Storytelling, visual media, hands‑on experimentation and shared creative experiences, can all offer meaningful ways to invite people into conversations about research. This Engagement@Manchester session brought together colleagues, students and community partners to explore how creative methods can contribute to public engagement practice.

Case studies shared in the session

Dr Suzanne Johnson and Dr Binish Khatoon shared their project Tree of Life: How Exploring Diversity Can Create Unity. Using a narrative therapy approach, the project created supportive spaces for women from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian heritage communities to talk, share experiences, get to know one another, and explore access to breast cancer screening. They collaborated with an animator and videographer to celebrate participants’ journeys and contributions, culminating in an installation showcased in the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum in May 2025.

Dr Jenna Ashton presented two projects. In Memory of Chroma combined chemistry experiments with storytelling, inspired by Derek Jarman’s Chroma: A Book of Colour. Hidden in the Soil and Scrub took the form of a storybook for adults, exploring urban ecology and housing development. Together, these projects highlighted how creative approaches can spark curiosity, invite reflection, and support new approaches for audiences to engage.

Stephanie Gillibrand shared the Manchester Memories project, which brought local community members, creatives and researchers together to reflect on their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project highlighted the learning curve involved in adopting creative methods, as well as their potential to foster connection, reflection, and shared understanding and ways to share this with others.

The engagement practice shared showed how creative approaches can help people connect, build relationships, and have meaningful conversations, while also offering opportunities to share those experiences with others in collaborative and engaging ways.

Creative Practice Top Tips

Watch the video to explore practical advice and examples of creative practice in engagement

Do you have a project to share? Please contact Dee-Ann and Kathryn: engagement@mancheter.ac.uk