Central Projects Shortlisted for Awards
Congratulations to Central’s Dr Selina Busby and Dr Nicola Abraham, both of whom have had their work shortlisted for awards.
Dr Selina Busby (Principal Lecturer, Course Leader MA Applied Theatre, Course Leader Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Theatre with Young People) has been shortlisted for the 2020 Medical Humanities Award in the ‘Best International Research’ category for her project Worli Koliwada: My Neighbourhood, My Responsibility.
Worli Koliwada: My Neighbourhood, My Responsibility is a four-year GCRF-funded project exploring sustainable living in slum conditions, centring on women’s inequality and possibilities for women’s agency in sanitation, waste disposal (including human waste), and the lack of space and sense of isolation engendered by crowded living conditions.
Awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in association with the Wellcome Trust, The Medical Humanities Awards exist to recognise the achievements of people and projects helping to understand and transform the quality of life, health and wellbeing of the population using arts and humanities research. The Awards celebrate and showcase the important but unsung work being done by academics, health professionals, voluntary organisations and communities and aim to encourage further multidisciplinary work that brings together the arts and humanities, healthcare, health and wellbeing.
Of the shortlisting, Dr Busby said:
“The project team are thrilled that this project has been recognized by the panel. My project partners Divya Bhatia and the wider team of facilitators, all based in Mumbai, and I have been working together since 2005, although this research in which the women of Worli Koliwada are our co-researchers is relatively new. We are just at the start of this research journey and to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award at this point in the work is truly exciting for the whole team. I confess we are a little overwhelmed, but very grateful, to find ourselves in this position and to have been shortlisted alongside such esteemed researchers and wonderful projects.”
Dr Nicola Abraham, (Lecturer, Applied Theatre Practices) has been shortlisted for the 2020 Culture, Health & Wellbeing Awards in the ‘Collective Power’ category for her Intergenerational Project with partners Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
The Intergenerational Project is delivered by Dr Nicola Abraham, a team from the NHS’s Imperial College Healthcare Trust, a cohort of BA Drama, Applied Theatre and Education and MA Applied Theatre students and alumni, and in collaboration with Intergenerational Project Fellow Dr Lizzie McGeorge. A number of practitioners and companies also form part of the collaboration including The Wallace Collection, Paper Birch, the Starling Arts, puppeteer Mary Klaber, storyteller Gaynor Smith, Drama, Applied Theatre and Education alumna and Imperial Health Charity employee Megan Bastable, Vauxhall City Farm and many more.
Originally conceived by Nurse Consultant (Dementia) Jo James, the project aims to reduce agitation of patients on wards in order to allow for treatment to be administered, to improve wellbeing through intergenerational collaboration, and to provide moments of joy and discovery for all participants. The interventions designed by Dr Abraham are part of a bigger offer of many multi arts projects, however this one is unique in that it uses process drama workshops to encourage intergenerational interaction, communication and play.
Awarded by the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance working with award partners, the Awards aim to showcase good practice and people who are leading the way in creating a culture of care for each other, their communities and the world.
Of the shortlisting, Dr Abraham said:
“We are honoured that our intergenerational project has been recognised for this award. Huge thanks to everyone who took part in the physical in-person version of the project and to all those are taking part in its digital form to continue supporting older adults living with dementia in hospitals in collaboration with school children. We are deeply humbled and thankful to be finalists. At a time when the NHS is striving to support the nation - as it always does - in challenging circumstances, this award acts as a ray of sunshine highlighting what is possible when we work together.”
Winners of the 2020 Culture, Health & Wellbeing Awards will be announced in a special online ceremony on 20 November.
Winners of the 2020 Medical Humanities Awards will be announced at a special online ceremony the date of which is yet to be announced – please visit the UKRI website for further information.