The PhD Journey
It was a big task to get to this part in my research. In my first two months of starting, I almost read too-much, if there ever is such a thing. I became overwhelmed with the unstructured nature of this PhD, and the endless possibilities that lay in front of me. That being said, I also knew what I did not want to do. And so the journey of my research very much started with a process of elimination.
I never would have imagined the difficulties that I faced by pursuing this PhD. Being the one making all the decisions, whilst also being a distant student meant that at times I felt very alone in my research pursuits. Fortunately, I got wonderful guidance from my supervisors, and met and spoke with many incredible people, including artists, council members, architects, Paisley residents, and the like, that clearly had a lot of passion in making Paisley a rich and vibrant town both socially and creatively. I got to know the strong activist history of the town, the determination that many Paisley buddies feel to help others and improve upon their urban environment, and their usage of creative interventions as a holistic way to do so.
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Phase 1
I started the PhD by doing context research. I was reading a wide variety of literature, spoke to my supervisors and took trips to Paisley to get a feeling of the town.
Phase 3
I partnered with a community organisation in Pasiley
to deliver a workshop based on a walking route of decay and the practice of making photographs of decaying spaces. We then discussed the pictures and potential ideas for re-use. During this period, I began writing in a notebook to document my own experiences as a non-Paisley based researcher seeking for creative engagement in the town.
Phase 5
I gathered my workshop and interview data and thought about a second way to engage communities with my research. I decided on creating this website and an Instagram account (@hiddenspacespaisley), to help me explain my research but also allow for community members to interact with the photos, videos and map. In this way, I encouraged participation in an online format.
Phase 2
After wider reading, I began with writing my literature review and identifying the research method. I decided to focus on Photovoice and Autoethnography as my two main methods.
Phase 4
Unfortunately, my workshop group was much smaller than anticipated. After the workshop I realised that I needed more input from community members that were experts on Paisley. I started identifying key individuals in the town that had experiences with decay and their re-use.
After publishing my website and launching the Instagram, I've been promoting both and seeing which type of engagements arise from it. ​In October of 2024, I hope to hand in my PhD thesis, and describe the interactions with this website as a part of my engagement process.​​​​​​​​​​
Phase 6
Paisley's Cultural Ecology
After the workshop and interviews I conducted for my research, I kept track of which organisations, spaces, charities, businesses, and resources were mentioned by the community members that I spoke with.
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From my own interaction and chats with people within Paisley, the yellow circle-shaped points on the map showcase the range of places that were mentioned in conversation and that in some way make a cultural/creative contribution or have a cultural significance to Paisley's cultural ecology. The list of places can be found underneath the map, some are not shown on the image due to their location in a neighbouring district. The map also includes spaces that have not (yet) come to fruition (i.e. the Digital Skills Academy proposed by the Paisley Community Trust, and the Amphitheatre recently discovered in Barshaw Park).
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The grey angled shapes on the screen are persisting decaying spaces in the town that are known by the council. They are mentioned in the Vacant and Derelict Land Survey and site register of 2022.
In no particular order:
Pals of the Privies / Sculpture House / Engage Renfrewshire / Tannahill Centre / Community Circus Paisley / Paisley Museum and Art Gallery / RocknRolla's / University of the West of Scotland / Paisley Town Hall / Paisley Abbey / Star Project / Darkwood Crew / Right 2 Dance / Paisley Arts Centre / The Secret Collection / Paisley Central Library / The Art Department / Outspoken Arts / PACE Youth Theatre / Paisley YMCA / OneRen / ReMode / Kairos Women+ / Crafting Buddies / Loud n Proud / Refractive Collective / Friends of Barshaw Park / Erskine Arts / ROAR / Art Boss / Children of Glen Cinema Memorial / Amphitheatre Barshaw Park / Digital Skills Academy / Paisley Liberal Club / Paisley Opera / Paisley Men's Shed / Fountain Gardens / Active Communities / Community Labyrinth at Fountain Gardens / Restoration & Creation.