Public Engagement in the Arts and Humanities, at Durham University

The following conference announcement may be of interest to readers; certainly it is of interest to me, as I’ll be one of the speakers at the event.

Post-graduates and early career researchers in the arts and humanities are invited to attend a forthcoming workshop on public engagement.

This workshop will explore a wide range of possibilities for arts and humanities postgraduates and early career researchers in the field of public engagement, broadly defined to encompass research dissemination, the active discussion of research outcomes with a non-academic public and the direct involvement of a non-academic public in the research process itself.

Alongside sharing practical experience we will consider wider questions of public engagement work. What can and cannot be achieved through different engagement strategies? What are the ethical issues in participatory research outside of the university? What do we understand to be the purpose of public engagement and what is its place in the careers of researchers? Is more public engagement always desirable? How can we fully integrate a discourse between academics and various publics into both academic and public life?

This workshop brings together participants from Durham, Belfast and Newcastle Universities to share experiences and create a forum to debate the challenges and opportunities of public engagement.

This event will be of interest to post-graduates currently involved, or thinking of getting involved with, public engagement work.  Participation is open to all but spaces are limited. Please email Zoe Cormack z.t.cormack@durham.ac.uk or Ben Popeb.j.pope@durham.ac.uk  to register interest or for further information. A full programme will be available shortly.