A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations: Book Launch

This is part of a co-creation day, celebrating participatory and creative forms of research practices hosted by and . To explore and sign up for other events, view the .

Join us for the launch of A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations, an exciting new resource for people who would like to collaborate ethically with artists but aren’t sure where to start. Compered by Susan Morrison, stand-up comedian, broadcaster and one of the co-authors of the book, this launch will be much more creative and fun than the average academic event (Susan is really very funny!).

Attendees will receive a free hard copy of the book and invited by Susan and her co-authors Rhiannon Bull, Jean McEwan and Jimmy Turner to engage with some of the creative exercises using drawing, poetry, sculpture and games that they have developed in the Field Guide to help people conceptualise, design and ethically carry out collaborative work with artists. The team will share stories about the genesis, philosophy, and process of making the Field Guide, and attendees will be invited to share their own plans, experiences and wisdom about the role of creative collaborations in research. The event will also be the launch of the brand new Outwith Field Guides series, of which A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations is the first example, and we will be joined by Nel Coleman from the University Library. Nel will introduce the series, and offer tantalising details of the other Field Guides which are currently in development.

Join us for an interactive, informative and fun look at working with creatives.

The event will take place in room 2.55 in Edinburgh Futures Institute. You do not need an access card to join us.

Getting Involved

The team will be inviting attendees to have a go at some of the creative activities in the Field Guide. These have been designed to be as accessible as possible, regardless of artistic experience and confidence. We will invite attendees to share their work with others, but there will be no pressure at all to do so. All we ask is that you come with a sense of playfulness, curiosity, and willingness to have a go.

About our Partners

• Rhiannon Bull is a writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction, an illustrator, and a painter based in Edinburgh. Rhiannon is currently undertaking PhD research at the University of Glasgow using creative writing to explore climate emotions in Scotland - www.rhiannonbull.com
• Jean McEwan is a visual and participatory artist who has worked with communities and research projects for 20+ years. Based near Bradford but also working nationally, she facilitates collage, zine-making and creative journaling as means to explore meaning, stories and messages with people - www.jeanmcewan.com
• Susan Morrison has been an MC at The Stand Comedy club since the day it opened, and she has taken to the stage in clubs from Bournemouth to Inverness. She is a writer, broadcaster and comedian with two grown-up children and a very patient husband. She is passionate about creating new ways for researchers and academics to bring their work to the public through her work with the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, the Bright Club and The Provocateurs. In 2025, Napier University celebrated her achievements in public engagement by granting her an honorary doctorate.
• Jimmy Turner is a woodworker, sculptor, curator and anthropologist who works as a researcher for the Binks Hub at the University of Edinburgh. They concentrate on designing and developing research and arts projects with community organisations, through which community members can explore their curiosities and priorities through art and creativity.
• Nel Coleman is based at the University of Edinburgh Library, and runs Outwith: Participatory Research at the Library. Their role is to support any research that opens the doors to wider involvement in the process; from citizen science to co-creation. Find out more about Outwith and what they do: outwith.ed.ac.uk

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