Call for papers, with travel bursaries 

The use of research creation and arts-based methods in studying housing, planning and the built environment
9 – 10 September 2025
Maynooth University, Ireland
Organisers: Rob Kitchin, Carla Maria Kayanan, Juliette Davret and Oliver Dawkins  

We are seeking participants for a two-day workshop that will explore the use of research creation and arts-based methods in studying housing, planning and the built environment. The workshop is organised as part of the ERC funded project, ‘Data Stories: Telling Stories about and with Planning and Property Data’ (https://datastories.maynoothuniversity.ie/). 

We are offering: 

• 10 travel bursaries for speakers, 5 up to €800 with 3 night’s accommodation (for beyond-Europe travel) and 5 up to €250 with 2 night’s accommodation (for within-Europe travel). The bursary is open to doctoral students, early career researchers, senior academics and artists. 

• 3 travel bursaries for doctoral students to attend the workshop of up to €250, plus 2 night’s accommodation.  

Workshop focus  

Over the last two decades, there has been a turn towards using creative and arts-based practices within social sciences to research aspects of society. Research-creation is an approach that utilises creative and arts-based practices and methods throughout the entire research process from the formulation of a project, through its enactment, to its dissemination (Loveless 2019, Truman 2021). Methodologically, such research might use various forms of creative writing (e.g., speculative fiction, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction), art and craft practices (e.g., painting, photography, sculpture, textiles) and performance (e.g., theatre, film-making, music) as participatory methods to generate shared insight into an issue. Using a research creation approach provides opportunities for opening up new ways to conceptualise and understand issues related to housing, planning and the built environment.  

This workshop aims to explore and theorise:  

• the potential of research creation as an approach for making sense of housing, planning and the built environment; 

• the implications of different artistic / creative practices for the co-production of knowledge  

• the implications of different models of collaboration (e.g. the artist plus researcher pair vs. the artist doing research/researcher doing art)  

We are open to other exploring and thinking through other relevant issues and questions. While we will organise traditional paper-based sessions, we are also open to alternative modes of presentation and session formats. Following the workshop, selected speakers will be expected to contribute a full chapter to an edited academic book of the workshop proceedings. 

We invite applications to attend the workshop from scholars, artists and scholar-artists who are using a research creation approach or arts-based methods to conduct housing, planning and built environment research. We seek contributions that emphasise epistemological inquiry rather than those that primarily showcase the outputs of using arts-based methods. Papers that critically consider arts-based methods in the social sciences, engage with data, and focus on housing, planning, and property will be prioritised.

Application process 

To apply to present a paper and receive a travel bursary please submit a short cover letter explaining why you would like to attend, a title and a short abstract (150 – 200 words) to both carla.kayanan@mu.ie & juliette.davret@mu.ie (using the subject line ‘CFP RESEARCH CREATION WORKSHOP’) by 14th March 2025. 

To apply for a doctoral student travel bursary to attend the workshop please submit a cover letter explaining why you would like to attend to both carla.kayanan@mu.ie & juliette.davret@mu.ie (using the subject line ‘BURSARY RESEARCH CREATION WORKSHOP’) by 14th March 2025. 

A decision on selection will be made by 14th April 2025. 

For any queries please jointly email carla.kayanan@mu.ie & juliette.davret@mu.ie