Creative Communities Podcast

“Heritage doesn't matter if no one's going to engage with it. Changing how heritage is now used and interpreted means more audiences will engage with it.”

How are communities working together to breathe new life into post-industrial heritage sites?

Join Community Innovation Practitioner and Archaeologist Alex Langlands from Swansea University on a heritage journey through the Welsh valleys. 

In this episode, explore how through collaboration and co-creation, communities in Neath Port Talbot are creating a more equitable and vibrant future for the region through their heritage. 

You’ll visit Craig Gwladus Country Park, Nath Valley Ironworks, White Rock Copper Works and Parc Slip Colliery. All once hives of industrial activity, are now transformed into beautiful greenspaces, where people of all ages can play, connect and learn new skills.

You’ll also meet many local voices along the way like volunteers, storytellers and conservation experts.

Listen as Alex argues for a shift in traditional heritage management, including community engagement. However, this shouldn't be an afterthought; it should be central to preserving our heritage. The episode also highlights the dedication of volunteers who play a crucial role.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Creative Communities Podcast

02:34 Challenges and Community Efforts in Craig Gwladus Country Park

04:18 Volunteer Initiatives and Achievements

08:24 Engaging the Youth and Expanding Heritage Projects

23:17 Neath Abbey Ironworks: A Historical Treasure

31:38 Exploring the White Rock Copperworks

32:18 Phil Okwedi's Storytelling and African Connections

38:51 Engaging with Industrial Heritage

47:54 Concluding Thoughts on Heritage and Community

50:24 Outro and Next Episode Preview

Useful Links

About Alex’s Creative Communities project - https://creativecommunities.uk/research/alexander-langlands

More from AHRC Creative Communities Programme and how to get involved - Creative Communities.uk

Thanks

The Creative Communities podcast explores the power of cultural research and collaborative creativity. Join us as we discover how communities across the UK are tackling challenges and building a brighter future through groundbreaking projects. 

Over six episodes, meet inspiring "Community Innovation Practitioners" leading the way. We'll follow their journeys of cultural collaboration, co-creation, and innovation, showcasing real-life examples of how creativity empowers communities to build a stronger, more resilient UK.

Credits

Creative Communities is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK (Grant Agreement No AH/X001555/1) and hosted at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

With podcast production and training from MIC media.

“I wasn't expecting this project to impact us in the way it has. It's breaking a generational cycle and it builds human connection. We've seen this happen in our group.”

How can collaboration and creativity tackle the stigma of addiction and trauma?

Join Community Innovation Practitioner and Local Coordinator Áine Brady from Queens University in Belfast, as she explores the transformative power of culture and creativity.

In this episode, join Áine in The Market, a working-class community grappling with addiction and trauma. Here she delivers a year-long partnership with the Market Development Association and Pangur Ban, a local arts group. Together, they address the stigma surrounding addiction and trauma through "The Tapestry Project," a resident-led photography project.

You’ll visit the project’s intergenerational participants, who tell the story of this community's resilience through historical, societal and economic challenges. Now, through the collaborative power of The Tapestry Project, they’ve found a sense of connection and empowerment.

Hear Áine’s Community Innovation Practitioner story, which emphasises the power of collaboration, challenges policy models, and champions arts-based approaches – all thanks to genuine cross-sector partnerships.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Creative Communities Podcast

01:47 Exploring Belfast's Market Community

03:07 The Tapestry Project: A Community Initiative

06:28 Historical Context and Challenges

14:42 Participant Experiences and Reflections

22:31 Creative Methods for Addressing Trauma

24:22 The Power of Art in Community Development

29:40 The Tapestry Exhibition

41:37 Challenges and Learnings from the Project

43:22 Empowering Communities Through Arts and Research

46:59 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Useful Links

About Áine’s Creative Communities project - https://creativecommunities.uk/research/aine-brady

More from AHRC Creative Communities Programme, and to find out how to get involved - Creative Communities.uk

Thanks

The Creative Communities podcast explores the power of cultural research and collaborative creativity. Join us as we discover how communities across the UK are tackling challenges and building a brighter future through groundbreaking projects. 

Over six episodes, meet inspiring "Community Innovation Practitioners" leading the way. We'll follow their journeys of cultural collaboration, co-creation, and innovation, showcasing real-life examples of how creativity empowers communities to build a stronger, more resilient UK.

Creative Communities is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK (Grant Agreement No AH/X001555/1) and hosted at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

With podcast production and training from MIC media.

Is collaboration rather than competition the key to unlocking a stronger, fairer UK?

Could Creative Communities be the answer? 

This preview of our brand new Creative Communities podcast series introduces you to some of the people and stories featured in the upcoming episodes, and gives you a sneak peek of how the power of creativity and co-creation in research is supercharging social change in our communities.

In this preview episode you’ll hear about the Creative Communities programme, our Community Innovation Practitioners, and the team behind the scenes bringing the research and podcast to life.

The next episodes will be released in October 2024.

Read the transcript here

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:54 Welcome to the Creative Communities Podcast

02:38 Defining Creative Communities

04:43 The Importance of Inclusivity in Research

09:18 Community Innovation Practitioner Pilot

12:21 Meet the Community Innovation Practitioners

15:35 Importance of Community-Based Research

23:39 Creating the Podcast: Experiences and Insights

27:44 Why You Should Listen to the Podcast

34:02 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Useful Links

Thanks  

Many thanks to our guests Prof. Christopher Smith (AHRC Executive Chair), Kristine Zaidi (AHRC Associate Director of Programmes), Lord Neil Mendoza (Provost of Oriel College, Oxford University), Husna Mortuza (Associate Director for Public Engagement, Joseph Rowntree Foundation) and Helen Goulden OBE (Chief Executive Officer, The Young Foundation).

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The Creative Communities podcast explores the power of cultural research and collaborative creativity. Join us as we discover how communities across the UK are tackling challenges and building a brighter future through groundbreaking projects. 

Over six episodes, meet the Community Innovation Practitioners leading the way. We'll follow their journeys of cultural collaboration, co-creation, and innovation, showcasing real-life examples of how creativity empowers communities to build a stronger, more resilient UK.

Credits

Creative Communities is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK (Grant Agreement No AH/X001555/1) and hosted at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

With podcast production and training from MIC media.

What happens when you unleash the collective power of diverse communities, partners, research, and creativity? 

The new Creative Communities podcast explores how groundbreaking cultural research, creativity and inclusive innovation in communities can empower us to build a stronger, more resilient UK.

Over six episodes, hear inspiring stories of change from across the UK. You’ll meet five Community Innovation Practitioners leading the way, working in partnership with cross-sector communities on remarkable new cultural projects. 

Experience first-hand how these real-life community projects are using creativity to tackle challenges, embrace opportunities and build a brighter, more resilient future founded on inclusive innovation.

Whether you're a creative, researcher, funder, community leader, or simply someone who cares about the future of your local area, the Creative Communities podcast is packed with local voices, practical insights, inspiration and solutions you can use to inspire creative change and co-creation in your own community. 

Discover how Creative Communities combines research and community collaboration to generate innovative solutions to the big opportunities and challenges facing us today. 

The Creative Communities podcast is hosted by Professor Katy Shaw, programme director of Creative Communities, a research initiative funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The full series launches in October 2024, with a special preview episode coming in September.

Credits

Creative Communities is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK (Grant Agreement No AH/X001555/1) and hosted at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

With podcast production and training from MIC media.