Pathways to Participation
This project, conducted in partnership with DanceSyndrome, explored how people with learning disabilities can take an active role in shaping research methods that work best for them. Often, their voices are represented through proxies such as carers or family members, and they are rarely involved directly in decisions about how creative research is designed. This project aimed to change that by positioning people with learning disabilities as methodological co-creators.
The project ran a series of creative workshops, each focused on a different modality – photography, visual art, poetry, dance and movement, and singing. Participants used these methods to explore two key questions about quality of life, reflecting on how each approach helps them share their perspectives. By examining how participants engage with these modalities, we generated insights into the use of creative methods in research. This includes understanding how these approaches can be adapted or blended, and how people with learning disabilities make decisions about working with them.
