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Keep up to date with our research and opportunities to take part in the project, through workshops, events and other activities. Updates and opportunities will be posted on this page.
Empowering Design Practices Conference
12 February 2020, London
St Paul's Hammersmith, London W6 9PJ
Join us to explore and celebrate the role of communities in shaping sustainable futures for historic places of worship.
Empowering Design Practices LIVE will create a space for discussion and for sharing stories, as well as present the learning and resources developed through our research project. We will be sharing approaches to supporting community leadership and engagement in the design and adaptation of faith buildings. The event will include opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking between community groups, professionals and organisations that work in the fields of faith, heritage, architecture and community development and will facilitate the development of ideas and propositions for the future.
Visit this page for more information and details about how to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Training for architects: supporting community-led design in historic faith buildings
9-10 July 2019
We are delivering a free training course for architects interested in working with community clients in the context of historic places of worship. The course will introduce community-led design and explore the role and potential of architects in helping community clients build their capacity to deliver meaningful and innovative projects. We’ll look at the specific sensitivities and challenges of working with historic places of worship, and provide inspiration and practical tools to help you develop engagement strategies with your clients.
Visit this page for more information and details on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #8
Read our updates on past and forthcoming activities and outputs, on EDP Newsletter #8 published in May 2019
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What would you do with Bow Church
Bow space competition call out March 2019
Call for entries to use Bow Church's space. Are you a local individual, group, or organisation looking for an inspiring and affordable space in the heart of Bow? Visit this page for more information and details on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Engaging communities in design decision-making
30 April 2019, Birmingham
Join us for a workshop helping you explore how to engage and work with others in order to unlock the potential of your building and inform design decision making. You will hear from places of worship who have successfully and creatively engaged with their communities and you will be introduced to some key considerations and resources to help with your engagement strategy. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information about the workshop and how to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Hosted Study Tour at Mossley Hill Church
16 January 2019, Liverpool
Get inspired by the potential of community engagement and design to enhance and re-imagine historic places of worship on this hosted study tour of Mossley Hill Church in Liverpool. The Church has undergone an award winning remodeling to create a social space for the Mossley Hill neighbourhood to connect. This free Study Tour will take place on the 16th of January (11:00 - 14:30) and travel bursaries are available. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information and to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #7
A round up of our activities and resources published in the winter of 2018 EDP e-Newsletter #7
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Workshop: Using film as a tool for engagement in your design process
21 November 2018, Bristol
In this free workshop we'll explore how groups working to improve a historic place of worship for wider community use can use film as a tool for engaging people, mobilising support and communicating the value and impact of your community, faith and heritage spaces. Led by filmmaker and media producer Tot Foster and the Empowering Design Practices team, you’ll get the chance to gain new skills and knowledge. The workshop is held on Wednesday 21 November. More information here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #6 - Summer 2018
A round up of forthcoming opportunities and recent activities can be found here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Historic Places of Worship Study Tour - London
Get inspired by the potential of design to enhance and reimagine historic places of worship on a one-day guided study tour of three distinctive projects in east London. This free Study Tour will take place on Wednesday 22 August (11:00am - 4:30pm) and travel bursaries are available. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information and to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Drop-in workshop at Tate Modern
Join us on Thursday 24 May (3:00-5:30pm) at Tate Exchange at Tate Modern for a creative workshop to explore Places for Connection - the everyday spaces in our communities where we feel a sense of welcome, belonging and connection. Part of Who Are We? - a cross-platform event from 22-27 May 2018, reflecting on identity, belonging, migration and citizenship.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Targeted support for historic places of worship
Are you part of a group that is developing a project to improve a historic place of worship in England to support wider community use? The EDP team may be able to offer targeted support to your group. Get in touch to discuss.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training course
11-12 September 2018, Sheffield
We are running a free two-day design training course in September at the University of Sheffield. The course is open to groups looking after historic places of worship and aims to help groups who are the early stages of rethinking the physical elements and use of their building to develop design skills, knowledge and confidence.
Click here for further information and details on how to apply
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #4 - October 2017
Read an update on our recent and upcoming research activities here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training
12-13 September 2017, London
Our free two-day design training course is currently under way. The course aims to help groups looking after historic places of worship familiarise themselves with design and explore the potential of their building. It includes a mixture of presentations, site visits and hands-on activities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #3 - May 2017
Read an update on our recent and upcoming research activities here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Survey on design and places of worship
In collaboration with the Baroness Warsi Foundation we have launched a survey to help inform understanding of how individuals and communities view the future of places of worship in the UK and their place in society. Let us know your views: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/designpow
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training
20-21 June 2017, Manchester
We are offering a free two-day design training course in June. The course is open to groups looking after historic places of worship and aims to help them explore the potential of their building.
Click here for details and information on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #2 - Nov 2016
Click here to read the highlights of our activities over the last year.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Debate on shared spaces - Nov 2016
25 November 2016, 15:00-17:00
Liverpool University, School of Architecture
We are partnering with the Baroness Warsi Foundation on a debate aiming to explore the potential for places of worship to be shared, by different faith groups, by the wider community, and for mixed uses. Read more here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forthcoming presentations – Nov 2016
EDP has been invited to present at two events organised by the Historic Religious Building Alliance and the National Churches Trust. We will be sharing our learning around ways to support community-led design in historic places of worship, using practical examples. Follow the links to learn more.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
National Churches Trust
More than Bricks and Stones: Unlocking the potential of heritage
24 November 2016, 10:30-16:15
St Clement’s Church, London
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Historic Religious Buildings Alliance
Big Update
30 November 2016, 10:00-16:15
St Alban’s Centre, London
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Live Projects – Oct 2016
As part of our research and building capacity programme, 3rd year/masters students from the School of Architecture at Sheffield University are interacting with three groups for their Live Projects: the Israac Somali Community and Cultural Association who are about to acquire the old Vestry Hall in Sheffield, and the custodians of two Grade I listed churches: St Peter’s Congleton and St Peter’s Chester. Over 6 weeks the students will interact with these places, explore ways to engage them with their wider community and propose ideas for future development.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training - Sept 2016
We delivered our first Design Training event, held over 2 days (27-28 September) in Sheffield. The course built on the Buildings by Design programme, offered by the Glass-House Community Led Design for over a decade, and was hosted and delivered in collaboration with Leo Care, our partner from LiveWorks. Read about it here. We will be posting more information about results from the training and future opportunities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Past project visits - Summer 2016
During the summer, the EDP team visited a number of past projects to learn from their experience of leading changes in their buildings. Places visited include Peterchurch Herefordshire; St Michael’s and All Angels Witton Gilbert, Durham; the Stratford upon Avon URC; and two churches in Hereford (St Peter’s and All Saints). Read more about the visit to St Michael’s and All Angels on Sophia de Sousa’s blog post.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prototyping Utopias Apr-Jun 2016
Members of the EDP team won a small grant to participate in the AHRC’s 2016 Connected Communities Research Festival. The project builds on our relationship with Bow Church and connections with other local organisations in Bow: Bow Arts, Bromley by Bow Centre and Poplar Harca. Outputs from the activities will be shared at a major public exhibition, the Utopia Fair at Somerset House in central London, between 24th and 26th June 2016. Check the project website http://prototyping-utopias.uk
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Recent activities Jan-Mar 2016
In the last few months, between January and March, the EDP team delivered a number of visits and workshops. This included a visit to ISRAAC Somali Community and Cultural Association in Sheffield, a community centre operating in a Grade II listed Vestry Hall and a working day with the congregation and the core building group of Bow Church. We worked with St John’s United Reformed Church in Stourbridge and All Saints Hanley in Stoke on Trent. We also worked with the Churches Conservation Trust: We delivered a workshop on asset mapping at the Princes Regeneration Trust BRICK workshop in Bolton and run a workshop with CCT and the friends of St Swithun's in Worcester. More details to come.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #1
One year on since the project started, our first newsletter is out with information about the research and activities we carried out with different historic places of worship, as well as future plans.
Read it here >>
You can receive the newsletters via email by joining the EDP Mailing list
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Connected Communities Heritage Network Symposium 2016
Presentation on 'learning from the past' - 15 January 2016
The EDP team submitted a paper drawing from our learning from the past research strand. In this presentation we discuss insights from three retrospective studies: St. Luke’s in Oxford, the Buddhist Centre in Sheffield and St. Martin’s in Nottingham. In particular, we discuss similarities and differences in terms of key drivers, assets and principles surrounding community engagement.
Ruchit Purohit is presenting the paper on behalf of the team.
Click here for more information about the symposium.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forthcoming events - November 2015
We are organising two key events in November 2015.
Focus group - 17 November:
The aim of the focus group will be to share learning with experts and professionals that already work with or provide advice and support to community projects focussed on transforming historic places of worship. The focus group will create a space for networking and an opportunity to learn from one another. Together we will explore opportunities and challenges of community engagement in design projects in the context of places of worship, and discuss the ways in which good practice can be nurtured, supported and disseminated.
Event with new projects - 26 November:
This is an event with historic places of worship that are starting or thinking to start renovation projects. The aim will be to identify common issues, needs and aspirations as well as provide professional input and inspiration to participants. The emerging themes (issues, needs and aspirations) will be used in order to plan future EDP support activities, develop training materials but also identify places for targeted support.
Click here to learn more about this event >>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Research Associate position
June 2015. We are looking for a highly motivated and creative individual to join our Empowering Design Practices project team as a Research Associate. The position is based at the Open University in Milton Keynes and offered part time for 3 years.
The deadline for applications is now closed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Open University Press Release
20 April 2015. Read the press release here. We are inviting expressions of interest to be involved as a contributor in the project. Please contact us if you wish to suggest places for our case studies, let us know about your work or just wish to keep up to date about our activities and outputs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2 full time funded studentships
April 2015. Two PhD studentships based at the Open University are offered in connection to the project. The first PhD studentship is focused on ‘The architectural profession and its engagement with historic places of worship in England 1945 to the present’ and will be based in Arts Faculty (Art History Department). The second PhD is focused on ‘Empowerment in community-led design practices’ and will be based in Maths, Computing and Technology (Design Group).
The deadline for submissions is now closed.
12 February 2020, London
St Paul's Hammersmith, London W6 9PJ
Join us to explore and celebrate the role of communities in shaping sustainable futures for historic places of worship.
Empowering Design Practices LIVE will create a space for discussion and for sharing stories, as well as present the learning and resources developed through our research project. We will be sharing approaches to supporting community leadership and engagement in the design and adaptation of faith buildings. The event will include opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking between community groups, professionals and organisations that work in the fields of faith, heritage, architecture and community development and will facilitate the development of ideas and propositions for the future.
Visit this page for more information and details about how to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Training for architects: supporting community-led design in historic faith buildings
9-10 July 2019
We are delivering a free training course for architects interested in working with community clients in the context of historic places of worship. The course will introduce community-led design and explore the role and potential of architects in helping community clients build their capacity to deliver meaningful and innovative projects. We’ll look at the specific sensitivities and challenges of working with historic places of worship, and provide inspiration and practical tools to help you develop engagement strategies with your clients.
Visit this page for more information and details on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #8
Read our updates on past and forthcoming activities and outputs, on EDP Newsletter #8 published in May 2019
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What would you do with Bow Church
Bow space competition call out March 2019
Call for entries to use Bow Church's space. Are you a local individual, group, or organisation looking for an inspiring and affordable space in the heart of Bow? Visit this page for more information and details on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Engaging communities in design decision-making
30 April 2019, Birmingham
Join us for a workshop helping you explore how to engage and work with others in order to unlock the potential of your building and inform design decision making. You will hear from places of worship who have successfully and creatively engaged with their communities and you will be introduced to some key considerations and resources to help with your engagement strategy. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information about the workshop and how to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Hosted Study Tour at Mossley Hill Church
16 January 2019, Liverpool
Get inspired by the potential of community engagement and design to enhance and re-imagine historic places of worship on this hosted study tour of Mossley Hill Church in Liverpool. The Church has undergone an award winning remodeling to create a social space for the Mossley Hill neighbourhood to connect. This free Study Tour will take place on the 16th of January (11:00 - 14:30) and travel bursaries are available. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information and to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #7
A round up of our activities and resources published in the winter of 2018 EDP e-Newsletter #7
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Workshop: Using film as a tool for engagement in your design process
21 November 2018, Bristol
In this free workshop we'll explore how groups working to improve a historic place of worship for wider community use can use film as a tool for engaging people, mobilising support and communicating the value and impact of your community, faith and heritage spaces. Led by filmmaker and media producer Tot Foster and the Empowering Design Practices team, you’ll get the chance to gain new skills and knowledge. The workshop is held on Wednesday 21 November. More information here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #6 - Summer 2018
A round up of forthcoming opportunities and recent activities can be found here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Historic Places of Worship Study Tour - London
Get inspired by the potential of design to enhance and reimagine historic places of worship on a one-day guided study tour of three distinctive projects in east London. This free Study Tour will take place on Wednesday 22 August (11:00am - 4:30pm) and travel bursaries are available. Visit our Eventbrite page for more information and to register.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Drop-in workshop at Tate Modern
Join us on Thursday 24 May (3:00-5:30pm) at Tate Exchange at Tate Modern for a creative workshop to explore Places for Connection - the everyday spaces in our communities where we feel a sense of welcome, belonging and connection. Part of Who Are We? - a cross-platform event from 22-27 May 2018, reflecting on identity, belonging, migration and citizenship.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Targeted support for historic places of worship
Are you part of a group that is developing a project to improve a historic place of worship in England to support wider community use? The EDP team may be able to offer targeted support to your group. Get in touch to discuss.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training course
11-12 September 2018, Sheffield
We are running a free two-day design training course in September at the University of Sheffield. The course is open to groups looking after historic places of worship and aims to help groups who are the early stages of rethinking the physical elements and use of their building to develop design skills, knowledge and confidence.
Click here for further information and details on how to apply
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #4 - October 2017
Read an update on our recent and upcoming research activities here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training
12-13 September 2017, London
Our free two-day design training course is currently under way. The course aims to help groups looking after historic places of worship familiarise themselves with design and explore the potential of their building. It includes a mixture of presentations, site visits and hands-on activities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #3 - May 2017
Read an update on our recent and upcoming research activities here
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Survey on design and places of worship
In collaboration with the Baroness Warsi Foundation we have launched a survey to help inform understanding of how individuals and communities view the future of places of worship in the UK and their place in society. Let us know your views: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/designpow
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training
20-21 June 2017, Manchester
We are offering a free two-day design training course in June. The course is open to groups looking after historic places of worship and aims to help them explore the potential of their building.
Click here for details and information on how to apply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #2 - Nov 2016
Click here to read the highlights of our activities over the last year.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Debate on shared spaces - Nov 2016
25 November 2016, 15:00-17:00
Liverpool University, School of Architecture
We are partnering with the Baroness Warsi Foundation on a debate aiming to explore the potential for places of worship to be shared, by different faith groups, by the wider community, and for mixed uses. Read more here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forthcoming presentations – Nov 2016
EDP has been invited to present at two events organised by the Historic Religious Building Alliance and the National Churches Trust. We will be sharing our learning around ways to support community-led design in historic places of worship, using practical examples. Follow the links to learn more.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
National Churches Trust
More than Bricks and Stones: Unlocking the potential of heritage
24 November 2016, 10:30-16:15
St Clement’s Church, London
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Historic Religious Buildings Alliance
Big Update
30 November 2016, 10:00-16:15
St Alban’s Centre, London
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Live Projects – Oct 2016
As part of our research and building capacity programme, 3rd year/masters students from the School of Architecture at Sheffield University are interacting with three groups for their Live Projects: the Israac Somali Community and Cultural Association who are about to acquire the old Vestry Hall in Sheffield, and the custodians of two Grade I listed churches: St Peter’s Congleton and St Peter’s Chester. Over 6 weeks the students will interact with these places, explore ways to engage them with their wider community and propose ideas for future development.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Design Training - Sept 2016
We delivered our first Design Training event, held over 2 days (27-28 September) in Sheffield. The course built on the Buildings by Design programme, offered by the Glass-House Community Led Design for over a decade, and was hosted and delivered in collaboration with Leo Care, our partner from LiveWorks. Read about it here. We will be posting more information about results from the training and future opportunities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Past project visits - Summer 2016
During the summer, the EDP team visited a number of past projects to learn from their experience of leading changes in their buildings. Places visited include Peterchurch Herefordshire; St Michael’s and All Angels Witton Gilbert, Durham; the Stratford upon Avon URC; and two churches in Hereford (St Peter’s and All Saints). Read more about the visit to St Michael’s and All Angels on Sophia de Sousa’s blog post.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prototyping Utopias Apr-Jun 2016
Members of the EDP team won a small grant to participate in the AHRC’s 2016 Connected Communities Research Festival. The project builds on our relationship with Bow Church and connections with other local organisations in Bow: Bow Arts, Bromley by Bow Centre and Poplar Harca. Outputs from the activities will be shared at a major public exhibition, the Utopia Fair at Somerset House in central London, between 24th and 26th June 2016. Check the project website http://prototyping-utopias.uk
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Recent activities Jan-Mar 2016
In the last few months, between January and March, the EDP team delivered a number of visits and workshops. This included a visit to ISRAAC Somali Community and Cultural Association in Sheffield, a community centre operating in a Grade II listed Vestry Hall and a working day with the congregation and the core building group of Bow Church. We worked with St John’s United Reformed Church in Stourbridge and All Saints Hanley in Stoke on Trent. We also worked with the Churches Conservation Trust: We delivered a workshop on asset mapping at the Princes Regeneration Trust BRICK workshop in Bolton and run a workshop with CCT and the friends of St Swithun's in Worcester. More details to come.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EDP Newsletter #1
One year on since the project started, our first newsletter is out with information about the research and activities we carried out with different historic places of worship, as well as future plans.
Read it here >>
You can receive the newsletters via email by joining the EDP Mailing list
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Connected Communities Heritage Network Symposium 2016
Presentation on 'learning from the past' - 15 January 2016
The EDP team submitted a paper drawing from our learning from the past research strand. In this presentation we discuss insights from three retrospective studies: St. Luke’s in Oxford, the Buddhist Centre in Sheffield and St. Martin’s in Nottingham. In particular, we discuss similarities and differences in terms of key drivers, assets and principles surrounding community engagement.
Ruchit Purohit is presenting the paper on behalf of the team.
Click here for more information about the symposium.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forthcoming events - November 2015
We are organising two key events in November 2015.
Focus group - 17 November:
The aim of the focus group will be to share learning with experts and professionals that already work with or provide advice and support to community projects focussed on transforming historic places of worship. The focus group will create a space for networking and an opportunity to learn from one another. Together we will explore opportunities and challenges of community engagement in design projects in the context of places of worship, and discuss the ways in which good practice can be nurtured, supported and disseminated.
Event with new projects - 26 November:
This is an event with historic places of worship that are starting or thinking to start renovation projects. The aim will be to identify common issues, needs and aspirations as well as provide professional input and inspiration to participants. The emerging themes (issues, needs and aspirations) will be used in order to plan future EDP support activities, develop training materials but also identify places for targeted support.
Click here to learn more about this event >>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Research Associate position
June 2015. We are looking for a highly motivated and creative individual to join our Empowering Design Practices project team as a Research Associate. The position is based at the Open University in Milton Keynes and offered part time for 3 years.
The deadline for applications is now closed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Open University Press Release
20 April 2015. Read the press release here. We are inviting expressions of interest to be involved as a contributor in the project. Please contact us if you wish to suggest places for our case studies, let us know about your work or just wish to keep up to date about our activities and outputs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2 full time funded studentships
April 2015. Two PhD studentships based at the Open University are offered in connection to the project. The first PhD studentship is focused on ‘The architectural profession and its engagement with historic places of worship in England 1945 to the present’ and will be based in Arts Faculty (Art History Department). The second PhD is focused on ‘Empowerment in community-led design practices’ and will be based in Maths, Computing and Technology (Design Group).
The deadline for submissions is now closed.