive discussion and learning, and is primarily used for entertainment. The public nature of community radio, and the existing listener base means that the media produced within these projects will be available to a wider public audience and will help to build knowledgeable, skilled, agentic, resilient communities.

Workers on the project will include academic researchers, project partners, freelance facilitators and artists, and community volunteers all of whom will gain in skills and experience. The RA, in particular, while already very knowledgeable in community practices will gain in experience of methodological analysis and the research tools needed to enable her to take the next career step.