Fellowship in Residence: Bath Community Engagement and Participation

Introducing an opportunity to spend ten months in residence with The Studio in Bath, Creative Twerton and surrounding communities. We are inviting those with a background or practice in community-based Action Research to explore ways in which communities within Bath & North East Somerset (BaNES) can engage with immersive and creative technologies leading to positive change.

This might be improved social mobility and job prospects but also positive social impacts such as creating better, more connected communities with inclusive infrastructure, intergenerational connections and better mental health.

We will award one person £20,000 for 10 months at 2.5 days/week. You will be contracted and paid via the University of Bristol but managed by Watershed and the Fellowship host.

This will be the first of three linked 10-month practical Fellowships taking the form of community-based Action Research.

Action Research is a research method that “tackles real-world problems in participatory, collaborative, and cyclical ways in order to produce both knowledge and action” (Zina O’Leary, 2004). For this Fellowship, we are looking for people who are interested in using this collaborative ‘learning through doing’ method, to develop co-created strategies to find ways to engage the different communities that are served by Creative Twerton with immersive and creative technologies.

This MyWorld Fellowship is aimed at practitioners – including freelancers and sole traders - with experience in community-based work. We invite people to think about these Fellowships as a period of collaborative thinking and experimentation, applying practice, expertise or relevant experience. They are an opportunity to explore ethical questions, consider what makes a meaningful experience for people, ask new questions and test high-risk ideas.

Our work will be stronger with greater diversity and we welcome applications from those who are currently underrepresented in the culture, technology and higher education sectors. We understand that each of us brings our experiences, our backgrounds and our own unique lens to what we do so no one is expected to represent any specific groups.

This Fellowship is hosted by The Studio in Bath. The Studio provides a space for local micro-businesses, Bath Spa University students, academics, and graduates to work on projects and ideas that focus on creativity and technology. It is also a space to collaborate, share ideas, host events – for Residents, and the wider community.

This Fellowship is part of the the MyWorld IDEAS programme, funded by UKRI.

The application process

You are invited to answer five questions on an online form focusing on how you meet the criteria for the Fellowship in residence, and how you can build care into the process.

Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to interview with members of the MyWorld partnership and The Studio.

How to apply

Download the Fellowship brief to find everything you need to know about the theme, the opportunity, the application process, timeline and FAQs.

MyWorld Fellowship The Studio Brief (Large Print)

Please apply via the application form.