The film, entitled ‘Blurring the edges’ - now available at the University Player - is part of an ongoing collaboration between University of Sheffield researchers and local partners in Rotherham. Together they co-produced a performance based on the ‘Life at the Frontier’ study in the neighbourhoods of Ferham, Masbrough and Kimberworth that are divided by social frontiers - that is, areas of low residential mixing between neighbourhoods. The performance and a follow-up discussion including researchers, artists and community leaders created a platform to exchange learning and think about how to achieve change. The film highlights some amazing community members and how a creative response to research has helped bring people together, changing perceptions and starting new initiatives.
University of Sheffield academics, Dr Aneta Piekut (Sheffield Methods Institute), Prof. Gwilym Pryce (Department of Economics) and Dr Henry Staples (Department of Urban Studies and Planning), have been working with community broker Dr Zanib Rasool (Rotherham United Community Trust), Sheffield-based performance artist and cultural producer Lora Krasteva, and Rotherham-based visual artist Uzma Rani (Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance) to explore ways to engage local people in University-led research on residential segregation and community cohesion.
Tasha, one of the community leaders who participated in the video, said:
The video carries such a strong message to the community of Rotherham showing how there are multiple people/projects/organisations wanting to help improve the community of Rotherham and help bring people together united and strong. I think if more people were able to see this video and the work we have all been doing together in this project then we would be able to show everyone where we have identified the social barriers and what we are trying to do to break them down and who is helping support that journey.
Tasha Vaughan, Community partner
Club Chair and Youth Team Manager, Rother Phoenix FC
The film is informed by ‘Life at the Frontier’, an international research project funded by NordForsk and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a follow-up knowledge exchange project ‘Blurring the edges: Social Frontiers as Places of Encounter’ (UKRI HEIF) led by Dr Aneta Piekut. ‘Life at the Frontier’ spans several countries, including the UK, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, researching the role of community boundaries and segregation on social mobility and community life. ‘Blurring the edges’ looked at the research through performance, visual art, augmented reality, conversation and debate.
Film producer: David Sánchez Marín
Contributing artists include:
Lora Krasteva is a Bulgarian born, Sheffield based performance artist, cultural producer and activist who works both in the UK & internationally. Her work is socially and politically engaged and often made with both community members and professionally trained artists.
Uzma Rani is a Rotherham based abstract/impressionist artist and calligrapher, working predominantly with alcohol ink and acrylic/oil paint creating mixed media art inspired by both nature and her surroundings as well as her own cultural heritage and religion.
