Observing Through Participants: The Analytical and Practical Potential of Citizens’ Involvement in Event Research

The research project ‘Gendering Cities of Culture’ investigates culture-led, urban mega-events in their potential to produce socio-cultural values through the programming of cultural activities. Specifically, I examine the production of gender equality in the celebration of the title UK City of Culture in 2017 in the northern English city of Hull. Citizens’ perceptions of produced values in the mega-events are a key source of and basis for my analysis. In this study, I collaborate with a team of ‘observing participants,’ who are ten citizens selected in regards to gender, age, location of residence. The individuals support the investigation as they experience, explore and observe selected cultural activities on behalf of the research project. In this article, I discuss the potential and characteristics of this method informed and inspired by feminist methodologies, field-specific requirements of event research and citizen science approach.