The Researcher Community Showcase: From the Third Sector to Academia: My career journey as a participatory researcher – Dr Hayley Trowbridge

Hayley Trowbridge is a Research Fellow in SPARK. In this blog, she shares with us her career journey as a participatory researcher. 

Working with Communities

My journey began in my hometown – Wigan, volunteering at a Creative Media Training Centre for adults with learning disabilities. Through filmmaking, we explored creativity, self-expression, and teamwork. I loved it – it set me on my path.

After graduating in Screen Studies from LJMU in 2008, I applied creative skills to community-based education, advocacy, and cultural projects. In Toxteth, I led a heritage project that unearthed local stories through animations, a heritage trail, and a schools’ toolkit. In Wigan, I co-founded an arts organisation using creativity to deliver STEM education. Across Greater Manchester, I established a multimedia advocacy project with Disabled people, producing an online magazine.

There are many more projects I could mention, but ultimately, this work led me to People’s Voice Media – a social change charity using digital storytelling to bring lived experience into research, policy, and service development. A new chapter began.

Storytelling as a Tool for Change

I joined People’s Voice Media as a facilitator, delivering Community Reporting training. Community Reporting enables people to share their own experiences, in their own words, through text, images, audio, and video. The training builds confidence, enabling participants to tell their stories and gather stories from peers.

At the same time, I was completing my PhD at the University of Liverpool on independent film distribution. I saw how Community Reporting could function like independent filmmaking – as a tool for changemaking, influencing, and activism. Working with colleagues, I developed the methodology further, managing work packages on European research projects that investigated social innovation through the eyes of citizens in InnOSI, used Community Reporting to support co-production in public services in CoSIE and combine lived experience with future-thinking to support democracy in EUARENAS.

In 2015, I became CEO and led the organisation into a new phase, develop our mission to change the world, one story at a time.

Joining SPARK and the Cathays Futures Project

SPARK’s commitment to cross-sector collaboration and co-creating solutions to society’s biggest challenges caught my eye. When a Research Fellow role in the Hub team opened, I applied and two years ago joined part-time.

At SPARK, I’ve brought my creative-thinking, participatory practice, and focus on social justice to research. I established the Method Magpie series – taster workshops on creative methods – and co-founded a Community of Practice (CoP) on innovative research methods, bringing together academia, public sector, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations. I also delivered the Futures in Research module for the Welsh Graduate School of Social Sciences.

A key project has been Cathays Futures. It brings together community members, researchers, and civic organisations to co-produce knowledge and improve wellbeing in Cathays. By integrating lived experience with academic research and professional expertise, the project seeks to build equitable relationships between SPARK and its local community.

During its pilot phase (April–July 2024), Cathays Futures engaged 42 participants through 12 stakeholder meetings and two workshops. Civic collaborators included Citizens Cymru, South Wales Police, Cardiff Council, and Cathays Community Centre. Using co-production, participatory futures, and design-thinking, we explored how to mobilise knowledge and address local challenges.

Three trajectories emerged:

1. Building Relationships: Creating informal spaces for SPARK and the Cathays community to interact. We began with a games-based networking event in December, with more planned.
2. Accessible Expertise: Supporting evidence-informed practices in community organisations. We promoted the Third Sector Research Partnership, and some Cathays organisations are now involved.
3. Design as a Tool for Knowledge Mobilisation: Hosting Labs to tackle community wellbeing issues. After residents raised concerns, we held a session in October 2024 on re-establishing Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings.

What’s Next?

Cathays Futures is moving forward. SPARK has secured support from the Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute (SCIII) seedcorn fund to continue the PACT work. Additional Labs on housing issues and alcohol-free social spaces are planned for 2025, in collaboration with Citizens Wales and Cardiff Council. We’re also seeking funding for work on litter and waste management.

Beyond Cathays Futures, I’m working with the working with NCRM’s Collaborative and Participatory Methodological Special Interest Group to develop a Special Issue on everyday ethics in participatory research. I’m also looking forward to being a part of the GW4 Crucible 2025 and collaborating with others on the topic of creative societies and cultures. I’m hoping to bring my research practice, creative skills and social justice focus to the table!