Three cases of engaged research. The participation of the researcher in arts participation projects

The article is a case study of three different applied research projects analysing and discussing the relationship between practice and research. The three projects are all arts projects occupied with participation in different forms: ‘Theatre Talk’ is an audience development project conducted at professional theatres focusing on new audiences’ experience of performances. ‘Art on the Fringe’ is a project in which seven theatres cooperating on the development of local festive weeks with a strong participatory element within a theatrical framing. ‘Stepping Stones’ is a project aiming at developing new frameworks for the way in which children and youngsters engage in creative practices emphasizing collective co-creation. Theoretically, the article is based on the concept of engaged scholarship, practice as research and types of partnership all of which contribute to the analysis of the relationship, purpose, and outcomes of the cooperation between practice and research.