Using a novel autoethnographically-informed research design to explore participants’ experiences of an educational arts programme at a UK university

Abstract

This article describes a novel autoethnographically-informed approach to exploring participants’ experiences of Converge (a UK university-based educational arts programme) as part of a wider research project focusing on mental health recovery. In addition to using traditional research methods, we developed an innovative and creative autoethnographically-informed approach. We trained 16 Converge students – who we named ‘Storytellers’ – to explore their experience of Converge using artistic approaches. Our Storytellers had frequent group sessions; one-to-one meetings with a research assistant; were offered the opportunity to be involved in the thematic analysis of their creations; and were involved in the dissemination of findings. Four major themes were constructed: the importance of community; recovery as a series of small steps; acceptance and belonging; and exchange of attitudes and values. Storytellers frequently reported profound lasting positive effects on their lives which they attributed to their participation, in particular the developing of friendships and feelings of accomplishment. The accessibility of research methods for participants may explain why our autoethnographically-informed design using a creative approach appears to be a particularly successful pathway for exploratory mental health research.