Critical Reflections on Lived Experience: A Roundtable Discussion

Institutions across society are increasingly interested in demonstrating their involvement of people with ‘lived experience’. From charities and governmental institutions establishing ‘Experts by Experience’ boards, to an increased interest in the academic sector in researching and understanding the concept of ‘lived experience’, the attention is on how organisations and institutions can benefit from insights into lived, rather than learnt, experiences. Although greater inclusion is one of the motivations for various initiatives in the academic and public sector, the risk of reducing individuals to their subjective lived experiences needs to be carefully evaluated, considering contemporary critical discussions on both the potentially useful and harmful aspects of ‘lived experience’.

This PhD event aims to bring together perspectives on the use of the term ‘lived experience’ in different sectors and academic fields, ranging from experiences concerning criminal justice, mental health, migration, and sex work. The format will be that of a roundtable discussion, where a diverse panel of speakers will initiate critical reflections on the benefits and harms of ‘lived experience', with the aim of fostering a participatory atmosphere with the audience, as well as opening potential routes for social and political empowerment.

This event is in-person only, free and open to all, but pre-registration is required. Register for in-person participation via Eventbrite. After registration, you will receive more information about participation to the event.

The venue is reasonably ventilated and wheelchair accessible. A campus map with the exact location of QA063 can be found below. Refreshments will be provided.

Meet the speakers

· Rose Dowling: Rose Dowling is the CEO and founder of Leaders Unlocked, a social enterprise working to enable young people to have a stronger voice in our society. Over the past 15 years, Rose has set up a range of initiatives to enable young people to become proactive, confident change leaders making a difference to the issues that matter to them.

· Dr Rachel Stuart: Rachel Stuart is a critical criminologist who specialises in the research of marginalised communities and lecturer at Brunel University London. Her PhD thesis examined the experiences of adult content webcam performers as they negotiated the corporate-owned hosting sites from which they broadcast. As someone of Gypsy/Traveller heritage, she has recently been involved in research that looked at the uptake of COVID prevention measures among members of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. She is part of the growing criminology department and has helped develop the curriculum for the newly launched Criminology BSC.

· Kemi Ogunlana: Kemi Ogunlana is the Participation Manager at Doctors of the World UK, a humanitarian organization providing emergency medical care to people facing obstacles accessing healthcare. With a passion for engaging stakeholders and the media, Kemi champions maternity and women's rights initiatives. As a refugee, Kemi brings invaluable first-hand perspective to the organization's mission of supporting vulnerable populations. Through her work, Kemi amplifies the voices of those in need and rallies support for providing dignified healthcare access to all.

Greenwich campus map

Host or Publisher University of Greenwich - Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences