What We Do

The Dialogue Centre trains and promotes innovative practice and collaborative leadership by working in slightly different ways. Participants share stories, engage in carefully designed hands-on activities, and explore ideas together rather than debating positions. This approach tends to build empathy, encourage creativity, and support new thinking.

Activities hosted by the Dialogue Centre create spaces where participants move around, hear compelling stories, think with their hands, and speak with both their experience and their expertise. All experiences are treated as valuable, and those in positions of power are invited to listen, learn, and engage with others as equals.

Trainings

Our training courses focus on the skills required for effective collaboration, communication, facilitation, and working through difference in civic, organisational, and research settings.

In addition to regular offerings we offer tailored trainings to meet client needs. Training activities include:

  • Workshops and short courses focused on collaborative leadership, change management, organisational development, and communication offered to community members, professionals, and organisations.
  • Short residential trainings to help researchers build skills and confidence in facilitating collaborations.  
  • In development: Student applied learning opportunities will enable Aberystwyth University students to gain hands-on experience in dialogue facilitation, civic action and public engagement to help solve real-world challenges.

Facilitation Services

The Dialogue Centre provides bespoke facilitation and team-building services designed to strengthen collaboration, build trust, and support teams to work well together. Our facilitation helps groups build psychological safety for honest, respectful conversations and make progress on shared challenges.

We tailor each session to your needs. Each engagement is shaped around your objectives and typically includes:

  • Pre-session planning and agenda design
  • All activity materials
  • Professional hosting and facilitation

 

Our services are suitable for business, civic, education, and public-sector contexts, including strategy work, partnership development, staff away days, and change-making projects.

Formats and Pricing

Facilitation pricing is proportionate to session length and preparation needs. Additional fees apply for bilingual sessions in Welsh and English.

Typical formats include:

  • Short sessions (1–1.5 hours)
    Focused activities designed to create connection and energy at events, meetings, or conferences.
  • Half-day sessions (3–4 hours)
    Structured programmes tailored to your objectives, combining facilitated discussion with applied exercises and practical takeaways.
  • Full-day sessions (6–7 hours)
    Comprehensive programmes supporting reflection, collaboration, and action-planning. Well suited to team away-days, partnership meetings, and organisation-wide workshops.
  • Longer engagement

Ongoing support to design and deliver change projects or sustained convening, enabling groups to work through complex issues and solve problems together.

Next Steps
If you would like to explore working with us, please get in touch to discuss your objectives. We will recommend an approach and provide a tailored proposal with your context and budget in mind.

Meeting Space

Tŷ Trafod, in the Visualisation Centre on Penglais Campus, is a dedicated space for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. Tŷ Trafod is expertly designed to support better conversations and collaborations.

The space offers:

  • An open, welcoming gathering environment with lots of natural light
  • Cameras, microphones, and speakers for hybrid events.
  • A stocked facilitation cupboard filled with stationery and supplies for creative participation. And a basic service kitchenette.
  • Flexible layouts suitable for workshops, meetings, public events, and knowledge exchange activities. The space can be configured for lounge, theatre, committee, or dialogue workshop layouts and comfortably accommodates:
  • Up to 40 participants for workshops
  • Up to 60 participants in a theatre-style setting

Internal Use

  • University staff may book the space free of charge by emailing dialogue@aber.ac.uk. Events must be intended for collaborative problem solving.

External Hire

  • Tŷ Trafod may for external use via our conference services.
  • The Conference Office is open Monday to Thursday 09:00 – 17:30 Friday 09:00 – 16:30 Tel: (01970) 621960 Email: conferences@aber.ac.uk

Public Engagement & Knowledge Exchange

The Dialogue Centre supports Aberystwyth University and other researchers to engage meaningfully with the public, policymakers, and practitioners. We design and deliver activities that bring research, lived experience, and practice together, creating space for listening, shared learning, and shaping better futures.

Our work includes:

  • Designing and Hosting Civic events featuring researchers, thought leaders, and community members. We focus on pressing social issues and collaborative problem-solving. These events are open to the public and designed to engage diverse audiences.
  • Support for strategic research projects, including facilitation for academic and applied research on dialogue, conflict resolution, and systems change.
  • Public forums and policy engagement that extend the reach and impact of research.
  • Partnerships and collaborations with universities, third-sector organisations, government agencies, and international partners to address local and global challenges through dialogue-based approaches.

Local Projects

The Dialogue Centre works in partnership to address local challenges and opportunities. Our projects are rooted in place and contribute to the University Strategy of changing lives for the better by growing knowledge, building communities, and strengthening Wales.

Current areas of work include:

  • Dinas Llen UNESCO City of Literature
  • Food Sovereignty
  • Democratic Innovations
  • Wellbeing for Health and Economies
  • Town Heritage and Future