SPACEX Training Event – June 30 & July 1, 2022

SPACEX responds to the troubling rise of populist nationalism and conflict in European societies by engaging new publics and forging a culture that embraces diversity, difference, and discursive exchange within cities, towns and urban sites.

The lack of interdisciplinary knowledge by those working in the cultural sector has significantly affected the way in which the social benefit of cultural activities is understood, articulated and applied. SPACEX proposes that inventing new and inclusive ways of living together, requires the implementation of new transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral practices and methods, that connect spatial practice with cultural sociology, cultural policy, critical pedagogies and behavioural economics

The Coventry based SPACEX training event will consist of two days of talks and presentations addressing the contexts outlined in the SPACEX research action. The aim of the two-day event is to review research methods that draw on perspectives across the social sciences and humanities, in order that SPACEX researchers can devise an approach best suited to their contribution to the SPACEX action. The first day entitled, ‘An introduction to Cultural Sociology’, will cover traditional ethnographic research, field research and participant observation methods. It will introduce researchers to action research (with others), affective methodologies and creative and arts-based methods as well as feminist approaches to new societal challenges. While day one – concerns itself with methods and processes that help to explore the social and cultural contexts of working with others, day two engages with the institutions and practices of the city. For day two entitled ‘Arts and the urban commons: new visions for the phoenix city’ we move out of the university and into the city where we will discuss the issues arising from Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture. We will hear from artists, curators, researchers and local citizens, this will give an insight into some of the cultural activities that are played out in the city as well as the broader context of arts and culture as a UK government process of regeneration. We imagine questions of agency, function and the depoliticization of arts and culture will result from the talks and conversations planned for the day.