Catherine is undertaking a PhD focusing on how community food action in schools can move towards more sustainable futures, whilst also contributing to emancipation and wellbeing. She visited Italy earlier in the year with colleagues Professor Jennifer Rowsell and Dr Louise Kay from the faculty of Education at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ and staff from Arbourthorne Community Primary School - Vanessa Langley (Headteacher) and Kate Ellison (Deputy Headteacher).
º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ has a longstanding relationship with , and it is the fieldwork site for Catherine's PhD research. Arbourthorne have a series of community food initiatives - communal meals, a community fridge, gardening activities in the growing spaces, and an upcoming intergenerational cafe - that make up their 'An Even Better Arbourthorne' project. This is a project with a long-term and community-led focus to respond to the food-related needs of the Arbourthorne area.
As part of the trip, the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ team hosted a seminar for the Department of Childhood Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia to showcase the amazing work undertaken by Arbourthorne and the research taking place around it. The visit has led to Catherine securing a Visiting Fellowship at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. This fellowship will take place in spring next year and will involve knowledge exchange between the University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Catherine will share outputs from her research, whilst also attending lectures and seminars in Italy to deepen knowledge and forge collaborations with colleagues there. Catherine will also be conducting a short ethnography in various schools in the Reggio Emilia region during the visit to act as a comparison in her PhD.
This is such an exciting opportunity. I was blown away by the amazing work that the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia are doing, and really inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to schooling that I saw during my trip this year. The approach puts children at the heart of what they do and has a real focus on food. To be able to build further relationships with colleagues in Italy and collaborate with them, whilst also conducting research in the region, is a real privilege. I’m really looking forward to it.
Catherine Malpass