Walking interconnections: Performing conversations of sustainability
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Sch for Policy Studies
Abstract
Disabled people's voices have been largely absent from the sustainability debate, and from groupings of environmental activists, due at least partly to a lack of inclusion and diversity within the environmental movement. These two communities, with their own distinct cultures exist largely in parallel to each other. At the same time, agencies responsible for emergency and environmental planning have tended to view Disabled people as only a vulnerable group, rather than a group with knowledge skills and awareness to contribute to planning. However Disabled people may have lived experiences which bestow expertise which would significantly contribute to discussions about and planning for environmental risk and for a more socially sustainable society.
Recent research (Abbot and Porter, 2012) has led us to propose that there may be a 'wisdom' (Leipoldt, 2006) drawn from lived experience, which Disabled people can contribute to the sustainability debate. Leipoldt identifies the wisdom he believes can be drawn from the disability experience, which can be summarised as: making real choices, moving beyond the rhetoric of rights to value individual choice; acknowledging limits, knowing what to accept and what is open to change; skilfully 'riding the wave', rather than seeking to control it; bearing up through committed relationships, with oneself, others and the environment; and, creativity in living, and personal transformation.
The 'Walking Interconnections: Performing conversations of sustainability' research project explores this 'wisdom' and its potential contribution to learning for a sustainable society, by developing dialogues between Disabled people and sustainability practitioners. It uses walking, story telling and arts based methods to develop dialogues between these two traditionally separated communities. Through these dialogues it seeks to understand more about different forms of resilience, and to question the valuing of self reliance over positive interdependencies, in support of the transition to a sustainable society.
The study takes a participatory action research (PAR) approach. It explores the place of mobile and arts based methods to surface embodied practices by testing an approach, using a mix of methods including arts-based and performative methods, which will enable participants to tap into and describe their expertise, and so builds a sense of agency and supports dialogue between the Disabled people and sustainability practitioners involved as co-researchers in the project.
Methodologically the research is innovative in that it is expanding the discourses/theories of walking practices by finding out how Disabled people experience walking, examining the practices of mobility and using walking, arts based methods and narrative approaches to reveal and understand the everyday lived experiences of Disabled people. While it is well established that the body (and autobiography) of the walker makes a difference to the experience of walking, critiques of walking continue to make presumptions about both the walker and the walking practices. Not least, they presume that all walkers are able bodied and walking is a bipedal and visually oriented practice. Collaborating with Disabled people and environmentalists and sustainability practitioners, our project seeks to expand the frame of walking reference, and our knowledge of walking (Keating and Porter, 2012).
We argue that it is a waste of resources to marginalise the knowledge contribution that comes from the margins of lived experience of disability, which can offer a whole new way to view our relationship with each other, the environment and the move to sustainability.
The Walking Interconnections: Performing conversations of sustainability research project will include planning agencies as partners, alongside Disabled people and environmentalists and sustainability practitioners.
Recent research (Abbot and Porter, 2012) has led us to propose that there may be a 'wisdom' (Leipoldt, 2006) drawn from lived experience, which Disabled people can contribute to the sustainability debate. Leipoldt identifies the wisdom he believes can be drawn from the disability experience, which can be summarised as: making real choices, moving beyond the rhetoric of rights to value individual choice; acknowledging limits, knowing what to accept and what is open to change; skilfully 'riding the wave', rather than seeking to control it; bearing up through committed relationships, with oneself, others and the environment; and, creativity in living, and personal transformation.
The 'Walking Interconnections: Performing conversations of sustainability' research project explores this 'wisdom' and its potential contribution to learning for a sustainable society, by developing dialogues between Disabled people and sustainability practitioners. It uses walking, story telling and arts based methods to develop dialogues between these two traditionally separated communities. Through these dialogues it seeks to understand more about different forms of resilience, and to question the valuing of self reliance over positive interdependencies, in support of the transition to a sustainable society.
The study takes a participatory action research (PAR) approach. It explores the place of mobile and arts based methods to surface embodied practices by testing an approach, using a mix of methods including arts-based and performative methods, which will enable participants to tap into and describe their expertise, and so builds a sense of agency and supports dialogue between the Disabled people and sustainability practitioners involved as co-researchers in the project.
Methodologically the research is innovative in that it is expanding the discourses/theories of walking practices by finding out how Disabled people experience walking, examining the practices of mobility and using walking, arts based methods and narrative approaches to reveal and understand the everyday lived experiences of Disabled people. While it is well established that the body (and autobiography) of the walker makes a difference to the experience of walking, critiques of walking continue to make presumptions about both the walker and the walking practices. Not least, they presume that all walkers are able bodied and walking is a bipedal and visually oriented practice. Collaborating with Disabled people and environmentalists and sustainability practitioners, our project seeks to expand the frame of walking reference, and our knowledge of walking (Keating and Porter, 2012).
We argue that it is a waste of resources to marginalise the knowledge contribution that comes from the margins of lived experience of disability, which can offer a whole new way to view our relationship with each other, the environment and the move to sustainability.
The Walking Interconnections: Performing conversations of sustainability research project will include planning agencies as partners, alongside Disabled people and environmentalists and sustainability practitioners.
Planned Impact
Opportunities for Disability and Environmental activists & organisations to develop dialogue and ongoing relationships based on greater understanding of each others contribution of knowledge for a more sustainable society.
Disabled people gain respect for the value of their lived experience and its transferability
Environmentalists/sustainability practitioners recognise value of knowledge gained through lived experience/embodied practices (Disabled people's and their own)
More Disabled people become involved in Environmental organisations
Environmental organisations consider access issues (formats and venues) when recruiting, meeting and planning projects
Disability organisations enabled to make decisions that are more environmentally conscious and informed
Environmental and Disability organisations work together on shared issues and campaigns e.g. accessible public transport.
Increased awareness of issues and skills for transition to a sustainable society for all participants (professional and community) and members of participating organisations and communities, developed by sharing 'wisdom'
Contribution to thinking about what makes a sustainable society
Increased resilience through increased understanding of practices of sustainability
Better narratives of 'living well with loss', to help all to adjust to loss of an 'ideal' future, and to contemplate changes necessary for a sustainable future - making changes for sustainability will feel less frightening, and austerity focused
Decreased tendency to look for a 'technical fix', more sense that there needs to be a change in people's attitudes to our relationship to the planet and each other.
Disabled people and other co-researchers become more confident about their own knowledge gained through lived experience, they experience an increased sense of agency as a result of being supported and facilitated to identify and articulate their knowledge.
Increased self respect and sense of agency
Increased contribution to sustainability debates in their own lives, organisations and through involvement with environmental debates.
Partnerships and collaborations are developed through co-working on the project e.g. between community & academia; Disabled activists & environmentalists; community organisations & planning agencies.
More projects can be developed between project participant organisations e.g. joint energy campaigns
More involvement of participating individuals in each others projects e.g Disabled people join allotment societies and plant swops
Increase in involvement of participating academic researchers in community organisations and projects
Increase in skills and opportunities for involvement of community organisations and projects in lobbying and influencing agencies.
Potentially the whole community benefits from better informed policy and planning - particularly environmental and emergency planning - through access to Disabled people's inputs.
Increase in involvement of community organisations and projects (environmental and Disability) in agency consultations and service development
Disabled people viewed as a resource, rather than only as vulnerable group, by agency staff
Benefit for the whole community as planning is more inclusive, e.g. emergency evacuation information is not based on ableist assumptions of ablebodiedness.
The Disabled community becomes visible in City Council archives and planning resources through input into Know Your Place and other opportunities that may be identified through the project.
Planning is informed by Disabled people's input and consequently access issues are addressed better
Increased visibility of Disabled people as community members - builds on legacy of 2012 Paralympics
Fewer assumptions made about Disabled people, non disabled people are more well informed, reduction in disability hate-crime and its tolerance.
Disabled people gain respect for the value of their lived experience and its transferability
Environmentalists/sustainability practitioners recognise value of knowledge gained through lived experience/embodied practices (Disabled people's and their own)
More Disabled people become involved in Environmental organisations
Environmental organisations consider access issues (formats and venues) when recruiting, meeting and planning projects
Disability organisations enabled to make decisions that are more environmentally conscious and informed
Environmental and Disability organisations work together on shared issues and campaigns e.g. accessible public transport.
Increased awareness of issues and skills for transition to a sustainable society for all participants (professional and community) and members of participating organisations and communities, developed by sharing 'wisdom'
Contribution to thinking about what makes a sustainable society
Increased resilience through increased understanding of practices of sustainability
Better narratives of 'living well with loss', to help all to adjust to loss of an 'ideal' future, and to contemplate changes necessary for a sustainable future - making changes for sustainability will feel less frightening, and austerity focused
Decreased tendency to look for a 'technical fix', more sense that there needs to be a change in people's attitudes to our relationship to the planet and each other.
Disabled people and other co-researchers become more confident about their own knowledge gained through lived experience, they experience an increased sense of agency as a result of being supported and facilitated to identify and articulate their knowledge.
Increased self respect and sense of agency
Increased contribution to sustainability debates in their own lives, organisations and through involvement with environmental debates.
Partnerships and collaborations are developed through co-working on the project e.g. between community & academia; Disabled activists & environmentalists; community organisations & planning agencies.
More projects can be developed between project participant organisations e.g. joint energy campaigns
More involvement of participating individuals in each others projects e.g Disabled people join allotment societies and plant swops
Increase in involvement of participating academic researchers in community organisations and projects
Increase in skills and opportunities for involvement of community organisations and projects in lobbying and influencing agencies.
Potentially the whole community benefits from better informed policy and planning - particularly environmental and emergency planning - through access to Disabled people's inputs.
Increase in involvement of community organisations and projects (environmental and Disability) in agency consultations and service development
Disabled people viewed as a resource, rather than only as vulnerable group, by agency staff
Benefit for the whole community as planning is more inclusive, e.g. emergency evacuation information is not based on ableist assumptions of ablebodiedness.
The Disabled community becomes visible in City Council archives and planning resources through input into Know Your Place and other opportunities that may be identified through the project.
Planning is informed by Disabled people's input and consequently access issues are addressed better
Increased visibility of Disabled people as community members - builds on legacy of 2012 Paralympics
Fewer assumptions made about Disabled people, non disabled people are more well informed, reduction in disability hate-crime and its tolerance.
Publications
Porter S
Walking Interconnections
Heddon D
Walking in someone else's shoes
Porter S
Walking Interconnections
Porter S M
(2014)
Walking Interconnections
| Title | 'Going for a Walk' |
| Description | 'Going for a Walk is an audio play created by the process of transcription theatre, from the audio recordings of research participants while walking together. The material was selected and edited into the audio play by Dee Heddon (Co Investigator), and professionally recorded by participants and actors. The play is available to download from the project website, http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/ , and is designed to be listened to while taking a walk. The effect is that the listener gets to walk in the shoes of the research participants, experiencing their environment differently. This raises consciousness of different types of embodiment and the moment to moment skills practiced by disabled walkers, and the interdependence of walking participants in the research. The play can be used with a walking group, or by individuals. It has been complimented on three occasions by developing an illustrated map of a specific area (Cardiff Bay, Bristol Docks), which narrates a walk taken by disabled and non disabled walkers, illustrated with quotes and photographs. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The effect is that the listener gets to walk in the shoes of the research participants, experiencing their environment differently. This raises consciousness of different types of embodiment and the moment to moment skills practiced by disabled walkers, and the interdependence of walking participants in the research. Listeners have reported a shift in awareness, 'seeing a familiar place through new eyes', "I'm taking away how important and valuable it is to listen and understand the different ways people experience a journey. It was so effectively shared and presented, it has made me realise the opportunity and potential to share my experiences in a more theatrical way. Bringing alive other people's experiences can help us understand how different they all are. Thank you". Those influenced include: Neighbourhood Partnerships in Bristol, Bristol Green Capital, Resilient City Bristol, Walking for Health. The audio play has been used at the Connected Communities Showcase, Cardiff; Bristol GlassHouse debate; LUDUS festival; Thinking Futures Festival; Bristol Walking Festival; Walking in the City symposium; and at the Where to and Emotional Geographies conferences 2015. A link was put on on the Design Bristol website. |
| URL | http://www.walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/ |
| Description | Key Findings What were the most significant achievements from the award? The Walking Interconnections project harnessed arts-based and narrative inquiry methods to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and insights into different experiences in and of the world. These dialogues have allowed us to understand more about different forms of resilience in support of the transition to a sustainable society, including: • The relationship between resilience and risk taking, deviation, problem solving, persistence and creativity; • The absence of the disabled body within spaces typically coded as 'environmental' - e.g. heritage sites and 'natural' landscapes'; • The recognition that the dominant discourse of 'independence', particularly as this is attached to the field of disability policy and practices, belies the reality and necessity of interdependence - interdependence offering alternative and useful conceptions of 'sustainable living' (with the attendant practices of trust, negotiation, reciprocity, mutuality, and co-operation); • That 'ability' is a dynamic definition for all human subjects (for example, some people feel more energetic in the morning, more vulnerable in the cold, etc.); • That the uplift in cycling initiatives has ironically impacted negatively on disabled people's experiences of supposedly shared walking/cycling routes. Having disseminated these insights at an event in Bristol in November 2013 (attended by over 40 people, drawn from a range of stakeholder organisations), we are keen to extend the impact of our research. Reflective, written responses to that local event indicate the potential for these findings to impact on organisations' engagement with disabled people - people with knowledge - as they plan their sustainability policies and practices: • "I'm taking away how important and valuable it is to listen and understand the different ways people experience a journey." • "Exclusion is especially about physical barriers and inclusion is often about relationships." • "The afternoon has reinforced the need to involve the widest range of people in influencing 'walkability' in Greater Bedminster." |
| Exploitation Route | The workshop held on 25th November 2013 engaged stakeholders (including City Council planning and sustainability officers, Public Health, Environment Agency, Walking for Health, local citizen planning groups, Bristol Disability Equality Forum, Age UK, Ramblers, Bristol Older Peoples council, West of England Council for Inclusive Living), who were able to take away insights from the research and translate them into their own areas of activity. Funding for the Walking Interconnections research project ceased at the end of January 2014, so its legacy will be largely through facilitating and catalysing others to take action informed by the findings. The audio-walk and publication were produced for the Connected Communities showcase held in Cardiff in June 2014, and provided the research team with innovative methods for engagement. Walking Interconnections as a catalyst: Walking Interconnections has engaged in extensive follow-up networking activity, including with Bristol City's Bristol Green Capital project (represented on Resilience and Social Inclusion working groups), Bristol having been awarded European Green City status for 2015. Walking Interconnections and the learning from this project featured in and informed the HighWaterLine public arts project (2014-15). One of the original drivers for the research was the disproportionate impact of climate change related disasters upon disabled people (Abbott and Porter, 2014). As a result of the Walking Interconnections project a booklet was produced by the Bristol Civil Protection Unit, developed with and aimed at disabled and older people titled 'Preparing for Emergencies in Bristol' (a 10,000 booklet run, was published November 2014). Bristol and Glasgow are Rockefeller-funded Resilient Cities - the first two in the UK. The PI attended the 100 Resilient Cities Agenda Setting Workshop in Bristol. Harnessing the energy attached to Resilient Cities, we aspired to also re-site and recite the research outcomes in Glasgow (the CI is based at the University of Glasgow), and had a meeting with the Resilient City Glasgow team, and were invited to a strategic planning workshop for the city. Sue Porter, who led Walking Interconnections, was invited to speak at the 2014 Schumacher Institute conference on inclusion and sustainability, and we replicated the Walking Interconnections workshop and audio-walk activities at the 2014 Festival of Nature - including mounting an exhibition, a guided / audio walk and the distribution of the Walking Interconnections publications (report, postcards, walk maps). Meetings have been held between members of the WECIL (West of England Centre for Integrated Living) peer support group, some of whom who participated in the Walking Interconnections research, and the Walking for Health / Every Step Counts initiatives in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Being involved in the research project gave members confidence to engage with these initiatives. As part of the local legacy of the project we will be collaborating with the Schumacher Institute, members of Bristol Older People's Forum and local Neighbourhood Partnerships to ensure that insights from the research support proposals, such as that to the Bristol City Active Neighbourhood Transport Grant, in relation to improvements to public spaces shared between cyclists and older / disabled users, and a detailed survey to test the 'walkability' of the walking routes identified, in order that they are inclusive of those with mobility problems. This will enable future decision makers to make good decisions about infrastructure on those routes. The project falls under the auspices of implementing Bristol City Council's existing Walking Strategy at a Neighbourhood level. In the meantime the Sue Porter and Dee Heddon continue to take every opportunity to connect the research findings into current debates about resilience and sustainable cities, and to promote the audio walk, 'Going for a Walk, through walking artist and research networks and other opportunities. http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Other |
| URL | http://www.walkinginterconnections.com/what-we-found/ |
| Description | Our findings have been used by Civil protection professionals and emergency planners in Bristol and Avon area to inform the ways they communicate with the public, specifically by consulting with carers and disabled people to revise their public information materials. ['Preparing for Emergencies in Bristol'] The findings have also been fed-into Bristol Green Capital discussions and activities, and have informed the strategy development for Bristol and Glasgow Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities. The Audio play, Going for a Walk (Heddon, 2014), has been used at conferences and walking events to raise awareness of disabled people's everyday practices of resilience skills. [http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/ ] |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Joint development of public information guide |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Improved public information materials re preparing for emergencies. Raised awareness of participating professionals. Improved networking between civil protection professionals/authority and key target groups ie carers and disabled people. |
| Description | Collaboration with Bristol City Council, Sustainability unit and Civil protection unit |
| Organisation | Bristol City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Intellectual input: Informing thinking/awareness on interdependency re social sustainability, and the contribution disabled people can make from lived experience. Contributed to Resilient City Bristol strategy process and Bristol Green Capital. Intellectual input and training: Facilitating introductions to disabled participants and design and delivery of workshop to develop new public information material. 'Preparing for Emergencies in Bristol' published 2014 (10,000 copies). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Networking, connecting, introductions. Access to facilities. |
| Impact | Co-design and delivery of workshop to develop new public information material for Civil protection unit. Booklet 'Preparing for Emergencies in Bristol' published 2014 (10,000 copies). |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Schumacher Institute |
| Organisation | Schumacher Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Information and qualitative research data. Speaker at annual conference. Partner in funding bid to JRF. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Networking. Advice and information. Conference organisation, funding and hosting. Access to Resilience working group |
| Impact | PI was keynote speaker at Schumacher Institute annual conference in 2014. Joint work with research director and Civil protection unit on public information booklet 'Preparing for Emergencies in Bristol'. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Bristol and surrounding areas emergency planning |
| 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 | Invited to co-design workshop and publication to engage disabled people in informing emergency planners and particularly new leaflet for general public Workshop held with disabled communities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Connected Communities Festival Cardiff |
| 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 | Connected Communities Showcase. Project mounted and staffed exhibition stand, produced report booklet giving summary of the research (see publications), also postcard publicising the research. Audio play was devised by Dee Heddon from transcribed conversation of research participants, and professionally recorded to be used at this event (Going for a Walk, http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/). Guided walk was devised with research participants (Crow and Henfrey) and a pictorial map produced. Walks were led by the research team, utilising the audio play. MP3 players were provided for individuals to undertake the walk as individuals or self led groups. Approximately 30 people undertook guided walks, plus other walkers. A much larger number of attendees stopped at the exhibition stand for conversation with members of the research team and co-researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmp81M3bfGU |
| Description | Emergency planning public information for disabled people and carers - Workshop |
| 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 information leaflet designed, to be distributed autumn 2014 1. Disabled people contributed to design of leaflet content 2. 'Blue light' Professionals made aware of the contribution and needs of disabled people and carers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Glass House debate, Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Walk devised, led and mapped, utilising audio play Going for a Walk - http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/ for annual GlassHouse debate held in Bristol. Workshop and discussion facilitated for 15 people, and contributions made to debate and discussion (approx 35 people). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited speaker at Schumacher Institute conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Conference attendees learnt more about unequal access for disabled people in sustainability organisations and debates. Conference attendees gained information as to how to be more inclusive. Raised consciousness (for attendees) of learning for sustainability from lived experience of disabled people. Sparked discussion, influenced planning workshop, fed into Green Capital 2015 strategies Invited to participate in European Green capital working groups on resilience and inclusion |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Only Human Festival, University of Glasgow, 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Schools of Culture and Creative Arts and Geographical and Earth Sciences hosted the 'Only Human?' Festival, as part of the national AHRC Being Human festival. Dee Heddon and Sue Porter devised and led walks utilising the audio play Going for a Walk. (http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/) In addition people borrowed audio players and/or downloaded the audio play onto their phones or MP3 players and took the walk themselves. Discussion was sparked by the experience of 'walking in someone else's shoes', and participants reported thinking differently about our inter/dependency and about disabled people's contributions to resilience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://onlyhumanglasgow.wordpress.com/ |
| Description | Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities - Glasgow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended meeting with senior team responsible for Resilient City Glasgow, informed them about Walking Interconnections research and its findings and relevance to thinking on resilience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Rockefeller Resilient Cities 100 Bristol strategy setting workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Results of research project fed into discussion and debate and informed strategy and planning for Rockefeller Resilient Cities 100 Bristol Increased awareness of potential contribution from disabled people to planning and policy re resilience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Thinking Futures Festival 2014 |
| 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 | The tHinking Futures festival showcases the University of Bristol's research to the general public. Walking interconnections took part, producing an event called 'Walking in someone else's shoes', a walking tour and discussion. This utilised the audioplay 'Going for a Walk' - http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/. We devised, mapped and led a walk around the harbour, and held workshop and discussion afterwards over tea and cake. Participants reported changed ideas about disabled people and new ways of viewing interdependency and walking practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.bristol.ac.uk/fssl/festival/programme/2014/event7-2.html |
| Description | Walking Festival |
| 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 | Devised, mapped and led a walk included in the Bristol Walking Festival programme. Walk utilised audio play Going for a Walk - http://walkinginterconnections.com/audio-play-going-for-a-walk/ Walk was attended by 10 members of the public and interested others. Members of the research group were involved (Alison Parfitt and Raheela Raza Syed). Discussion was sparked during the walk itself and in a short workshop afterwards, where the research findings were presented and discussed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |