What is happening to our community

“What is happening to our community” is a self published book that collates the results of my four year contribution to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded social research project ‘Living through Change’ a social research project exploring the links between poverty and place in six UK locations. Working alongside research scientists I devised and led a series of participatory media arts projects in the six areas to engage local people in the research process and capture their opinions and experiences their own words and imagery. The book accompanies a series of academic papers produced as part of the same JRF project exploring the issues raised by the research and acts to both illustrate and extend the academic papers give a clear sense of place through the residents’ own words. The book was distributed alongside the final JRF published project report to a selection of over policy makers, academics and social researchers and was included alongside original artwork from the project in an exhibition at ‘New London Architecture’ in June 2011 before touring to five other venues. The work also reveals and explores the range of audio-visual research methodologies employed and thus is of interest and importance to social sciences and those interested in visual and alternative research techniques.