Volume 10, Issue 1-2

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between traditional and creative research methods through the case study of The Social Studio (TSS), an art-based social enterprise in Melbourne, Australia. TSS aims to address systemic barriers to employment and education for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds through training and work experience in fashion and textiles. Specifically, the article reflects on the embodied, co-making learning space and model of TSS which addresses some of the barriers faced by migrant and refugee students in accessing formal education. Our research brings together traditional research methods, such as interviews and observation, as well as a creative workshop where both research subjects and researchers were taught a weaving activity. The article reflects critically on the limitations of traditional research methods, the challenges of researching in creative community contexts and also the need to document and analyse how material and embodied experiences impact on social and community development.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jaac_00003_1
2020-03-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Campbell, P.,, Kelly, P., and Harrison, L.. ( 2011;), ‘ Social enterprise: Challenges and opportunities. ’, in P. Kelly. (ed.), Working Paper No. 19, September, Geelong:: Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Deakin University;, pp. 119.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. CMY (Centre for Multicultural Youth) ( 2017), Settlement Outcomes of Young People from Refugee and Migrant Backgrounds: A Submission to the Federal Government’s Inquiry into Settlement Outcomes, Carlton:: CMY;, https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=4189091b-dac6-4895-8b75-ea9f92aecce1&subId=463724. Accessed 9 April 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Eggert, E.. ( 2017;), ‘ Women weavers recognising their craftwork. ’, Gender and Research, 18:2, pp. 7895.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Finkelpearl, T.. ( 2013), What We Made: Conversations on Art and Social Cooperation, Durham, NC and London:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Frimberger, K.. ( 2016;), ‘ Towards a well-being focussed language pedagogy: Enabling arts-based, multilingual learning spaces for young people with refugee backgrounds. ’, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 24:2, pp. 28599.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Gauntlett, D.. ( 2007), Creative Explorations: New Approaches to Identities and Audiences, Abingdon:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Gibson, M.. ( 2016;), ‘ Weaving community together. ’, in S. Butterwick, and C. Roy. (eds), Working the Margins of Community-Based Adult Learning: The Power of Arts-Making in Finding Voice and Creating Conditions for Seeing/Listening, Rotterdam:: SensePublishers;, pp. 2738.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Gifford, S.,, Correa-Velez, I., and Sampson, R.. ( 2009), Good Starts for Recently Arrived Youth with Refugee Backgrounds: Promoting Wellbeing in the First Three Years of Settlement in Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne:: La Trobe Refugee Research Centre;.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Holzwarth, P., and Maurer, B.. ( 2001;), ‘ Aesthetic creativity, reflexivity and the play with meaning: A video culture case study. ’, Journal of Educational Media, 26:3, pp. 185202.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Kester, G.. ( 2011), The One and the Many: Contemporary Collaborative Art in a Global Context, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Leeuw, S. De, and Rydin, I.. ( 2007;), ‘ Migrant children’s digital stories: Identity formation and self-representation through media production. ’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10:4, pp. 44764.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Mason, C., and Barraket, J.. ( 2015;), ‘ Understanding social enterprise model development through discursive interpretations of social enterprise policymaking in Australia (2007–2013). ’, Social Enterprise Journal, 11:2, pp. 13855.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. McQuilten, G.. ( 2017;), ‘ The political possibilities of art and fashion based social enterprise. ’, Continuum, 31:1, pp. 6983.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. McQuilten, G., and White, A.. ( 2016), Art as Enterprise: Social and Economic Engagement in Contemporary Art, London and New York:: I.B. Tauris;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. McRobbie, A.. ( 2016), Be Creative: Making a Living in the New Culture Industries, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Miralles-Lombardo, B.,, Miralles, J., and Golding, B.. ( 2008), Creating Learning Spaces for Refugees: The Role of Multicultural Organisations in Australia, Adelaide:: NCVER;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Munoz, S.-A.,, Farmer, J.,, Winterton, R., and Barraket, J.. ( 2015;), ‘ The social enterprise as a space of well-being: An exploratory case study. ’, Social Enterprise Journal, 11:3, pp. 281302.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Naidoo, L.. ( 2015;), ‘ Educating refugee-background students in Australian schools and universities. ’, Intercultural Education, 26:3, pp. 21017.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. OECD & European Union ( 2015), Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2015: Settling In, Paris:: OECD Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Oppedal, B.,, Guribye, E., and Kroger, J.. ( 2017;), ‘ Vocational identity development among unaccompanied refugee minors. ’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 60:September, pp. 14559.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Pain, A., and Mallett, R.. ( 2014;), ‘ Gender, youth and urban labour market participation: Evidence from the tailoring sector in Kabul, Afghanistan. ’, SLRC Working Paper 18, July, London:: Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium;, pp. i30.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Robertson, K., and Vinebaum, L.. ( 2016;), ‘ Crafting community. ’, TEXTILE, 14:1, pp. 213.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Shercliff, E.. ( 2015;), ‘ Joining in and dropping out: Hand-stitching in spaces of social interaction. ’, Craft Research, 6:2, pp. 187207.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Shercliff, E., and Twigger Holroyd, A.. ( 2016;), ‘ Making with others: Working with textile craft groups as a means of research. ’, Studies in Material Thinking, 14, Paper 07 , pp. 117.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) ( 2011), Refugee Status Report: A Report on How Refugee Children and Young People in Victoria are Faring, Melbourne , https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/research/Pages/reportdatarefugee.aspx. Accessed 9 April 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. The Social Studio ( 2019;), ‘ About us. ’, The Social Studio, https://www.thesocialstudio.org/about-us/. Accessed 14 October 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Thomas, R.. ( 2016;), ‘ The right to quality education for refugee children through social inclusion. ’, Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1:4, pp. 193201.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Thompson, N.. ( 2010;), ‘ Contractions of time: On social practice from a temporal perspective. ’, E-Flux, 20, November, pp. 16.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) ( 2014), Gender Equality, Heritage and Creativity, Paris:: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/gender-and-culture/gender-equality-and-culture/the-report/. Accessed 9 April 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Wilson, S.,, Cunningham-Burley, S.,, Bancroft, A.,, Backett-Milburn, K., and Masters, H.. ( 2007;), ‘ Young people, biographical narratives and the life grid: Young people’s accounts of parental substance use. ’, Qualitative Research, 7:1, pp. 13551.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. McQuilten, Grace, and Spiers, Amy. ( 2020;), ‘ “Art is different”: Material practice, learning and co-making at The Social Studio. ’, Journal of Arts & Communities, 10:1&2, pp. 1933, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/jaac_00003_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jaac_00003_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jaac_00003_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Keyword(s): art; education; fashion; migrants; social enterprise; textiles; vocational training

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed