CRE selects new Pilot Engagement Projects

Following a competitive application process, City Region Exchange has selected seven projects from across the University to trial new approaches to engagement in the region.

The projects, which commence shortly and will run throughout the summer and autumn, are:

Adventures in Wonderland

Adventures in Wonderland will explore the integration of the Italian TwLetteratura model into library services, using librarians' skills/experience to engage people – including older people, family groups, Welsh learners, the economically inactive, and isolated individuals – with reading. The project will:

• test how TwLetteratura works in libraries, using the text of Alice in Wonderland and using old and new technology to create social networks that support the education, health and wellbeing of different user groups.
• train library staff & volunteers to allow wider delivery across Blaenau Gwent.
• disseminate good practice on the use of digital platforms to support reading.

Project lead: Dr Eva Elliott, School of Social Sciences

Cakes, Jam and Bees!

This project - subtitled "working with the Women’s Institute to maintain a green and pleasant land" - will develop an engagement kit to support the WI to raise funds for pollinator friendly spaces in schools. Resources will provide a focus for WI fundraising activities, building on an existing nationwide Women's Institute commitment to reversing bee number decline.

Partnership with Pollen8 Cymru will assist the schools supported by the WI funding to integrate the bees into their learning environment.

Project lead: Professor Les Baillie, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Love Grangetown: Shop Grangetown

In partnership with Grangetown Community Action, and engaging representatives from Friends of Pontypool Town and Porth and District Chamber of Trade, Love Grangetown will develop a model for reviving independent high streets.

Activities will include initiation of a community-led streetmarket in Grangetown, and development of a monthly business forum to support independent businesses.

Project lead: Rosie Cripps, Welsh School of Architecture

Networking the Creative Hubs in the Cardiff Capital Region

This project seeks to add value to existing partnerships, and to create new ones, by networking creative hubs - co-working spaces for small companies and freelancers - from across the region. The hubs will take part in a 'round robin' exchange, with a representative from one hub visiting the next hub in the chain to create a series of opportunities to share experiences and raise questions.

A final knowledge sharing event at Welsh ICE in Caerphilly will conclude the formal part of the process, with the aim being that the hubs will continue to support networking between themselves.

Project lead: Professor Justin Lewis, School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies

Primary AGENDA

Primary AGENDA will extend the co-produced Welsh Government resource for 11-18 year olds, AGENDA: A young people’s guide to making positive relationships matter, to 5-11 year olds.

It will enable children, young people, educational practitioners, academics and policy officers to contribute to the co-production of Wales’ first online bilingual toolkit for how children and educational practitioners can safely and creatively promote gender well-being for healthy relationships in their schools and communities.

Project lead: Professor Emma Renold, School of Social Sciences

The Hart of Ely

Craft has always been an important part of community networks and groups. The Hart of Ely project is designed to promote personal and practical skill-sharing and informal learning among disenfranchised adult males, through their engagement in a series of workshops on crafting with deer antler.

Participants will contribute to researchers' understanding of antler-working, as part of archaeologists' efforts to better understand the transformation of natural materials, and the production and use of ancient artefacts. They will also aid in the development and provision of a resource to support further school and community outreach.

The project will also explore synergies with previous projects - including the Trek to Connect geocaching initiative funded under round one of the Pilot Engagement Project fund - undertaken by the Strong Communities, Healthier People programme in collaboration with Merthyr Tydfil’s 3Gs Men’s Group.

Project leads: Ian Dennis and Dr Jacqui Mulville, School of History, Archaeology and Religion

Social Documentary

In partnership with Ffoton photographers’ network, Cardiff University journalism students will produce a series of photo essays bringing to life aspects of the other engagement projects.

Inspired by a presentation by photojournalist Chuck Rapoport at the CRE-supported event Aberfan: Remembering, Forgetting and Moving On, the project aims to revive the photo essay as a means to document under-reported contemporary social and political issues in south Wales.

Over a six month period, the students and photographers will shadow between two and four of the round two Pilot Engagement Projects. Local community engagement will be promoted by the Centre for Community Journalism in partnership with hyperlocal news sites.

Project lead: Professor Richard Sambrook, School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies