Research Circle Events in 2025

Three Research Circle events took place during 2025, and recordings are available for the following events:

This year, each event connected to the following theme:

‘Culture is Ordinary’: Space and Place for the Arts in Radical Lifelong Learning.

Summary of 2025 Events

Our aim in 2025 was to celebrate and critically examine the spaces and place of the arts, in diverse forms, and the artistic imagination in lifelong and life wide learning, and particularly in relation to taking back power at community level. By inviting local, national and international activists to join in dialogue with the research circle we explored the role of artistic and creative work in adult learning and listen and ask:

  • How do different forms of the arts – music, film and videomaking, photography, literary and poetic expression, storytelling, dance, drama, painting, sculpture, including their expression in the digital world – enrich the possibilities of lifelong and life wide learning?
  • What are the spaces and places – actual and desired – for these different forms of practice?

Event one on May 9th 2025 was entitled on Spaces and place of diverse arts, and the cultural imagination in lifelong and life wide dialogical learning. The contemporary and historical Potteries: a case study.

In this event focused on Stoke-on-Trent we engaged with its recent history, inspirational historic role in the development of adult education, and contemporary experiences of culture and the arts.  The event combined a presentation – Distress in a city, culture is ordinary and a democratic education by Professor Linden West with discussion groups on making change and re-imagining lifelong learning. Linden was born in Stoke, is Professor Emeritus at Canterbury Christ Church University, and author of Distress in the city, racism, fundamentalism and a democratic education. Linden is an award-winning international writer and researcher.

Event two – on September 26th, focused on ‘Culture is Ordinary’: space and place for the arts in radical lifelong learning’ in Wales and built on our discussions on 9th May.

Dr Cilla Ross reflected on Coleg Harlech, the place and value of ‘arts related’ / interdisciplinary adult political education and poetry, photography and creative writing. Cilla is a work sociologist, historian and radical education practitioner with a diverse developmental, ‘teaching and learning’, editorial, writing, and research background. She studied at Coleg Harlech between 1978 and 1980. 

Dr Nick Mahony provided a presentation entitled: The Raymond Williams Foundation and adult learning projects embedded in community development activities. Nick’s contribution focused on his work with the Raymond Williams Foundation (RWF) and their support for adult learning projects embedded in community development, activism and community building- geared to bringing about social justice, greater local democracy and alternatives to the rise of the Right.

Jeremy Clancy, award-winning film maker and brother of Sharon Clancy, presented and discussed the making of ‘The Coal Beneath Our Feet, The Wind Above Our Heads’. Jeremy is an award-winning filmmaker, editor and writer working for unions, charities and progressive organisations and businesses around the world. With years of experience working for clients, such as the TUC, Amnesty International, the Labour Party, New Democratic Party, and the World Health Organisation, his work brings a creative and strategic approach to campaigns; making sure that digital content tells the most compelling human stories with the tone and message designed to engage and persuade the audiences they want to reach. 

Event three – on 12th December, combined perspectives from Stoke-on-Trent and Wales in responding to the same theme – ‘Culture is Ordinary’: space and place for the arts in radical lifelong learning’ which we had addressed in our events on 26th September and 9th May. 

We asked what we can learn from The Portland Inn Project, in Stoke-on-Trent, and the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Wales. How does their work help us to re-imagine lifewide learning- and the space and place for the arts in radical lifelong learning and adult education?

Anna Francis and Rebecca Davies presented the work of The Portland Inn Project and, in conversation with Linden West, discussed how participatory art interventions have been designed and created to respond to local needs and interests. Their presentation about The Portland Inn Project, asked how neighbourhood democracy, skills development and setting up a community land trust and alternative spaces for education relate to one another.

Ceri Thompson (Coal Curator at Amgueddfa Cymru – the ‘Big Pit) presented on his work at the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Wales and talked with Sharon Clancy about archives, memory and research.


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