Making Space for Rural Stories: Creative Approaches to Community-Led Research

The Rural Durham Community Research Network (RDCRN) recently hosted a network gathering, creating a space for learning and collaboration. Throughout the day, attendees explored the value of creative methods within research in a rural context and how creative approaches can remove barriers when conducting research.

Hearing from Katy Milne, Director of Northern Heartlands, was a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to voices that are too often unheard. In many rural communities, people can feel overlooked within wider conversations about policy, services, and place. Distance, lack of transport and digital exclusion are just some of the barriers that contribute to voices being absent from traditional research. However, these communities hold rich knowledge, stories, and experiences that deserve to be heard.

‍Creative practice offers an alternative way of approaching research. Instead of using surveys or interviews, creative methods invite people to share their stories and experiences through drawing, making art, photography, and storytelling, to name a few.

‍For example, in Weardale, a group of community researchers funded via RDCRN from Weardale Together and Weardale Wordfest is exploring what shared spaces truly mean to the people who live there. When shaping their research plan, they carefully thought about how to reach people of all ages, from school‑aged children to older residents across the Dale. Drawing on their deep knowledge of local life, they selected methods that felt natural, welcoming, and rooted in trust. They wanted people to feel comfortable. To bring people together in creative ways, they teamed up with local artists to host relaxed, art‑based workshops. These sessions provided a gentle and inclusive space, especially for those who might feel intimidated by traditional interviews or questionnaires.

‍These approaches can feel more natural and inclusive, encouraging people who may feel ‘tired out’ by traditional research or who feel uncomfortable in formal settings.

Mary Robson, Senior Creative Facilitator from Durham University, highlighted how simple creative methods can start meaningful conversations and deepen understanding. What stood out most was the emphasis on ethics alongside creativity. Creative practice is not simply about making research more engaging; it is about ensuring that people are approached with care, respect, and dignity. Ethical research asks us to think carefully about who feels comfortable contributing, whose voices are missing, and how stories are represented and shared.

The group work exploring rural places encouraged further reflection on how communities interact with the spaces around them. This included considering who uses these spaces, how welcome they feel, and who may feel excluded. This opened important conversations about belonging and inclusivity.

Creative methods are valuable in rural communities because they can break down barriers which traditional research often cannot reach. This allows people to contribute in ways that provide choice, power and agency. Sometimes, a drawing, a shared walk or a poem can articulate someone’s experience or story in a more meaningful way. When people feel listened to, research becomes more trustworthy, meaningful, and relevant.

The network gatherings hosted once a quarter bring together VCSE organisations, community groups, academia, policy, and public sector representatives who all have a vested interest in listening to rural communities. Our recent network meeting was a reminder that research is not only about collecting information, but also about finding ways to build relationships, including people’s stories in ways that work for them, and ensuring that all communities are heard and valued within research and decision-making.

We would like to thank Ebchester Community Centre for hosting the event, a small village hall in Derwent Valley. Utilising local places and community venues in the heart of rural communities is central to our approach, and we’re grateful for their support.

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