Co-INSPIRE

Challenging Abortion Stigma: co-creating learning materials with abortion care providers

Contact: Lesley Hoggart
Partner: Abortion Talk

Project to develop training workshops for health care professionals working in abortion care, as well as nursing and midwifery students. 

Reproductive Bodylore: the role of vernacular knowledge in women's contraceptive decision-making

Contact: Victoria Newton
Partners: Public Health England and The Folklore Society

Reproductive Bodylore is an interdisciplinary study which straddles folklore and health. The project explored the role of vernacular knowledge in contraceptive decision-making through participatory research with volunteer researchers. The OU team worked in partnership with Public Health England and The Folklore Society.

Why Riot?

Contact: Gabi Kent
Partner: Education Authority East Belfast Area Project, Education Authority North Belfast Area Project, South Belfast Alternatives, Lagmore Youth Project, St Peter's Immaculata Youth Centre, The ACT Initiative.

Co-creation and co-research with community workers, practitioners and marginalised young people in areas of contestation/division in Northern Ireland to foster critical thinkers and peaceful changemakers and support conflict transformation.  Projects include co-created educational interventions and the Learning from Why Riot co-research project with community partners. 

Communities in Action Collaboration in Northern Ireland: Poverty and Social Exclusion UK (PSEUK)

Contact: Gabi Kent
Partner: Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (Communities in Ardoyne, Cregagh, Belfast, Ballymena, Co Derry/Londonderry and Co Armagh)

This Participatory action research and 'purposeful storytelling' project was with 8 marginalised communities and 80 participants across Northern Ireland. The project aims were to support community groups to conduct local research linked with the ESRC funded PSE UK wide research on poverty (PSE UK Necessities survey and Living Standards Survey) and to assist communities in amplifying their findings through ‘purposeful storytelling’ ( short films) which they could use to lobby policy and decision makers about the issues that concerned them. 

Self-advocacy for people with learning difficulties

Contact: Elizabeth Tilley
Partner: This is a collaboration with Learning Disability England, with involvement from 11self-advocacy groups across England and Wales.

Building on previous research, this is an ongoing Knowledge Exchange project exploring self-advocacy for people with learning disabilities. 
 

Raising Awareness and Transforming Understandings of the Weavers Uprisings in 1826 and 1829

Contact: David Scott
Partners: Lancashire Cultural Services, Helmshore Textile Museum, The Weavers Cottage (Rawtenstall), Haworth Art Gallery (Accrington), The Whitaker Art Museum (Haslingden), Bacup Museum, Weavers Uprising Bicentennial Committee, James Fox (Textile Artist)

The project aims to raise awareness and transform understandings of the 1826 weavers uprising and Chatterton massacre. It will connect with community stakeholders to enhance public knowledge and understanding and facilitate a sustainable and lasting legacy through the creation of new learning materials and pedagogical resources that offer a fresh interpretation of the events from the perspective of protestors. 

Victoria and Stuart project

Contact: Elizabeth Tilley
Partner: MacIntyre, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, Kingston University, Mary Stevens Hospice, Dimensions

Co-productive research focused on end-of-life care planning with people with learning disabilities. 

Growing Older, Planning Ahead

Contact: Elizabeth Tilley
Partner: British Association of Social Workers (BASW); Oxfordshire Family Support Network; My Life My Choice; Future Directions; Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Services

An inclusive research project focused on improving support to older people with learning disabilities and their families. Collaboration between The OU, Kingston University and Manchester Metropolitian University.

Policing Vulnerability

Contact: Scarlett Redman
Partners: West Yorkshire Police, Two Yorkshire support organisations and one national sex work support organisation.

The 'policing vulnerability' project was a localised piece of research co-created with sex workers and police, examining and evaluating the role of the specialist 'sex work liaison officer' role in West Yorkshire Police

Visual Violence: Sex Worker Experiences of Image-Based Abuses

Contact: Scarlett Redman

Partners: Various stakeholders including English Collective of Prostitutes, SWARM, Sex Workers Alliance Ireland and Umbrella Lane.

The increasing digitisation of sex work presents both new opportunities and new hazards for sex workers. This research used participatory/participant-driven action research to understand visual violence as it is uniquely experienced by sex workers, within and outside traditional lenses of “revenge porn” and copyright.