Collaborative Poetics Network: A Pilot Study Exploring the Potential of Collaborative, Arts-based Research

This paper presents the findings from a pilot study, conducted as part of a wider network activity to realise the potential of Collaborative Poetics (CP). CP isa participatoryarts-based research method, informed by the combined expertise of artists and academics, and by co-researchers’ lived experiences.The methodhas generated widespread interest, inspiring scholars from multiple disciplines, arts practitioners, representatives from local government/third sector groups, and business professionals. We describe the activities of a core CP network, who met to developmethodological resourcesin a series ofaction-oriented, collaborativeworkshops, which sought to embody CP principlesand practice. Two activities are shared. These were workshoppedby individuals from wide-ranging academic and artistic backgrounds,with a view to considering both a personal, reflexive response, and the wider application and development of CP methods. Insights from these pilot workshops are used to explore effective collaborative working across wide-ranging fields and sectors, to examineinteractivity issues with the pilot activities, and to highlight possibilities for further refinement and development. We conclude by looking forward to the next stages of the project and resource development, with a view toexploring the transferability of these resources into new business, education and community contexts.