Creative Research Methods 2e. Kara, Helen
arts-based method of gathering data, and chose mandala drawings because the circle is considered to be sacred in this Aboriginal culture. Participants were asked to begin by drawing a circle, and then to ‘reflect on their experiences relocating for sport and draw anything that comes to mind’ (Blodgett et al 2013: 319). Each mandala was used to facilitate an individual conversational interview, which respects the Aboriginal cultural tradition of storytelling. Both the creation of the mandalas and the conversational interviews framed participants as the experts on their experiences, which, together with the methods being culturally appropriate, speaks to the decolonising agenda. At the suggestion of the Aboriginal researchers, some of the findings were disseminated through the mandalas being printed on a community blanket and displayed publicly at the Wikwemikong Youth Centre. This enabled sport and recreation staff to use the mandalas as educational tools for young athletes considering moving off the reserve to take up sport opportunities – partly to explain what that experience is like and partly to encourage young people to pursue their dreams. Overall, the ‘knowledge production process ... reflected circular links between individuals and their community, as well as research and action’ (Blodgett et al 2013: 328).
Some transformative research is multi-modal, includes arts-based methods and uses technology. For example, Ashlee Cunsolo Willox, Sherilee Harper and Victoria Edge, conducting research into the impact of climate change with the Rigolet Inuit community in northern Labrador in Canada, gathered data through participatory digital storytelling together with concept mapping and interviews (Willox et al 2013: 132–3). This research will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 7.
Arts-based research in practice
As we have seen, a large proportion of creative research methods are arts based. Equally, a large proportion of the arts are research based. Research is a fundamental part of arts such as theatre and the performance arts (Kershaw and Nicholson 2011), scenography (McKinney and Iball 2011), fiction writing (Spencer 2013), creative non-fiction writing (Brien 2013) and poetry (Lasky 2013). Research in the arts can be conducted in many ways and for many reasons. For example, research can be conducted into the history and background of a general aspect of the arts (Davis et al 2011; Gale and Featherstone 2011) or of specific works of art (Patten 2007), in support of a work of art in progress (Hoffman 2003: 1; Atkinson 2010: 189; Coles 2013: 163) or to evaluate the audience’s response to a work of art (Atkinson 2009, cited in Dixon 2011: 55–9).
It is increasingly recognised that creative practice can be a form of research in itself (Sullivan 2009: 50; Hughes, Kidd and McNamara 2011; McNiff 2018: 24). Enquiry through creative practice privileges such things as play, intuition, serendipity, imagination and the unexpected as resources for making sense. Those engaged in creative enquiry have asked, ‘What are methods for, but to ruin our experiments?’ (Kershaw et al 2011: 65). There is increasing acceptance of the idea that artists can conduct research in the process of producing art, and that the resulting artwork can be a valid research output in itself by embodying and communicating the knowledge produced in its creation (Biggs 2009: 67). Art can contribute to research by being documented and theorised, and research, in turn, can inspire and contribute to art in an ‘iterative cyclic web’ (Smith and Dean 2009: 2). Perhaps, for these reasons, there is no agreed definition of ‘arts-based research’, although that may be more of a help than a hindrance, as it encourages us to take context and particularity into account (O’Donoghue 2015: 520). However, I am not trying to say that arts practice and research practice are entirely the same. The processes may look similar, but the practitioners’ intentions may be very different (Pool 2018: 13).
There is a vocal academic lobby suggesting that people who wish to use artistic techniques within their research should be as skilled in the arts that they wish to practice as they are in research techniques. It may seem difficult to compare skill levels across different disciplines, but arts practitioners have their own informal version of peer review (Smith and Dean 2009: 26). So, if a group of skilled musicians recognise someone else as a musician, then that person is a musician. ‘In the poetry world, many would be poets, but it is the domain itself and its tacit yet established rules of quality that move a person into being considered a poet by others’ (Piirto 1998, cited in Piirto 2009: 96). Jane Piirto, an American professor and award-winning poet and fiction writer, will permit her postgraduate students to incorporate art into their research projects only if they are either a professional artist in the relevant field or have studied the art concerned at undergraduate level, because ‘Then the art itself and its ways of knowing are respected’ (Piirto 2009: 97). This can be seen as a laudable attempt to ensure quality, and an understandable attempt to claim legitimacy for arts-based research, which is sometimes regarded as neither one thing nor another instead of being viewed as a helpful interdisciplinary step forward. However, Piirto’s approach could also be seen as a rather exclusive and excluding position. Also, we now know that professional-level arts outputs can distract from research findings (Bartlett 2015: 765).
The counter-argument suggests that arts-based methods can be used by any researcher as long as the methods are appropriate for the research and its context. For example, a researcher wanting to gather data from children could use the ‘draw and write’ method (Wetton and McWhirter 1998) without being a skilled draughtsperson (see Chapter 6 for more details of this method). Anyone can draw a picture, write a poem, make a collage – or, at least, they can ‘have a go’ (Pool 2018: 13). Creating a poor-quality artwork is not necessarily a failure, as there is scope for learning from the process; creativity involves taking risks, and some argue that failure lies in refusing to take those risks (Douglas 2012: 531; Gergen and Gergen 2012: 162). Indeed, everyone has the right to artistic activity, which is usefully experimental and promotes creative thought. Arts-based methods ‘have been used by a wide variety of researchers and professionals to assist people in expressing feelings and thoughts that ... are difficult to articulate in words’ (Blodgett et al 2013: 313). And there is no reason why people cannot learn to make art in practice while they learn to make research in practice, thereby using more of their potential (Douglas 2012: 529; Gergen and Gergen 2012: 163; Leavy 2018a: 11). This is a more inclusive position, but, as with any research methods, it is important to ensure that all aspects of the research are conducted to a high level of quality (see Chapter 5 for more on quality in research).
If researchers think that it would help, they may choose to undertake some training in an arts-based technique (Blodgett et al 2013: 317), although whether this is appropriate depends on the project and its context. Equally, it can be appropriate for some researchers to choose not to undergo training, because a researcher who is trained in an arts-based technique may be more likely, whether consciously or unconsciously, to influence the arts-based outputs of their participants (Willox et al 2013: 132). Also, the aim of using arts techniques in research is different from using them in the arts, as research quality is more important than aesthetic quality (Phillips and Kara, in press).
Another option for researchers wishing to use arts-based methods and who have little or no expertise or skill in the method concerned is to bring an arts professional onto the research team to provide advice and support. I have done this effectively and successfully in research projects with young people who wanted to present their work through drama. There is an argument that drama is one of the most complex art forms, and, without some training in and understanding of its mechanics, it is very difficult to produce good work (Salvatore 2018: 286). I have no background in theatre, so I brought in a drama professional who was experienced in working with young people and was willing to join the research team. I was responsible for ensuring the quality of the research; the drama professional was responsible for ensuring the quality of the drama. This perhaps offers a middle way between the academics who seek to ensure quality through artistic skill and the researchers who seek to use the methods most likely to help them answer their research questions.
Arts-based techniques are particularly useful for gathering and disseminating data. They also have applications in data analysis, writing and presentation (Box 2.5). These will be discussed in more detail, and examples given, in the following chapters. While this is not an exhaustive list, arts-based techniques can be particularly helpful for:
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