Performing the micro-social: using theatre to debate research findings on everyday life, health and wellbeing

This paper describes and critically assesses the use and development of a model of participatory theatre to re-appropriate the ways in which a place in the de-industrialised south Wales valleys is represented. Neo-liberal policies which focus on individual responsibility, conditionality, sanctions and incentives frame the production of statistics on health inequality and deprivation in particular ways. While ‘place’ can be a resource for expressing positive identities this presents people living in economically under resourced areas with a problem if that place based identity is also subject to vilification. In this paper we focus on three objectives: to explore negative stereotypes of a post-industrial community; to describe the methods and process of working alongside local people to offer alternative ways of understanding place; and to discuss the implications of using community theatre for policy and practice. We argue that theatre-based forms of place-making and dialogue can create spaces where policy issues, such as health and wellbeing, can be discussed in the context of everyday local concerns. Meanings in common are generated in ways that create affective understandings of place and the impact of economic change and crisis (Jones et al., 2013). These co-productive processes are uncertain, emergent, and risky and need to be managed carefully in the context of trustful relations

Poor places, powerful people? Co-producing cultural counter-representations of place.

This paper considers the ethical aspects of co-producing visual representations of communities in the context of economic deprivation, focusing on one case study within a UK-wide research study funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The research explores how the arts and humanities can enable community members to better express aspects of their health and wellbeing to policy makers and service providers, looking in particular at the stigmatising and often shaming practices of representation that have dominated British mass media in recent years. The methodology for the research follows a participatory action research epistemology, whereby researchers work with participants and other stakeholders to co-produce data and artistic outputs. The ethical dimensions of this work are complex and go beyond issues of consent, confidentiality and ownership; although these were strongly present in the research. This paper presents data from focus groups, arts workshops and field notes to illustrate the complexity of working co-productively with visual methods, and the ethical challenges this presents, as well as the need to create ‘safe’ spaces for dialogue and social action

Evaluation of the NHS General Dental Services Contract Reform Programme in Wales.:Interim Report - The views and experiences of patients

This document reports from interviews with NHS patients on some of the key principles and objectives of system reform in dental services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone with 50 patients during August and September 2021. Participants were current NHS dental patients, stratified according to region and age. Interviews used vignettes that depicted different scenarios based on the principles underlying dental care reform. Patients value regular visits with the dentist. Regular visits are seen as part of a collaborative practice of oral health maintenance. There are concerns that disease could develop between visits if the recall interval is extended. Even where there is good oral health, patients feel that ‘18 months is a long time’ - circumstances and behaviour that influence oral health could change in this time. Some patients believe they will lose access to an NHS dentist if they do not attend every six months.Patients are more likely to accept a change to routine where there is a good relationship with the dentist.Patients value advice on maintaining good oral health.There is little knowledge of dental roles other than the dentist. Many patients are familiar with skill-mix from other services such as general practice. Patients believe it is important not to waste NHS resources but think that delaying treatment may lead to more costly interventions. Patients believe that there are things they can and should do to maintain their oral health. They also want NHS services to show understanding and support for individuals who face challenges looking after their health.<br/

Evaluating museum exhibits: Quantifying visitor experience and museum impact with user experience methodologies

Underpinned by the Model for Museum Exhibit User Experience (MEUX; King et al., Visitor Studies, 2023, 26, 59), this paper develops and presents an evaluation methodology for museum exhibits that utilizes existing methodologies from the user experience sector adapted for the museum and cultural heritage sectors. Two studies are presented: an in‐depth evaluation of the Meat the Future exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History and then a comparative study between this exhibition and two other permanent exhibits at the museum. Quantitative and qualitative data provide a nuanced picture of each exhibit from the visitor perspective and showcase the benefits of the MEUX methods of evaluation. Results show how three different exhibits are constructed in different ways, providing different visitor experiences and outcomes. They are directly compared with identify statistical differences, but do not impose a judgment as to whether any exhibit is better than another. With detailed, nuanced and rigorous data capturing visitor experiences of engaging with exhibits, the MEUX evaluation methodology allows for more sophisticated, standardized and efficient evaluation practices within the sector, with results that directly support further development of exhibits and exhibitions

Black carbon physical and optical properties across northern India during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons

Black carbon (BC) is known to have major impacts on both climate and human health and is therefore of global importance, particularly in regions close to large populations that have strong sources. The size-resolved mixing state of BC-containing particles was characterised using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2). The study focusses on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Data presented are from the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements BAe-146 research aircraft that performed flights during the pre-monsoon (11 and 12 June) and monsoon (30 June to 11 July) seasons of 2016. Over the IGP, BC mass concentrations were greater (1.95 µg m−3) compared to north-west India (1.50 µg m−3) and north-east India (0.70 µg m−3) during the pre-monsoon season. Across northern India, two distinct BC modes were recorded; a mode of small BC particles (core diameter <0.16 µm and coating thickness <50 nm) and a mode of moderately coated BC (core diameter <0.22 µm and coating thickness of 50–200 nm). The IGP and north-east India locations exhibited moderately coated black carbon particles with enhanced coating thicknesses, core sizes, mass absorption cross sections, and scattering enhancement values compared to much lower values present in the north-west. The coating thickness and mass absorption cross section increased with altitude (13 %) compared to those in the boundary layer. As the monsoon arrived across the region, mass concentration of BC decreased over the central IGP and north-east locations (38 % and 28 % respectively), whereas for the north-west location BC properties remained relatively consistent. Post-monsoon onset, the coating thickness, core size, mass absorption cross section, and scattering enhancement values were all greatest over the central IGP much like the pre-monsoon season but were considerably reduced over both north-east and north-west India. Increases in mass absorption cross section through the atmospheric column were still present during the monsoon for the north-west and central IGP locations, but less so over the north-east due to lack of long-range transport aerosol aloft. Across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and north-east India during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, solid-fuel (wood burning) emissions form the greatest proportion of BC with moderately coated particles. However, as the monsoon develops in the north-east there was a switch to small uncoated BC particles indicative of traffic emissions, but the solid-fuel emissions remained in the IGP into the monsoon. For both seasons in the north-west, traffic emissions form the greatest proportion of BC particles. Our findings will prove important for greater understanding of the BC physical and optical properties, with important consequences for the atmospheric radiative forcing of BC-containing particles. The findings will also help constrain the regional aerosol models for a variety of applications such as space-based remote sensing, chemistry transport modelling, air quality, and BC source and emission inventories

Digital responses of UK museum exhibitions to the COVID‐19 crisis, March – June 2020

The impact of the COVID‐19 Crisis on museums and galleries has been paramount, with the sector taking on long‐term recovery plans. This paper examines this crisis in the context of temporary exhibition programmes of UK museums, studying online content for 21 museums with exhibitions due to open between March and June 2020. Analysis was conducted, noting how COVID was considered, how content was presented, and discussing the emerging themes of access, embodiment, and human connection. In considering these results in the context of wider digital heritage literature, several questions are raised in terms of how digital content is conceptualised, presented, and valued. At a crucial turning point in the sector, these aspects will need to be considered as museums and galleries continue to adapt in light of a post‐COVID world where practices, both digital and physical, will undoubtedly shift

Reverse-engineering history : re-presenting the Chichester tablet using laser scanning and 3D printing

3D digitization methods have become essential tools in cultural heritage practice. Methods like laser scanning and photogrammetry are being widely applied for the conservation of priceless objects and for enabling audience engagement with history. Such data have value as a new wave of multisensory museum practice ripples through the sector and could provide a perfect use for the enormous corpus of 3D data in cultural heritage. This paper documents such an application, where laser scanning has been used in conjunction with 3D printing to re-present the Chichester Roman tablet, an object of key importance in early Romano-British history, to new audiences. It details the process used to digitize the tablet and recreate different versions of its missing text and its state of preservation. It describes how such data can play a role beyond just documentation. Discussed is how such approaches enrich families’ engagement in cultural heritage and how such material can used as didactic material in higher education

Difficulties with assessment and management of an infant\u27s distress in the postoperative period: optimising opportunities for interdisciplinary information-sharing

OBJECTIVES: The importance of accurate paediatric patient assessment is well established but under-utilised in managing postoperative medication regimens.METHODS: Data for this case report were collected through observations of clinical practice, conduct of interviews, and retrieval of information from the medical record. This case report involving a hospitalised 1-year-old boy demonstrates the difficulties associated with assessing and managing postoperative distress, including pain and other clinical conditions related to the surgical procedure.RESULTS: Postoperatively, there were difficulties in managing pain and an episode of over-sedation, occasioning opiate reversal with naloxone. In addition, he had decreasing oxygen saturation and increased work of breathing. X-ray showed changes consistent with either atelectasis or aspiration, and he was commenced on antibiotics. The patient experienced respiratory distress and required intervention from the medical emergency team.CONCLUSION: This case demonstrated the importance of comprehensive assessment and careful consideration of alternative causes of an infant\u27s distress using the results of assessment tools to aid decision-making. Communication moderates effective patient care, and more favourable outcomes could be achieved by optimising interdisciplinary information-sharing