Hidden Cities: researchers learn artistic methods to explore urban transformation

5 Dec 2025

Over 90 participants, comprised of postgraduate students and academics from around Europe, took part in a week-long in-person programme delivered in Cork by the Department of Theatre and the Future Humanities Institute, 1 - 5 December 2025.

Co-ordinated by Prof. Yvon Bonenfant and Dr Brice Catherin (Theatre) via the UNIC alliance, the training marked the culmination of an Erasmus+ funded ‘blended intensive programme’ focused on cutting-edge artistic approaches to research.  

Participating in hands-on, sensory-focused creative workshops, the attendees learned how to use artistic tools—such as theatre, music, fiction writing, drawing, and installation art—at different stages of their research process. The course emphasized both theory and practice, engaging students in active experimentation and reflection. 

The suite of dynamic sessions and workshops brought in academic and artistic expertise from across the partner universities of the UNIC European Universities Alliance, while also connecting participants with Cork, its urban spaces, residents and history. 

At the end of the programme, participants were invited to design an artistic intervention inspired by an aspect of hidden Cork, with a focus on outreach and communication to communities who are not familiar with the sites and stories of the city. Prof. Yvon Bonenfant commented, “It was incredible to see the rich and creative work delivered by the BIP participants, and how they fully engaged with the city and its spaces in such a short period of time. We were so impressed.”