We are celebrating 20 years of Rix by hosting Hackathon20 at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability on Friday 12 July 2024.
Our ambition is to work with business leaders, heads of services from the public sector and our co-researchers (a community of research experts with a lived experience of a learning difficulty) to identify 20 challenges people face in the health and wellbeing sector.
The Rix hackathon promises to be a fun, inclusive and solution-focused interactive workshop, where people from different walks of life and experiences work together to share their ideas and experiences to solve problems. Whilst some attendees will have a technical or developer background, this is not a prerequisite of attendance. Creativity, ambition and resilience are the order of the day.
Rix believes that some of the biggest challenges people face can be overcome with solutions that are closer to home than we thought possible. By exploring these solutions we can all contribute to a more inclusive society, where people’s lives are transformed, and businesses and orgnaisations deliver better, more efficient services.
The event will take place in the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS), at the University of East London’s Docklands campus.
purpleSTARS were asked to share our inclusive research methods and sensory objects at the Newham Citizen Science Fair. Co-researchers Ajay Choksi, Samantha Walker, and Kate Allen exhibited some of the sensory museum labels we co-produced, inspired by objects in the British Museum’s Enlightenment Gallery.
People enjoyed experiencing our research, it was very enjoyable sharing ideas with young people!
Ajay Choksi, co-researcher
Samantha talks to a visitor about creating her sensory label for the Enlightenment Gallery
Our first design experiments creating a multi-sensory museum label used sound recordable cards. Each co-researcher chose an object from the museum collection and drew images, found sounds, textures etc to create a sensory experience of the item. From these beginnings we developed the sensory label creating laser cut wooden boxes with engraved drawings, smell chambers and micro controllers to trigger soundscapes.
At the Fair we offered visitors the opportunity to create a sensory museum label about something important to them, that they wanted to share with people in the future. Visitors were given a recordable card on which they could develop their ideas for a sensory label through drawing, text, and adding texture.
Visitors at Newham Science Fair creating sensory museum labels and playing smell bingo
Visitors also helped our research to create an easy-use, self-assembly DIY version of our sensory label by having a go at assembling a prototype of the DIY kit.
I enjoyed today helping the children at the science fair making the cards. It was fun.
Samantha Walker, co-researcher
Visitors testing ease of construction of easy use sensory labels
Science Fair attendees also engaged with some of our other action research methods, exploring the sense of smell through a game of smell bingo and telling a sensory story to be recorded for our Suitcase Stories.
Rainbow label, purpleSTARS Suitcase Stories, Suitcase Story passport stamp
We also displayed our smell research poster with a QR code for a 360 online exhibition, London is the Place for Me, developed from listening to oral histories of past Londoners, co-produced for the Museum of London. We are researching the potential of offering accompanying scents/smells for virtual exhibitions and museum displays, which led us to ask the question, “How does equality smell?”
Ajay helping visitors create sensory museum labels, and in the background our Smell Research poster
We met Des Blake, a Newham resident and member of The Hackney and Newham History Social Club.
In our recent collaboration with The National Archives, Natalie and Sarah from the Education Department visited our newly established office at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability on January 30, 2024. Building on insights gathered from our previous trip, this feedback session sought to develop strategies to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of the collections at The National Archives.
Co-researchers from Rix Inclusive Research, PurpleSTARs and staff from The National Archives after our session
In close collaboration with our co-researchers with lived experiences and purpleSTARS, this session explored alternatives to ensure that the museum exhibits cater to diverse sensory sensitivities. The discussions centred around creating an environment where historical artefacts and exhibits can be appreciated by everyone.
After our previous trip to The National Archives, we explored innovative ways to share items from the collection with sensory dimensions. Using materials such as coconut husks and old books, visitors could better understand historical artefacts with an interactive experience. Drawing inspiration from previous collaborations with museums, sensory boxes and virtual experiences were also explored as alternatives to the museum experience.
Seal replicas, made of clay and carved by each participant, at the end of the session
The incorporation of easy read materials, audio experiences and hands-on activities also emerged as key strategies to make historical information inclusive. We also tried our hands at designing our own seals, a replication of the historical seals shown at The National Archives. This hands-on activity not only provided active engagement with historical materials but also added a personal twist to the museum experience.
By including sensory experiences in the museum experience, we hope to make historical information accessible to a broader audience. We recognise the importance of empowering individuals through knowledge, especially for individuals with sensory sensitivities.
What we thought of the session
What was one important thing you learnt from the session?
After visiting the National Archives, I realised the importance of keeping the old collections safe. It provides us with an understanding of where things come from, who they belong to, who they are for, and what is their purpose.
There were lots of old collections such as old files, books and stamps that are important to understand history.
What was your favourite moment from the session?
My favourite moment is seeing and recreating the seal stamps, as it reminds of putting stamps on letters and leaving a signature.
I enjoyed creating my own seal with purpleSTARS, designing and incorporating the Wiki design into my seal.
Have you got any tips for The National Archives to make it more accessible?
A lot of the collections were hard to read because they were in a different language, so translation into English is needed.
Some of the old letters and files were also in different formats and handwriting, which made it challenging to read. Having an easy read version would make it more accessible for everyone.
What worked well about the session and what didn’t work so well?
The session worked well as we were able to come down to visit the old archives, which were kept safe and secure. There were staff members that showcased the collections, allowing us to get a better glimpse and understanding of the materials. This helped us with coming up with ways to improve the accessibility of the materials.
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