Rethinking participatory research and practices; promoting collective action and social justice in current times.

This challenge is focussed on the development of opportunities and approaches to empower disadvantaged or marginalised individuals and communities to participate in research and co-produce knowledge and action. The aim of this challenge is to stimulate collective action towards finding collective solutions to social problems, that helps to address societal challenges. We seek to establish an interdisciplinary research platform for researchers across different disciplines (from health and wellbeing to social care, sustainability, psychology and design) and people with lived experiences to share experiences, methods and learning; to generate joint projects; and to disseminate and influence good practice. The objectives are to develop and deliver a series of activities (sharing events and conferences) and resources (publications, testimonials, practical guides, educational materials) to: • Build a network of academic and non-academic partners for participatory research and project generation. • Facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and influence participatory action research, policy and practice. • Reflect upon the original focus of participatory action research, identifying new approaches in social inquiry and re-framing a participatory worldview that reflects current times. • Review and redefine key concepts such as ‘empowerment’, ‘autonomy’, ‘marginalisation’, and ‘activism’ to nurture inclusivity and diverse perspectives. • Explore the wide range of innovative and creative approaches and the interplay between human and non-human involvement. • Produce refreshed principles for working with complexity, difference and emotions within communities.