****THE FOLLOWING WORKPACKAGES AND TIMETABLE WILL SHIFT AND ALTER IN RESPONSE TO COVID19****
WP1: PROJECT FRAMEWORK for CLIMATE RESILIENCE
The theoretical and practice framework for application and analysis regarding socially-engaged practices and their intersection with geography, music composition, performance, puppetry, intangible cultural heritage and material cultures.
Months 1-12: 1.1 Outline the theoretical and practice framework principles for the research; 1.2 Outline existing climate resilience and social justice contexts within research location; 1.3 Archive research on community-devised works.
WP2: MAPPING MILES PLATTING & NEWTON HEATH, & NORTH MANCHESTER
Creative empirical mapping undertaken throughout the research location through a process of on-going creative inquiry with communities and as part of the researchers’ reflexive practice. The resulting data – visual, sonic, spatial – will evolve to represent a “parish map” of Miles Platting & Newton Heath (and possible other North Manchester wards), offering new knowledge of the ward.
Months 1-22: 2.1 Creative empirical mapping throughout the research location; 2.2 Scope local groups for ~50 community representatives across the ward (incl Climate Just tool and UKCP18); 2.3 Add further place-based knowledge, encouraging new material map-making of ward.
WP3: MUSIC through VOCAL EXPRESSION
The deepest expression is through the voice: speaking, singing, chanting. The method starts with recorded conversations with residents initially responding to the 15 Actions. Recordings provide greater accuracy than transcripts by capturing emotional expression: hesitations, dynamics, inflections. The prosody – the speaker’s unique musical pitches, melodies, accentuations, rhythms is transcribed into into music notation. “Schizophonia” – splitting a sound from its source – transfers music within the voice via notation to instruments.
Months 7-15: 3.1 Recordings of residents conversing about resilience and adaptation, initiated by 15 Actions; 3.2 Secure storage of data; 3.3 Analysis and extraction of vocal recordings through notated prosody method; 3.4 Schizophonic notation transferal of vocal dialogues to instruments.
WP4: WORKSHOPS between MUSICIANS & RESIDENTS
In a series of reciprocal workshop interactions, notation of voice recordings are played by members from Northern Chamber Orchestra to local musicians and community members who help transform and structure the music to express climate resilience responses. Musical and lyric techniques include theme and variations, dialogues and call-and-response to be modified and deployed to maximise the recorded intentions of the prosody. Workshops are recorded to generate further notated material that is reciprocated and developed at subsequent workshops.
Months 11-19: 4.1 Interactive workshops between residents, NCO quartet and local musicians; 4.2 Transformation of the musical results for use in pageant outcomes.
WP5: COLLECTING & ASSEMBLING PLACE
Methods of collecting explore values of place-based found material culture and identify opportunities to respond to the 15 Actions and climate emergency topics. Exploration takes place in green infrastructure locations, with the Rochdale Canal as a geographical feature connecting the ward from north to south. The activity’s results form part of the installation and documentation work for the pageant, and provide additional materials toward WP6.
Months 7-22: 5.1 Work in green and blue space locations, especially with “mud-larking” methods of collecting, for use in WP6; 5.2 Re-present material culture activating discussions on 15 Action Points, for use in WP6; 5.3 Create installation and documentation work towards the pageant outcomes; 5.4 Archive research on social practices and assembling.
WP6: MAKING and SURROGATES
This WP focuses on the role of making and material surrogates to articulate barriers and opportunities regarding the 15 Actions and climate emergency topics. It builds on existing practice around “play” and puppetry within learning, pedagogy, and object relation theory. Creative making also contributes performance methods, discovers residents’ current and potential future climate resilience actions and creates community content for the pageant.
Months 7-16: 6.1 Puppetry and making workshops with residents in response to 15 Action Points; 6.2 Make, refine content for pageant outcomes.
WP7: PAGEANT PERFORMANCES (development and delivery)
This WP is both a method and outcome. The pageant consists of numerous art forms and modes of expression unique to the community, incorporating the collaborative music created in WP4 with the material-focused activities of WP5 and WP6. Participants include community residents, PI and Co-Is, Alison Duddle, project partners, full Northern Chamber Orchestra, local musicians and artists. The method initially focuses on previewing the pageant’s dramatic arc with community audiences who then are invited to join in for the official performances, thereby reducing boundaries between community creators and consumers. The pageant aims to be sophisticated with interwoven components co-representing multiple experiences so that both the emotions and intellect of the community members are respected and nourished. Multiple creative arts outcomes about resilience and adaptation will be originated, developed, rehearsed and performed by community residents, with the aim that these actions will inform deep adaptation behaviours within individuals and across social groups, empowering communities through creative joint-ownership outcomes.
Months 15-22: 7.1 Workshops with researchers, director and participants to stage pageant outcomes; 7.2 Initial previews with audience, test dramatic arc, remove creator/consumer boundaries; 7.3 Technical preparations for pageant outcomes; 7.4 Perform pageant outcomes.
WP8: CREATIVE METHODS TRAINING
Development of creative methods training with policy makers and neighbourhood managers to jointly explore the transferability of creative practice for improved community engagement and involvement. The research team will develop a toolbox of consultation and practice methods for policy practitioners and neighbourhood managers towards understanding and implementation of MCC’s climate resilience and adaptation intentions with respect to communities’ creative feedback.
Months 4/11/18/24: 8.1 Develop creative methods training with partner policy makers and neighbourhood managers; 8.2 Co-design school resources and creative methods “toolbox”.
WP9: LEGACY and IMPACT PLAN + advisory group
Our research questions and outputs are formulated specifically to embed impact through the design and application of the research process. WP9 also consists of the Advisory Group meetings, which reflect on the impact processes and legacies of the project.
Months 1-24: 9.1 Advisory Group meetings in months 4/11/18/24 for legacy and impact planning; 9.2 MIE collaborates and shares with Manchester Environment Education Network; 9.3 Exploration with National Trust on transferability into coastal/rural context; 9.4 Exploration of EU connections with MAST; 9.5 Timetable planned outputs, development and delivery; 9.6 Project website, social media, data management, AG updates.
Creative Climate Resilience 