A Day of Collective Gathering around Creative Methodologies in UCC on 8th October, 2026

8 Oct 2026

An enthusiastic group of researchers came together on Thursday 8th October 2026 to explore the myriad ways creative research methods could enhance both the execution and presentation of their research.

The one-day symposium was hosted by two ISS21 research clusters - Genders, Sexualities and Families, and SHAPE (Society, Health Equity and Political Economy). Dr Monica O’Mullane of the School of Public Health and Dr Gema Kloppe-Santamaría from the Department of Sociology & Criminology co-organised and co-led the day.

The event started with a warm welcome and brief talk from Dr Shirley Martin, Head of School of Applied Social Sciences. Shirley described how she uses creative methods like storytelling, body-mapping and drawing in her work with children. She explained how these methods can disrupt the power balance between researcher and research participants, giving kids more agency in the process. After 22 years at UCC, Shirley is delighted to see that creative methods are much more embedded in academic practice these days. Next up, Dr Kate Carruthers-Thomas of Birmingham City University delivered what she calls a deconstructed keynote talk. Dotted around the room were various installations, displaying ‘experimental’ ways of doing and disseminating research created by Kate. ‘Exhibits’ include the Five ‘Survive’ Lockdown, a popular graphic novella about life during lockdown as well as the HE Career Game, a highly-engaging board game resembling snakes and ladders. Kate also delivered several ‘lightning talks’ on topics such as the ‘tyranny of tidy’ in academia. Here, she homed in on the desire to make 'messy' data orderly as well as the pressure to publish in prescribed formats.

In the afternoon session, we learned about the creative research methods Prof. Jelke Boesten and her team at King's College London employ. Jelke described how she and her fellow VEMinists use Visual and Embodied Methodologies (VEM) in a highly-collaborative research project investigating gendered violence. Given discussions centring violence are challenging, alternative research methods can help people feel more comfortable and connected. VEM encompasses visual, embodied, sensory, narrative and craft-based methods and the VEM Network at King's College London have recently published an instructive and visually-engaging guide for researchers (available for free here). The day then finished up with speed-dating and a feedback session. Researchers were clearly keen to get to know each other and their creative projects better in brief pair discussions. The upbeat mood and positive energy in the room remained strong until the end of the day. Participants were very eager for more in the form of a follow-up hands-on session trying out some of the creative methods discussed. Watch this space! #CreativeUCC

This event news item was written by Clare Gallagher, student on the Masters in Sociology, with input from Dr Gema Kloppe-Santamaría & Dr Monica O’Mullane.

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Dr Gema Kloppe-Santamaría & Dr Monica O’Mullane.