I have been a social advocate living in different parts of the world using the dialogue approach to focus on issues such as human rights in Hong Kong, begging and leprosy in India, and refugees in the mid-west of the United States. Dialogues provide space for engagement and debates, which could lead to knowledge exchanges and better understanding for all parties involved. Citing an example of working with the refugee population, the most effective way to support them in the resettlement process is to facilitate dialogues between refugee communities and service providers (NGOs and City Council). In doing so, we give them a voice in the process and we get the information first hand by listening to their concerns rather than ignoring issues or pretending they do not exist such as racism. In my opinion, it is a strength-building and empowering process, embracing creativity and fostering mutual respect . Projects that I am particularly interested in working include migration, refugees’ wellbeing, human rights issues, child protection and family preservation.

The dialogue was part of my professional practice when I first started working with street children. Our everyday language is different from their own. Imposing my thoughts and worldview was not a correct way to work with them.  Dialogue was a mean to engage and learn from their eyes. For me, dialogue provides an opportunity to engage with people to understand their everyday life and build resilience. Recently, I used this approach for my PhD research project, where I explored the everyday experience of health workers to understand challenges in health service delivery for the population. The approach provides an insight into the challenges and problem health worker face in their everyday life and how their professional value and practice are changing with the application of the managerial approach. My project proposes an alternative solution to improve health services for an elderly population by improving the everyday life at work of health workers in India

As a practice-based artist and researcher, my experience of dialogue is as a practitioner. Often it is assumed that artists ‘make things’ (paintings/photos, etc) but Dialogical Practices/Socially Engaged practices are growing as methods to enact process-based artworks in - and with - public(s). In these works, I am interested in developing collective narratives, new knowledges and asking questions which encourages communities, groups or individuals to explore their place within the world. My research explores how ‘conflict’ can have a productive role in participatory and dialogic artworks.

My artworks take have taken various forms such as ‘kidnapping’ city councillors and taking them to housing estates to have dialogues with residents; or aiming to break a world record for ‘holding hands in a circle’ as a way to get neighbours and communities to meet and develop dialogues about their neighbourhood needs; or, most recently, walking from Aberdeenshire to the Venice Biennale in order to have dialogues with people along the 2638km route about the place of art in a wider social realm.

I have co-created a range of dialogue projects (from Scotland to Malawi) focussing on issues such as teenage drinking, attitudes towards bereavement and teenagers’ experience of contemporary cultural imperialism. Many of the projects I’ve been involved with focus on using Dialogue to create ways to liberate young people from things that constrain the way they normally communicate and express themselves. Seeing the difference our work can make inspires me – it’s great to be part of a process that develops (and values) teenagers’ ability to make confident, positive choices. I want young people to spend their youth developing as people, building their knowledge, friendships and self esteem and creating memories they’ll cherish (and not feeling that they have to conform to values imposed on them). Dialogue is a great way of giving people ‘agency’ and it’s a privilege to be able to work creatively and build relationships which can deliver profound change