Dr Frances Giampapa
has a long-standing working relationship with LA nurseries in Bristol. She is a member of the Bristol/ECHO branch of Early Education which champions equitable early childhood education.
She brings a strong research profile driven by critical/linguistic ethnographic and creative approaches to researching linguistic and social inequalities schools. She has worked collaboratively on interdisciplinary research teams on projects that have been funded by: Social Sciences and Humanities Council (Canada); World Universities Network Grant; Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (UK); Arts Council, Nesta & AHRC (RCUK); IAA Exploratory Award (ESRC) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
She is the co-ordinator of the Language, Literacies and Education network (LLEN) which brings together a cross disciplinary group of scholars interested in language issues in language and education, language policy, social literacies/multiliteracies and psychological approaches to language development.
Dr Rachel Helme
has lived in Bristol with her family since 1991 and recently gained her PhD in Education from the University of Bristol. She is a former secondary school teacher who continues to work with other teachers to improve students' experiences of learning mathematics. She has an extensive research background in creative and participatory methods, including a specific focus on participant voice and the affective nature of identity work. Her work considers how to listen well to the voices of people who are marginalised, specifically in relation to students who feel unsuccessful in mathematics. She enjoys walking in the countryside, going to the cinema and eating out.
Mandy Collier-King
is Acting Head teacher at Ilminster Avenue Nursery School. Previously she was the Acting head teacher of St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School in central Bristol. She is “Bristol born and bred” and has been teaching for 27 years. She started out in East London, but has spent the majority of her time teaching in Bristol, in both Primary and Nursery Schools. She has always taught in the Early Years.
Lucy Hobbs
is the family link at Ilminster Avenue Nursery and has been working at the school for13 years. She is the point of contact between parents, the school and different local agencies where families can obtain support. Part of Lucy’s role involves listening sensitively to parents, assessing their needs, offering pragmatic advice and empowering families to address their challenges. She is an avid reader and loves to travel.
Luci Gorell Barnes
is a socially engaged artist/researcher and her practice sits at the interface of participatory arts engagement, research and activism. It is grounded in participation and co-production, and she develops innovative and inclusive arts based methods to support marginalised people, especially children, to explore and express their own concerns and perspectives. She has published work in a range of forms including academic papers, poems, creative writing and illustration. Luci is currently studying for a doctorate in the School of Education and Childhood at the University of West of England.
Nick Gray
is a teacher, filmmaker and researcher, whose work involves making and researching socially engaged documentaries with minoritised communities in Bristol. He is interested in developing creative ways to understand and develop literacy learning in community contexts, particularly when production is geared towards social justice. Nick uses participatory approaches to generate new knowledge by harnessing the assets within communities and the power of new media for storytelling. He is in the final year of his PhD in Education & Film at the University of Bristol.