Exploring Neighbourhood Together: The Role of Creative Moments for Multisensory Connection with Place in a Participatory Study in Rotherham (UK)

Neighbourhood exploration as a methodological tool allows for a holistic connection of research participants with a place: cognitive, emotional, participatory, and also increases a sense of belonging (Bazuń & Kwiatkowski 2022). ‘Crossing the Frontier’ project (UKRI Research England, 2024) explored the potential of collective movement and artistic expression as the basis of constructive interaction at the community-policy nexus. Centred on three neighbourhoods in Rotherham (UK) with a substantial and diverse migrant population, we built on the findings of, and relationships established in the ‘Life at the Frontier’ research programme (ESRC/Nordforsk, 2020-2023), and organised three collective walks/movements including neighbourhood exploration in partnership with residents, community organisations, government representatives and Rotherham-based artists. An emotional connection with and reflections on the place during the walks was facilitated by two artistic exercises: area sketching (led by artist Uzma Rani) and landscape canvassing (artist Lora Krasteva). Overall, our research demonstrates that neighbourhood exploration with short and easy creative activities is a powerful tool for the co-production of visual, textual and artistic data, while meaningfully connecting residents and decision-makers in action, with a potential to improve social cohesion in diverse and deprived neighbourhoods. Our commitment to continue the study and long-term research agenda are driven by the principles of emancipatory social science, whereby scientific rigour is accompanied by a central moral purpose to create a more equal and just society (Wright, 2020).