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Opportunities and Challenges in Collaborative Research: Lessons from the UK, Greece and Japan

This research explores the strengths and limitations of collaborative research, focusing on the UK, Greece, and Japan. It investigates learning from communities in crisis, synergy across cultures, and bridging the gap between academia and practical relevance.

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Opportunities and Challenges in Collaborative Research: Lessons from the UK, Greece and Japan

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  1. Opportunities and Challenges in Collaborative Research: Lessons from the UK, Greece and Japan Professor MihaelaKelemen, Keele University, UK Professor Martin Phillips, University of Leicester, UK Sue Moffat, New Vic Theatre, UK

  2. Collaborative Research General Strengths: • Multi and trans-disciplinarity captures multiple facets of the social phenomenon • A mosaic of methodologies which gives voice to diverse parties • Facilitates mutual understanding and respect for diverse points of view

  3. Collaborative research General Limitations: • Focuses on solving practical problems and does not push the boundaries of knowledge • Reproduces the same knowledge/power hierarchies across academia and practice

  4. Research Questions What can we learn from communities in crisis? How can we synergise learning across cultures and across academia and community?

  5. Bridging the gap between academic rigour and practical relevance Community and heritage geographies UK academic partners: Keele University, The Open University, Brunel University and Edinburgh University UK community partners: New Vic Theatre, The Glass-House Community Led Design and Mondo Challenge Foundation Japanese academic partners: Seinan Gakuin University and Osaka City University, Japan Japanese Community Partners from Minami Sanriku municipality: Minami Sanriku city government, Isatomae Fukko Shoutengai shopping street cooperative, Heisei-no-mori temporary housing residents’ association (248 houses), Iriya Yes Craft, Minami Sanriku Fukko-dako-no-kai (citizens’ association for town reconstruction through manufacturing and marketing “octopus-kun” character goods)

  6. Community and heritage geographies • Revisiting the mid-point of British community studies • Affective Digital Histories • Legacies of Animative and Iterative Methodologies • Asset mapping: comparative mapping

  7. Our Approach to Collaborative Research Draws on the everyday experiences of all participants and their creative abilities to make sense of the world and achieve individual and communal goals Builds up trusting relationships between participants by inviting them to work together in activities which may be new to them but which draw on their life experiences Dissolves hierarchies: commonsense, expertise, practical skills are valued in equal measure

  8. Stoke on Trent and Minami Sanriku Cities in crisis? Stoke: loss of traditional industries: mining, steel and ceramics, 16th most deprived local authority in England Minami Sanriku: 2011 Tsunami, 70% of the infrastructure destroyed, forgotten region (more than 2/3 of people live in temporary accommodation)

  9. Bridging the Gap Workshop: UK

  10. Drama Workshops in Stoke • four new worlds (from lost ones): fire, earth, water and air • prevalence of bottom up processes in the construction of new worlds, • the reversal of roles between professionals/experts and community members • an abundance of creativity within individuals and groups.

  11. Bridging the Gap: Minami Sanriku, Japan

  12. Drama Workshops in Minami-Sanriku • the response to crisis was to build from within and not wait for hand outs from above. • the new businesses that were created in the aftermath of the disaster opted for a cooperative business model rather than one based on market competition. • some survivors of the Tsunami became ‘professional story tellers’ • the inhabitants of Minami Sanriku felt a deep connection with their land despite the constant threat of a new tsunami. • very few people migrated to other parts of the country in search of job opportunities • community rebuilding via volunteering activities

  13. George Sachinis

  14. Key Characteristics of Game Engages people in conversations Diffuses conflict/dominance through game Fun way of engaging people with research/archive material Generates new materials Themed discussions Flexible format

  15. Outcomes Increased awareness of each other Identification of unfulfilled local needs Reflection on the format of action Municipality should be more involved In local area Can't trust/wait for the state Partnership with state (local people involved in local service delivery Reformulating local organisation (Pegasus as lead but membership not required) Today as the ' beginning of something'?

  16. Conclusions Advantages • Widened & deepened understandings • Collaborative engagements with 'others' • Difference within repetition (reinventing the wheel is different every time) "a new voyage, one that repeats some of the old movements but [always] introduces new ones" (Abel 2002, p. 234)

  17. Limitations Games are not serious enough? How to balance play, discussion, reflection? How much time is enough? Fun time but what now? Who is not there?

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