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My workshops and methodologies are grounded in the philosophy of democratic education. Using primarily participatory and experiential methodologies. I aim to empower individuals to become critical and pro-active digital citizens.

 

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I'm a creative and curious soul, who enjoys using experiential approaches in research and education. Through the use of creative technologies (mainly accessible and affordable forms of transmedia storytelling tools), I aim to create initiatives where participants feel safe and encouraged to develop local narratives, explore and tackle social inequality issues. In my role as a digital media community worker, I have primarily worked with socially disengaged groups and individuals. Over the years, I have learnt to perceive the process of knowledge transfer not only as a top-down approach but as acts of collaborative 'meaning-making' and 'meaning-giving'.

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I believe that meaningful learning takes places, "through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other" (Freire)

 

Over the years, I have used existing community-based participatory methodologies (e.g. participatory video and digital storytelling, role-play, ethnoficion, design-thinking, co-design) and have shaped my own methods (e.g. storytelling box, social media trees, collaborative collage-making). When starting my role an Associate Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University in 2016, I was able to transfer my professional digital media expertise and community educational skills into an academic setting.  Through my teaching methods, I strive to empower students to engage with the subject critically by taking ownership of the module delivery. Examples of the collaborative approaches that I have implemented included 'students class manifesto', co-designing module assessment, co-designing teaching material to understand user-design experience or communication problem, and participatory module evaluation.

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Examples of previous projects:

  • Speaker at Re@ct! Social Change Art Technology Symposium (Scotland, 2019). Presentation title: Storifying the digital divide: what can the 1970's community video teach us about the inequalities in the digital age?

  • Digital Storytelling Practitioner at the Scottish Traveller Education Programme(Edinburgh Univeristy, 2015)

  • Digital Skills Co-ordinator at Fife Migrants Forum ( 2014 - 2015)

  • Course Tutor 'Using digital media in research with children and young people' | Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (2015)

  • Digital Media Youth Arts Hub Co-Ordinator at Fife Cultural Trust (www.hub8fife.com 2014 -  2015)

  • Digital Community Manager at Maverick Television ( Living it UpWestern Isles, 2013 - 2014)

  • Practice Teacher at the University of West Scotland ( Digital Commonwealth Games, 2013)

  • Project and Training Co-ordinator at the Institute of Local Television ( Summerhall TV, 2012 -2013)

  • Researching the needs of Young Poles abroad | Creative co-design workshop  ( Polish Cultural Association, Polish School for Leaders for the Community Abroad, Erasmus Plus 2015

  • Shoot it Yourself" Youth Filmmaking course - Alchemy Film and Moving Images Festival (Project Co-ordinator and Workshop Facilitator 2016 )

  • LGBT Youth Scotland | Youth Video Workshop  (Project facilitator, 2015)

  • FAO-UN Cambodia (Video Education Toolkit in Participatory Rural Appraisal 2013)

  • Video Activism Night | Hidden Door Festival Edinburgh ( Programmer, 2014 Link: Witness.Org, Link: EngageMedia.org)

  • 'Never Give Up'   The history of local activism in North Edinburgh ( Filmmaker,2010 - 2012)

  • weCTV Scottish Youth Parliament Competition 'Follow Your Heart' (Ripple Youth, 2013)

  • Choose Life, not Knife ( Ripple Youth Project, 2013)

  • Size Hero Project ( Napier Univeristy, 2012)

  • Saving the NEN ( North Edinbrtgh News Campaign, 2011)

  • weCTV Scottish Youth Parliament Competition 'It's OK to be different' ( Ripple Youth, 2014)

  • weCTV Scottish Youth Parliament Competition 'It hurts so much' ( Ripple Youth, 2014)

  • North Edinburgh Fights Back (2013)

  • IndyrefFILM (2014)

  • Wester Hailes "A Walk around the Wester Hailes" (Video Project Facilitator, 2015)

  • Hidden Door Festival (Cinema Program Co-ordinator, 2014 & 2015)

  • Video Activism Night ( Curator, 2014)

  • North Edinburgh Social History Project ( Producer, Editor 2011)

  • North Edinburgh Fights Back ( 2013)

  • Common Good Edinburgh ( 2012)

  • Age Scotland (2012)

  • Filmpoem ( Filmmaker, 2014)

  • Filmpoem ( Filmmaker, 2015)

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