Dr. Gill Black will present a recent South African case study that demonstrates how participatory visual methods can be applied as instruments for engagement in scientific research. The case study will focus on a ‘public engagement’ project that brought a team of water microbiologists together with residents of formal and informal settlements in the Western Cape at the height of the province’s 2018 water crisis. Gill will describe how a visual methods approach created strong but unusual platforms for engagement and knowledge exchange. She will discuss some of the unexpected ethical challenges and outcomes that surfaced throughout the process and explore the interface between engagement, agency and activism.
The second half of the workshop will involve a series of short interactive discussions where the audience will be asked to comment on their perceptions and experiences of public engagement in research. The session will conclude with a debate about the possibilities for including participatory visual methods in research engagement in different contexts.

If you would like to attend this workshop, please register by emailing admin@ethox.ox.ac.uk