Praxis is launching PraxisCast, an arts and humanities and international development research podcast for those working in the field or those simply curious to know more!

Over the next two years, Praxis will release a series of stimulating podcast episodes, which take a 20-25 minute dive into the most pressing issues and prevalent questions from across the arts and humanities international development research field today.

In episode 1 of PraxisCast, Dr Hana Morel (UCL), Richard Hebditch (National Trust), Professor Ian Baxter (Heriot Watt) and Praxis Principal Investigator Professor Stuart Taberner (University of Leeds) cast a critical lens over why arts and humanities researchers should engage with policy, the opportunities available to drive and shape policy (hint: there’s more than you might think), and provide practical guidance on where researchers should start.

#PraxisCast How to engage with the policy making process (Episode 1)

The podcast you are about to hear was recorded on 10th January 2020 following Praxis second workshop on the theme of Food and Heritage. This practical workshop provided space for participants to reflect on the sustainable development goals (SDG's_ their projects had addressed (both intended and unexpected) and put forward their ideas for a future heritage and food research agenda based on the remaining SDG’s.  

The podcast episode is hosted Dr Tahrat Shahid, GCRF Challenge Leader for Food Systems at UK Research and Innovation, and features panellists Professor Naomi Sykes (University of Exeter), Professor Henrice Altink (University of York), Dr Sandip Hazareesingh (The Open University) and Dr Theano Moussouri (University College London). 

Following brief introductions, the panel discuss interdisciplinary research, balancing priorities of preserving local food varieties with feeding the population and the future food research agenda.

PraxisCast: Food And Heritage (Episode 2)

On 27 March 2020, Changing the Story held the first in a series of online webinars to explore themes raised by our network and the wider Global Challenges Research Fund Community. This series is born out of the growing appetite of our network to connect, reflect and share learning digitally while on the ground research is postponed.

The podcast you are about to hear explores the question: ‘how do I continue to lead and support the co-delivery of innovative, creative and collaborative arts and humanities research during a global pandemic? Listen to the challenges our network are facing, as well as the opportunities the pandemic presents for enhancing research as we go digital.

Going Digital? A Changing the Story Position on Online Arts and Humanities Research

We are in the Anthropocene. Facing grand challenges as diverse and complex as extreme poverty, war and refugee crises, infectious disease, environmental degradation. Culture and Heritage are now understood to play an integral role in both enabling and driving international development and to be central to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.

In February, a group of artists, film makers, researchers, policy makers and funders came together in West Bek’aa Lebanon to discuss Heritage for Global Challenges. This podcast, recorded in each of our individual homes during Covid-19 lockdown, is an opportunity to continue some of those conversations. The podcast episode is hosted by Jaideep Gupte. Jaideep is a Research Fellow and co-Leader of the Cities Cluster at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. Jaideep also leads the Cities and Sustainable Infrastructure portfolio of the Global Challenges Research Fund, UKRI.

Joining Jaideep is Ian Thomas, Muna Haddad and Dr Daniele Rugo. Ian is the current global Head of Evidence for the Arts at the British Council, leading on programme evaluations such as the Cultural Protection Fund and Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth. Muna Haddad is the founding CEO of BARAKA, a social enterprise in sustainable tourism development in Jordan. Daniele is an award winning filmmaker and Reader in Film at Brunel University London. Daniele is the Principal Investigator of ‘Memories from the Margins. Bottom-up Practices for Dealing with Conflict-Produced Heritage in Lebanon and Syria. About a War is Daniele’s latest feature documentary.

The podcast explores how might we understand heritage in the context of the grand challenges; what is the role of the arts in helping us navigate the rapid transformations we are witnessing in the Anthropocene; how can heritage support livelihood; and where should heritage research go next in relation sustainable infrastructure and cities?

For more information on the Praxis project visit changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk/praxis

To book an experience with BARAKA visit: www.barakadestinations.com

To watch ‘About a War’, Daniele’s documentary film visit: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/aboutawar

To read the reports Ian refers to on Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth and Cultural Protection Fund visit:
 
https://www.britishcouncil.org/arts/culture-development/cultural-heritage 

https://www.britishcouncil.org/arts/culture-development/cultural-protection-fund

Enjoy the podcast!

Heritage For Global Challenges 1.0

Listen to Director Benrilo Shitiri introduce his film My Story of Addiction and Recovery

Meet Reuben Mugisha, director of the short documentary Mobile Arts for Peace.

Reuben Mugisha

Praxis is focussed on Arts and Humanities research across the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) portfolio. Specifically, its aims are to consolidate learning across GCRF projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), to amplify their impact and policy relevance, and to champion the distinctive contribution that Arts and Humanities research can make to tackling urgent development challenges.

Over the next two years, Praxis will release a series of stimulating podcast episodes, which take a 20-25 minute dive into the most pressing issues and prevalent questions from across the arts and humanities international development research field today.

w. changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk
t. @Changing_Story_

Praxis is the partner project of Changing the Story, a four-year international, multi-disciplinary project also funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which supports the building of inclusive civil societies with and for young people in 13 countries. Praxis and Changing the Story are coordinated by the same team based at the University of Leeds.

Praxis: Arts and Humanities for Global Challenges