Past Events
The projects we work on as a Dialogue Centre use knowledge exchange and transformative facilitation to support the impact of the University’s research as well as its civic mission and public engagement aims.
Here are just some of the events we’ve organised or hosted as part of our rolling programme of activities.
July 2024
Royal Welsh Show
The Dialogue Centre helped to shape a strategic research focus to the University’s activities on the showground during the week, which included events engaging Welsh Government and other key stakeholder sectors.
June 2024
Visiting Facilitator Programme
The Visiting Facilitators Programme’s first guest was Mary Robson from Durham University, one of the UK’s leading creative facilitators for interdisciplinary research projects. In addition to holding briefings and meetings, Mary led two workshops with researchers.
The former focused on building and facilitating strong and caring research teams while the latter explored best practice for engaging patient and public involvement in medical research.
May 2024
Hay Festival
This year’s Hay Festival saw the launch of the Dialogue Centre’s unique toolkit showing how the creative process of collage can help people deliberate important issues.
The Dialogue Centre also led the planning of two other events at Hay highlighting the work of Aberystwyth University researchers, including the centenary of the Welsh Women’s Peace Appeal and exploring uncomfortable questions around biodiversity conservation.
07 March 2024
A front row seat reporting on climate change: A conversation with BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt
A wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation on the impact of climate change, exploring both negative tipping points and positive glimmers of optimism.
06 March 2024
Telling your Research Story
On 6th of March 2024, the Dialogue Centre brought together physicists, biologists, theatre theorists, political scientists and sustainability experts for an experiment. Could theatre games help us at Aberystwyth University connect and tell better stories about our research? Could these approaches work in Wales?
1-7 November 2023
Aberystwyth University’s 2023 Festival of Research – The Pursuit of Peace
For the first time, the University’s Festival of Research was coordinated by the Dialogue Centre.
Across a 7-day programme of discussions, workshops, research exhibits and creative activities on the theme of peace, the festival hosted more than 600 people and brought researchers together with a range of different communities.
07 September 2023
RWIF Project Workshop – How the third sector can influence government
Two unique in-person workshops were held for everyone who wanted to be heard by the Welsh Government.
The workshops drew on the findings of research by Dr. Amy Sanders on how third-sector organizations influenced the Welsh Government, meaning that the techniques and tips participants learned were based on sound evidence of ‘what worked’.
August 2023
Tŷ Trafod Opening
This contemporary space on the University’s Penglais campus is a place where researchers, external partners and communities can gather to deliberate, collaborate and share information and ideas.
With a range of flexible layouts, Tŷ Trafod can be used for informal gatherings as well as a location for hosting dialogue and knowledge exchange events.
Find out more about Tŷ Trafod…
July 2023
External Training
Partnering with WISERD to present training on combating social and political polarisation in Cardiff.
June 2023
A Flourishing Aberystwyth
A collaboration with Flourish Café™ to explore ways of supporting a flourishing creative industry, entrepreneurs and community in the Aberystwyth area.
May – June 2023
Designing and Facilitating
A research and knowledge exchange event in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, bringing together academics, politicians and third sector organisations to deliberate the challenges and opportunities of making Wales a Nation of Sanctuary.
May – June 2023
Staff Training
Organising training opportunities for university academic and professional services staff on policy impact, facilitation and public engagement.
April 2023
Internal Facilitation
Developing and leading strategic workshop for the University’s Department of International Politics Department. Similar offerings are available as part of our consultation service.
March 2023
Coaching
One-to-one coaching on dialogue methods and design with researchers leading communities of practice around healthy ageing and transport.
March 2023
Health Dialogues
Hosting events to bring together and strengthen partnerships between Hywel Dda Health Board and the University.
Nov 2022 – April 2023
RWIF Projects
Providing seed funding via HEFCW’s Research Wales Innovation Fund (RWIF) and working with academics on projects which use dialogic processes to engage with communities and co-create solutions.
February 2023
Skills and Training
Hosting workshops on dialogic processes for Masters in Behaviour Change students and university staff, with a focus on what it means to individually plan and practice dialogue.
November 2022
Launch Event
Keynote conversation on the ‘Dialogue and the nature of knowing and seeing’ with former Archbishop of Canterbury, Professor Rowan Williams, and award-winning poet and Professor of Welsh & Celtic Studies Mererid Hopwood to launch the Dialogue Centre.