Dr. Anne Mitchell sits down with Action Research Yes/And co-host Skip Bivens to talk about community mental health research in her native Guyana using participatory digital storytelling (DST). Anne's career in psychiatric nursing took her to the UK where she practiced in the NHS for more than four decades. Then she took an academic turn, completing a PhD using storytelling as a core methodology. In 2019, Anne turned her attention to Guyana--which has the third highest suicide rate globally--to utilize DST methods in three distinct contexts in order to understand how better to strengthen community resilience. An overview of this research process recently was published in the Action Research Journal. (See link in the show notes.) In this interview, Anne provides further detail about the methodology her team used, as well as findings arising from the communities' DSTs. She also details her efforts of how she is leveraging this research to influence mental health policy across the whole of Guyana. Show notes: Digital storytelling within a community-based mental health improvement programme in Guyana. Mitchell, H. A., Waights, V., & Hart, T. (2024). Action Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503241296717 Arclight Community Mental Health Resilience Handbook: https://cobracollective.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ARCLIGHT_handbook.pdf TV is a key stakeholder. Action Dialogue with Dr. Ann Mitchell. Action Research Plus. https://actionresearchplus.com/action-dialogue-with-dr-ann-mitchell/

Hilary Bradbury and Sonia Bussu talk about how youth who suffer mental health problems (anxiety, ADHD etc) successfully got on the radar of policy makers. Using legislative theatre their action research resulted in policy recommendations. It is an example of social innovation that is transformative in that it helps reconfigure relationships between policy makers and youth – and, as importantly, it transforms how they relate. The big action research idea in Sonia Bussu’s and colleagues work is to work at the intersection of policy making and action research. Inviting policy makers to join young people in theatre in the round draws a lot from Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Sonia and her team then follow how, which and whether the various recommendations are implemented. In the meantime the youth involved get to use new skills in shaping their own future. The enduring benefit to all concerned is having direct experience of democratic practice in action. In effect the use of theatre and reflection together on the insights makes democracy more participative and continues to expand the pool of people our democracy serves. We also speak about the difficulty of doing action research as an associate professor who must take responsibility for all the “logistical ethics” of the work. This means the important “behind the scenes” work of crafting the relational space so policy makers and youth can meet, build trust and be productive together. Given that so much falls on the shoulders of the action researcher, it is simply true to admit how exhausting this work is. Moreover it continues to be somewhat punished as conventional forms of research remain rewarded. Still Sonia perseveres, not least because it’s incredibly rewarding, purpose-filled work! Happily her work is also successful in finding EU funding, that always help academic seniors see the value! Sonia shares what being a participative action researcher mean for her today and why she recommends to others do this work today. Show Notes: Hilary's interview with socio dramatist, Agnes Blasko in Hungary is also relevant. https://actionresearchplus.com/?s=drama AR+ Blog about Sonia and team's article: https://actionresearchplus.com/mindset-revolution-for-youth-mental-health-by-bussu-et-al-in-arj/ Forever link to article: Bussu, S., Rubin, K., Carroll, N., & Eve, Z. (2025). It’s a Mindset Revolution! Co-creating inclusive spaces of participation on youth mental health. Action Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503251320616 Author Bios: Dr Sonia Bussu is Associate Professor in Public Policy at the University of Birmingham. Sonia has written and led research on participatory governance, youth participation, coproduction and participatory research and arts-based methods for inclusive democratic spaces. Studies and teaches public policy, or what governments do or do not do, why and how. Her main research interest is participatory governance, or ways of involving citizens, and particularly those groups often at the margins of social and political life, in making policies that affect them directly. In recent years she studied the role of social movements and grassroots politics in using and strengthening democratic innovations to further social justice and has recently received funding from the EU to continue and expand the work. Co-authors: Katy Rubin is a Legislative Theatre practitioner and director of The People Act hub for creative civic practice. S Niamh Carroll is currently the Research and Evaluation lead at Greater Manchester Moving. Dr. Zarah Eve is a Research Associate at the School of Nursing and Public Health at Manchester Metropolitan University.

We thought it might be interesting for our listeners to know a bit more about Dr. Felix Bivens – Skip – who is co-host for the AR+ Yes/And podcast with Hilary Bradbury. Here Skip talks with Hilary about what he’s bringing to the second season of the podcast, informed by his own extensive work and experiences in the world of participatory social change. Dr. Felix (Skip) Bivens is a writer and participatory researcher based in rural Tennessee, USA. He leads Empyrean Research, a community-based consultancy dedicated to enhancing the knowledge generation and learning capacities of change-oriented organizations. From 2015-2025, he served as a technical advisor in participatory action research (PAR) to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), where he designed PAR processes for post-conflict contexts, e.g., most recently in Colombia. Skip has been an associate editor for the Action Research Journal since 2020 and supports the Action Research Plus Foundation as co-host for the Yes/And podcast. He is a member of the AR+ Foundation community. Skip holds a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and an MSc from the London School of Economics. Skip’s research, teaching and facilitation experience span five continents over two decades. We discuss what it means to be an Action Researcher at this moment in life… we use the metaphor of a train and participative action researcher as one who helps the passengers learn also to influence their destinations. Rather than merely be passengers on someone’s journey, Skip helps people to define their destination and to travel together. We highlight his peace work with USIP and his board leadership at Highlander. In both he brings his expertise with PAR. Show notes: More on Highlander Research and Education Center Scott, S. L. (2009). Discovering what the people knew: The 1979 Appalachian Land Ownership Study. Action Research, 7(2), 185-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750309103257 (Original work published 2009) More on John Gaventa's new book. John is key, in the histories of action research, to linking global south and north perspectives. His upcoming book revisits power and powerlessness in what is now Trump country. Skip and Gaventa share history at Highlander and the Institute of Development Studies. Gaventa's book may be pre-ordered (and we'll hope Skip can interview him when it's out!: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p009853 In appreciation: As always, thanks to the Action Research Yes/And Podcast Team for these recordings: Dr. Tomás Boatwright: Interviewee Preparation and Interview Support Dr. Kristen Goessling: Content Analysis Dr. Ruth Förster: Mixing and Audio Editing Dr. Carol Gorelick: Transcript Editing Dr. Felix Bivens: Co-host Dr. Hilary Bradbury: Co-host

Simon Divecha, PHD came unexpectedly to live in Europe having lived in Australia/New Zealand and USA. It was a return of sorts as he had grown up in Glasgow of Scottish and Indian heritage. During his travels he became an action researcher with a PhD University Medal to prove it. And, more importantly, many wonderful big-picture systems-change engagements (especially across the health and sustainability-corporate sectors). He brings an Integral--aka meta-modernist--perspective as he looks to connect with, and amplify, positive influences in response to our eco-social crisis. Simon is the co-founder of (be) Benevolution and an associate editor at ARJ where he is leading a special issue on Mindset transformations among action researchers. Show Notes: Simon Divecha Substack: https://benevolution.substack.com/p/soulprint-0bf

In this episode of Action Research Yes/And, co-host Skip Bivens interviews Dr. Miren Estensoro, Dr. Patricia Canto, and pre-doctoral researcher Naia Begiristain—a trio of action researchers from the Orkestra Institute of Competitiveness and Regional Development in the Basque region of Spain. Orkestra is a unique collaborative organization at the University of Deusto that tackles regional development challenges through transformative action research approaches facilitated in conjunction with local government actors and agencies. Each Orkestra researcher leads hands-on projects that focus on practical solutions that drive regional development, boost competitiveness, and improve citizens' wellbeing. Orkestra’s latest publication-- The Evolution of Action Research for Territorial Development: Nurturing an Intergenerational and Multicultural Environment (see show notes for a link the full PDF)--is the focus of this episode. As editors and authors, Patricia, Miren, and Naia share their passion for blending diverse research traditions, building a multigenerational community, and democratizing policymaking from the inside out. They explore the history of Orkestra, the collaborative journey behind the new book, the Institute’s innovative process of teaching action research, and the ways Orkestra researchers support elected officials be more collaborative and dialogical with their constituents by building their capacity for facilitation and the use of participatory tools. Show notes: The Evolution of Action Research for Territorial Development: Nurturing an Intergenerational and Multicultural Environment: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/publications-search/publications/books/special-collections/2954-250012-evolution-action-research-fterritorial-development-nurturing-an-intergenerational-and-multicultural-environment-eng Other Orkestra publications: Roots and Wings of Action Research for Territorial Development: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/publications-search/publications/books/special-collections/2078-200038-roots-wings-action-research-territorial-development-connecting-local-transformation-international-collaborative-learning Territorial Development and Action Research: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/publications-search/publications/books/books-book-chapters/727-territorial-development-action-research The Art of Facilitating Action Research: A first-person account in policy making: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/publications-search/publications/books/special-collections/2888-240083-art-of-faciltating-action-research Yes/And Podcast episode with Miren Lirrea Dr. Miren Larrea on the Practice of Reflexivity in ART: https://actionresearchplus.com/dr-miren-larrea-on-the-practice-of-reflexivity-in-art-podcast-6/ Miren's bio: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/about-orkestra/team/415-miren-estensoro-en Patricia's bio: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/about-orkestra/team/410-patricia-canto-enhttps://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/about-orkestra/team/410-patricia-canto-en Naia's bio: https://www.orkestra.deusto.es/en/about-orkestra/team/2193-naia-begiristain-eng

In this episode of Action Research Yes/And, co-host Felix ‘Skip’ Bivens speaks with Hungary-based researchers Dr. Violeta Vajda, Kata Kárász, and Gábor Daróczi. This team has just published a multi-year action research analysis of the accessibility of public services for the large Roma population—around 800,000 citizens—which exists in Hungary. In the post-Soviet era, Roma in Hungary have been actively segregated, crowded into homogenous ethic enclaves within larger cities or independent rural villages with their own schools designated only for Roma children. In this context, many such communities face inadequate or absent public services such as transportation and health care, among others. Since 2019, the European Union has sought to rectify this imbalance through the funding of the Felzárkózó Települések (FETE) program, which is providing hundreds of millions of Euros in aid to Hungary’s three-hundred most disadvantaged villages. While not explicitly a Roma-focused project, the vast majority of the communities included in FETE programs are Roma-majority localities. Working with young Roma activists trained in action research methods, Violeta, Kata and Gábor engaged multiple communities to determine the current availability and quality of public services and to what degree the ongoing FETE program is making an impact on these issues. They found unevenness in the delivery of the program, while the overall impact of the initative is masked by a lack of transparency about implementation and impact assessment of FETE activities, which are not administered directly by the EU but through a variety of local government and voluntary sector actors. Given the current Hungarian government’s status as a role model for 21st century authoritarianism, the conversation also delves into the role of action research and community-generated data under regimes that actively work to obscure transparency and analysis of their activities. Key Themes in this Episode: Introductions and backgrounds: 2:00-8:30 Context: Hungarian political environment and situation of Roma communities: 9:00-24:00 Research background and description of FETE program: 25:00-46:00 Research methodology: 47:00-55:00 Research findings: 56:00-1:14.00 Knowledge mobilization strategies: 1:16:00-1:24.30 Working with Roma youth as co-researchers: 1:24:30-1:28.30 Wider Lessons from researching in the Hungarian political context: 1:28:30-1:36.30 Show Notes: Roma Access to Public Service in Hungary Reports: https://phirenamenca.eu/public-service-access-by-roma-in-hungary-research-reports/ Phiren Amenca https://phirenamenca.eu/ The Roma Women's Network https://www.facebook.com/romanoihalozat Independent Theater Hungary https://independenttheater.hu/en/ Romaversitas https://romaversitas.hu/en/

Hilary Bradbury, founder and curator at AR+, talks with Andrea Rodericks, an independent action researcher active in international development in Asia. Andrea lives between Goa, India and Atlanta, USA. Our focus today is on Andrea's three key questions for navigating partnerships. In this she interrogates purpose (individual and shared), types of spaces (formal meetings and informal) and finally the question of "what is mine to do." At AR+ we have been following Andrea’s work for some years, e.g., on her design and facilitation work in Bangladesh that originally started in helping kids not to drown. We start with the question of what it means for Andrea to be an action researcher today and follow the story of her work through the quality choicepoints used by the Action Research Journal. * Erratum: Hilary mistakenly refers to Prof. Yunus as President Yunus. He is, in fact, the Chief Advisor in Bangladesh. Show notes: Andrea Rodericks' bio: https://actionresearchplus.com/ar-personal-members/ Blogpost detailing Andrea's AR work in Bangladesh to prevent child drownings: https://actionresearchplus.com/andrea-rodericks-art-in-bangladesh/

In her address to the 2025 UAE Family and Society Conference, Dr. Hilary Bradbury introduces action research as a social change and transformations methodology that is helping post conventional kinship networks respond to eco-social crisis. She discusses in depth an example of action research that is successfully tackling social cohesion issues in a European Eco Village. That’s a village where people seek to live more socially and ecologically sustainably. She brings attention to the human-relational bonds at the heart of living in community. She then illustrates how participative action research tackles, supports and transforms the social cohesion problems. This work supports a post conventional, post tribal, kinship network. Where conventionally people have relied on strong family structures for emotional and social stability, today’s increasing migration, technological and social changes, have weakened traditional bonds. Today there are significant human challenges both physical and mental. At the same time, our collective planetary thresholds for biological health are beyond what can be easily fixed. Hilary argues and illustrates that we need a new way of living, of working, of researching. May many more of us learn and practice action research for transformations. Listen in! Or watch the video in the show notes below to see the complete slide deck. Show notes: https://actionresearchplus.com/action-research-is-a-social-change-and-transformations-methodology-for-eco-village-and-kinship-networks/

In this episode, Skip speaks with Joanna Wheeler and Katie Collins. Joanna is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of the Western Cape. She is also the founder of Transformative Story. A specialist in participatory storytelling methodologies, Joanna has facilitated over 200 participatory storytelling workshops and courses during the past decade. Katie is a poet and member of the English faculty at Oxford University. For the past several years, through the story-methods-focused Ibali Network, Joanna and Katie have collaborated on storytelling workshops with various communities and groups, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, which have endured pervasive exclusion and marginalization. Through the Ibali work, Katie was invited to offer an ethnographic analysis of several story workshops facilitated by Joanna. This set the stage for generative collaboration between the two and the subsequent bourgeoning of new ideas around the nature and process of participatory storytelling within action research processes. In this podcast, Joanna and Katie outline a conceptual and practical shift from storytelling to story-making, which elevates the role of the participant well beyond the role of producer of data. From the story-making perspective, the makers are artistic agents in their own right and their stories stand alone, with purpose and integrity both within and beyond the research processes in which they were created. This sets the stage for a more participant-centered process with greater emphasis on exploration, analysis and heightened potential for individual and collective growth and empowerment. The podcast delves into the generative and methodological aspects of a story-making approach, in particular, the need for new mindset regarding facilitation, a revision of ethical and intellect property considerations, and a reorientation of how stories relate and integrate with the wider research processes in which they are embedded. Joanna and Katie are wrapping up a new book about the story-making approach and will be facilitating several related courses and events in 2025. Please see the links in the show notes below for more information, as well as opportunities for learning and collaboration. Ibali Network: https://wels.open.ac.uk/research/networks/ibali/about-ibali Transformative Story: https://www.transformativestory.net/ Katherine Collins, Poet: https://katherinecollinspoet.com/ Antarctica: More-than-human stories event: https://www.torch.ox.ac.uk/event/antarctica-more-than-human-stories Storytelling as Participatory Research, Wheeler and Bivens (2021), Sage Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry: https://www.academia.edu/81859141/Storytelling_as_Participatory_Research

In this Yes/And podcast, Hilary Bradbury interviews Dr. Tomas Boatwright. Tomas is a passionate educator and social science researcher. Currently, he is faculty in the Student Development Department at Austin Community College, teaching frameworks for college success. In addition to teaching, Tomas’ research and scholarship is focused on intersectional analysis. His research agenda is concerned with two primary inquiries: youth and community engagement. Within these two inquiries , he explores the contexts of agency and identity. Through his research, teaching and scholarships, he contributes rich and complex understandings of marginalized communities, with particular emphasis on queer youth of color.

In this interview Hilary Bradbury, curator at AR+ Foundation and editor-in-chief at Action Research journal talks with fellow action researcher Dr. Marina Apgar. Marina is an associate editor at ARJ and works with the Inst for Development Studies at U. Sussex in UK. In the interview we aim to bring alive the quality choicepoints for the action research that we use to develop papers at ARJ. We start the interview with Marina sharing about her own action research, specifically a systemic project that worked to build evidence and practical solutions to hazardous child labour in Bangladesh and Nepal. In this the Quality of Sustaining action research comes alive in particular, given the systemic focus of the programme within the context of international development programming (even as Marina touches on all the other choicepoints too). Additionally, Marina speaks about papers she has helped shepherd to publication at ARJ including a recently published paper by Dr. Kristen Gossling which exemplifies Quality of Participative Methods. There Marina highlights collective analysis of data as an innovation. Finally we hear about Dr. Andy Hamilton’s et al longitudinal action research with boys in Northern Ireland which brings to life the way action researchers can support intentionality of transformation through building and nurturing learning infrastructures.

Marina is an associate editor at ARJ and works with the Inst for Development Studies at U. Sussex in UK. In the interview we aim to bring alive the quality choicepoints for the action research that we use to develop papers at ARJ. We start the interview with Marina sharing about her own action research, specifically a project that helps alleviate human trafficking in Bangladesh and Nepal. In this the Quality of Sustaining action research comes alive in particular (even as Marina touches on all the other choicepoints too). Additionally, Marina speaks about papers she has helped shepherd to publication at ARJ including a recently published paper by Dr. Kristen Gossling which exemplifies Quality of Participative Methods. There Marina highlights collective analysis of data [link] as an innovation. Finally we hear about Dr. Andy Hamilton’s et al longitudinal action research with boys in Northern Ireland. This is further explored in Marina's own interview with Andy Hamilton on https://actionresearchplus.com/podcast.

In this podcast #2 Jemma Llewellyn speaks with Miren and Carey. Miren, or Dr. Miren Larrea is an ARTist in the Basque region where her action research transformations work is aimed at territorial development with policymakers and politicians. Carey West is a PhD student in critical improvisation studies, engaged with arts based community making

In this episode of AR+ Yes/And podcast, Action Research Journal Associate Editor Felix (Skip) Bivens interviews Joanne Rappaport, author of Cowards Don’t Make History, and Victor Negrete, professor at Universidad del Sinu in Columbia and close collaborator of Orlando Fals Borda in the 1970s, about the origins of participatory action research (PAR) in Colombia and its evolution towards more mainstream acceptance in academia and beyond.

Next Generation ARTists- Updates from Degree Programs Around the Globe. S1 Ep9 by Action Research Plus

Interview with Melissa Parenti and Chris Riedy on Spring 2023 ARJ Issue. S1 Ep11 by Action Research Plus

In this conversation with Hilary Bradbury, Miren Larrea talks about experiencing the value of turning the camera on herself. With it came renewed energy for her work in transforming territorial politics in Spain's Basque region. Listen in...

In this episode of the Yes/And, Action Research Journal Associate Editor Felix (Skip) Bivens interviews his colleagues Laura Leiva and Leidy Munoz about their collaboration in a two-year youth-led participatory action research (PAR) for peacebuilding project in Colombia. The discussion explores the United Nation’s Youth Peace and Security (YPS) agenda as well as the value of PAR as a peacebuilding approach in conflict-affected communities.

In this episode of AR+ Yes/And podcast, Felix (Skip) Bivens interviews Victor Friedman and Maryann Broxton, both of whom served as editors for the recent special issue of the Action Research Journal entitled 'Action Research for Transforming the Poverty Field.' Their backgrounds are intentionally dichotomous: Victor a life-long action researcher and academic, and Maryann an activist for ATD Fourth World, an international organization working directly with people experiencing poverty. The interview discusses intensively the development process behind of the special issue, and along the way, delves deeply into the tensions inherent in the social construction of knowledge.

ART in Denmark - Aalborg University. S1 Ep4 by Action Research Plus