Toolkit launched to support inclusive collaboration in medical humanities research
A new resource developed by researchers and staff at the University of Leeds will support more equitable, inclusive and inspiring ways of working together in medical humanities research.
Collaborating with Care: A Values-Informed Toolkit for Medical Humanities Research draws on three years of activity from LivingBodiesObjects: Technology and the Spaces of Health (LBO), a major interdisciplinary project funded by a Wellcome Trust Research Development Award.
The project team includes Professor Clare Barker, Professor Stuart Murray, Professor Amelia De Falco and Lynn Wray from the School of English, Professor James Stark (School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science) and former University of Leeds colleague Faye Robinson, now at the University of York. Their creative partners include Immersive Networks and a wide range of collaborators.
Structured around four collaborative residencies with partners across heritage, health, and community sectors, LBO brought together researchers and creative practitioners to explore how health, wellbeing, and disability are experienced and understood.
The new toolkit is grounded in the LBO team’s core values of care, creativity, and accountability. It includes practical suggestions about how to work together across institutions and communities, sample activities to build trust and inclusive ways of working, and critical reflections on some of the core concepts in the field of medical humanities.
The toolkit can be read as a whole, but each individual entry – whether on the pragmatics of project management or about how to conduct round-robin discussions – is accessible and can be used on its own. There is also an Appendix, with examples of exercises that can be adapted and used.
The LivingBodiesObjects Team said:
“Working closely in partnership requires commitment, flexibility, and care, but the payoffs can be incredible. Whether you’re planning a collaborative project or reflecting on existing partnerships, we hope this toolkit will offer insight and inspiration to researchers, collaborators, and communities alike.”
Brenda Phillips, a member of the project’s Oversight Group, said:
“Over the years, I have felt much admiration and pride in the care, creativity, innovation, collaboration, and integrity that shaped LivingBodiesObjects. This has genuinely been inspiring to me, making it a real privilege to support the project, which will go on to influence future research, researchers, and related practice.”
The toolkit was launched at the University of Leeds on Thursday 22 May with a showcase of the LivingBodiesObjects project, including an exhibition and creative displays. It is freely available to read and download at livingbodiesobjects.org.
