​​Abstract

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This practice-based Emancipatory Social Change (ESC) Adult Education research combined participatory art-based and transdisciplinary research methodologies with feminist adult education to co-produce a workshop toolkit which can used in ‘Education for Sustainability’ and research. ESC Adult Education is a collective learning process orientated to collective action to transform the systemic and structural roots of social inequality and ecological destruction. The toolkit is aimed at adult educators, artists, activists, public intellectuals and researchers. This research responded to public and practitioner calls which identified a need for creative, holistic and participatory methodologies to promote inclusive collaboration between diverse stakeholders, such as educators, artists, researchers, scientists, and civil society,. to tackle the challenges of sustainability (Bolger et al., 2021; Citizens-Assembly, 2018; IPCC, 2018; E. A. Lange, 2018; Slevin et al., 2020; UNESCO, 2017, 2018; Vandenabeele et al., 2024). 

 

Adult education is identified as having a vital role to play in shaping Education for Sustainability (EFS) and Transdisciplinary research (TDR) , the latter of which largely relates to sustainability science (Government of Ireland, 2020; Klein, 2022; Lange, 2018; Pohl & Hirsch Hadorn, 2007; Slevin et al., 2020; UNESCO, 2017; Vandenabeele et al., 2024). Despite this, adult education experienced defunding through neoliberal policy changes (Fitzsimons, 2015; Kelleher, 2018; Ryan et al., 2014). Furthermore,  it was found that ESC Adult Education is rarely drawn from and not well understood within TDR literature. To respond to these learning and research practice needs, an Art-Based Participatory Action Research (AB-PAR) methodology was used to co-create art-based and holistic adult education workshops with public co-researchers in a project called ‘Hedge Space’.

 

These workshops were infused with elements of art, craft, science, ecology, permaculture and STEAM. Co-researchers reported that the creative tools enabled them to build relationship, discuss political issues, and plan and execute actions. Challenges reported included understanding process, agenda setting, language and communication, personal resource limits, self-other care, and knowledge gaps in strategic action. These practice findings informed a responsive holistic Do-it-Together praxis toolkit which is available on hedgespace.net, a publicly accessible learning platform, a research archive, and a cultural artefact.

 

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​PhD description

 

There is a widely recognised need for new ways of approaching ‘Education for sustainability’ to promote inclusive public participation and support effective collaboration between diverse stakeholders to tackle the ‘wicked’ challenges we face (Bolger et al., 2021; Citizens-Assembly, 2018; Government of Ireland, 2020; Grummell & Finnegan, 2020; Hirsch Hadorn et al., 2006; IPCC, 2018; Lange, 2018; Slevin et al., 2020; UNESCO, 2017; Vandenabeele et al., 2024). A review of TDR literature identified a keen interest in drawing on adult education’s reflexive, open and responsive techniques, which this field excels at, and how to apply those techniques within other participatory contexts, such as, TDR (Bolger et al., 2021; Hirsch Hadorn et al., 2006; Klein, 2022; E. A. Lange, 2018; Pohl, 2005). There is also increasing interest in community-based creative climate action projects, and an identified need for trained community artists to facilitate these projects, and who may benefit from training in adult education and EFS (Athayde et al., 2017; Bolger et al., 2021; Creative Ireland, 2022; Finley, 2011; Fitzgerald, 2023; Grummell & Finnegan, 2020; Helguera, 2011; Sholette et al., 2018).​ This PhD took on this challenge through an interdisciplinary research project which combines adult education,  social art practice, theories of sustainability, particularly deep Transformative Sustainability Education (TSE), and research on public participation.

Over four years a novel workshop approach which synthesised adult education, art-based and participatory methodologies was co-created with public participants. The thesis documents this process and details the educational practices, exercises and theories that can be used within this contemporary context to promote inclusive public participation and collaboration between diverse publics, practitioners and other stakeholders.

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The main objectives were:

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To co-create holistic small-scale making praxis workshops based on Adult Education, interwoven with elements of social practice art, craft, STEAM, permaculture, Education for Sustainability, and transdisciplinary research.

To evaluate how effective these workshops were at enabling public participants to engage with social and environmental issues and take collective action for sustainability. 

 

 

Methodology

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The research honed an arts-based participatory action research (AB-PAR) methodology, a group based experiential learning practice which involves collective reflection and dialogue on social struggle to inform political action (Freire, 1970).​ The co-researching phase ran from 2021 to 2023, commencing with an open call for public co-researchers. During this time, co-researchers engaged with nature, art, craft, and technology to explore social-ecological issues and how to address these issues through collective political action. Each workshop was followed by a group reflection to inform the next workshop throughout the PAR process. This process informed new public events which engaged a further 40 participants. 

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Outcomes
 

The creative aspects of the workshops were positively experienced and enabled co-researchers  to build solidarity relationships, discuss topics and plan and execute actions and in collaboration with other community groups. Workshop challenges included understanding open and responsive collaborative process, navigating language and communication, self-care in activism, and the limitations of their own personal resources to engage in activism.  A desire for strategy training on effective social movement organising was also expressed.​ The website is organised to respond to these needs.

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