Cambridge Creative Encounters

Academic research can be difficult to communicate to wider audiences. To address this challenge, the first SNAPSHOTS project took four researchers at the University of Cambridge through a practical creative process, to each make a single exhibition photograph that would communicate their research in visual, non-literal, conceptual form.

"Each participant delivered an image that is clearly and undeniably communicating something more than a straightforward image of an object, person or scene."

The project was delivered by professional photographer and filmmaker Chris Loades through a series of four online workshops, face-to-face meetings where the restrictions of the pandemic allowed, and practical homework exercises. The first workshop provided an introduction to the technical and conceptual fundamentals of photography – an overview of the importance of light, composition, planning, timing, and all the other factors that contribute to effective image-making. The second workshop explored how artists throughout history have used visual metaphors and allegory to communicate complex and nuanced ideas, in contrast to the formal, factual and analytical approach more characteristic of academia. In the final two workshops, the participants developed and refined their project ideas, taking part in encouraging group constructive criticism of one another's work, up until their final shoots and edits.

Owing to the difficulty of absolute specificity, and the importance of each person describing their creative process, each photograph in the exhibition is accompanied by a short written piece by its creator. We all recognised that the project was a challenge, but each participant delivered an image that is clearly and undeniably communicating something more than a straightforward image of an object, person or scene.

THE PROJECTS

Creative Lead:
_{Chris(Kip) Loades, Photographer & Filmmaker}

SUBMISSION ONE

Sunshine and shadow

Researchers:
Dr Ruth Sellers
Dr Wendy V Browne

Faculty of Education
(Humanities and Social Sciences)

Too often mental health difficulties are depicted as a person with their head in their hands, but does not necessarily reflect the experiences of those with mental health difficulties, nor recognise the distinction between mental health difficulties and mental health. We aimed to explore how we might depict different aspects of mental health and ill health.

At the Rudd Centre one of the things we look at is what factors might help to explain not only the development of poor mental health, but also what might promote positive mental health. Our research suggests that the environments/experiences can have important impacts on our mental health and wellbeing. Our research takes a developmental approach – we look at what might explain how we change across development.

We aimed to convey a more nuanced understanding of mental health and mental ill health. We also wanted to convey how mental health/mental ill health can fluctuate/change across development.

The Rudd Centre aims to inform knowledge of how factors and processes that influence young people’s development and mental ill health. We also examine what might promote positive mental health and wellbeing. Our research takes a developmental perspective – examining how and why we change across time. We worked with an artist to develop a series of photographs to open-up conversations about understanding of mental health and mental ill health, and processes that promote positive mental health.

Using the idea of portraiture, we took a series of photographs of one sunflower over a number of weeks. We aimed to demonstrate that mental health does not mean the same as mental ill health, and also that they can fluctuate and change across development.

For our first image, we wanted to show a thriving plant. Positive mental health is not just the absence of mental health problems. With the two other images in the series we hoped to represent a more complex and nuanced perspective of mental health difficulties.

The second image shows a plant that is starting to struggle – aspects of the environment can help promote healthy growth - here the flower needs more water to support health development. This highlights the importance of early identification of any difficulties, and early access to supports when we need. Our research examines environments/experiences that may help to promote more positive outcomes.

Those experiencing depression often report feelings of ‘darkness’ and shadow. However, recovery is possible. In our third image we aimed to depict this by showing a flower that is struggling - but the face of the flower shows seeds that look like miniature flowers themselves – the seeds in the flower head to show that recovery/renewal is possible.

In a linked submission we explore further the definitions of mental ill health and mental health/wellbeing – considering how we can experience both simultaneously (waterlily). By looking at different plants in the natural world across these two exhibits, we highlight that different plants need different environments to thrive – and the same could be said of each of us – environments are important for healthy development, and our experiences have impacts on our wellbeing and mental health.

What images come to mind when you think about representing mental health/wellbeing and ill health?

^{Research background:}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development: Sellers, R., Riglin, L., Harold, G. T., & Thapar, A. (2022). Using genetic designs to identify likely causal environmental contributions to psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 34(5), 1653-1665.}}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development; identifying evidenced-based supports: Sellers, R., Smith, A. F., Leve, L.D., Nixon, L., Cane, T., Cassell, J. A., Harold, G.T. (2019). Utilizing genetically-informed research designs to better understand family processes and child development: Implications for Adoption and Foster-care focused interventions. Adoption and Fostering, 43(3), 351-371.}}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development; identifying evidenced-based supports: Harold, G. T., Leve, L. D., & Sellers, R. (2017). How can genetically informed research help inform the next generation of interparental and parenting interventions?. Child Development, 88(2), 446-458.}}

^{_{Precursors to mental ill health – early identification: Rice, F., Sellers, R., Hammerton, G., Eyre, O., Bevan-Jones, R., Thapar, A. K., Collishaw, S., Harold, G. T., & Thapar, A. (2017). Antecedents of new-onset major depressive disorder in children and adolescents at high familial risk. JAMA psychiatry, 74(2), 153-160.}}

^{_{A range of factors can help promote more positive outcome: Collishaw, S., Hammerton, G., Mahedy, L., Sellers, R., Owen, M. J., Craddock, N. Thapar, A. K., Harold, G. T., Rice, F., & Thapar, A. (2015). Mental health resilience in at-risk adolescents. Lancet Psychiatry.}}

SUBMISSION TWO

Below the surface

Researcher:
Dr Ruth Sellers, Dr Wendy V Browne

Faculty of Education
(Humanities and Social Sciences)

We aimed to demonstrate that wellbeing and mental ill health are linked but distinct - we can experience wellbeing and mental ill health at the same time. We also wanted to show that mental health problems are not always visible – they can be ‘hidden below the waterline’.

The Rudd Centre examines processes that influence young people’s development, mental health and life chances. As part of this project, we worked with an artist to develop a photograph that aims to inform understanding of, and provides opportunity to open-up conversations about, our understanding of mental health and wellbeing.

Photography submission text

Many use the term ‘mental health’ as a euphemism for ‘mental ill health’, which has created confusion as to what we mental by the concepts. However, these terms are not synonymous. Mental health/wellbeing could be described as flourishing in life: experiencing positive emotions, and functioning well psychologically and socially. In contrast, mental ill health focuses on diagnoses and mental health difficulties that negatively impact on functioning.

At the Rudd Centre one of the things we look at is what factors might help to explain not only the development of poor mental health, but also what might promote positive mental health and wellbeing. Our research suggests that the environments we experience can have important impacts on our mental health and wellbeing.

Mental health and mental ill-health can be considered as separate but interrelated constructs - We can experience positive mental health regardless of whether we experience mental ill health. We explored metaphors of mental wellbeing and mental ill health through photography. Given that the environments we experience can have important impacts on our wellbeing, we looked to the natural world.

In many cultures, waterlilies have become a symbol of hope, wellness, and peace. This image shows a vibrant and thriving lily reflected in the water – an image of mental wellbeing, but below the water line we can see that there are weeds and the water is murky. Here we wanted to show that mental health challenges are not always visible. It could also demonstrate our environment – what we experience can impact on our wellbeing and development. It also shows that we can experience mental health difficulties and still experience mental wellbeing at the same time.

In a linked submission of photographs, we use a series of images explore how we might use flowers in different states to depict different definitions of mental health and wellbeing (sunflowers). By looking at different plants across these two exhibits, we highlight that different plants need different environments to thrive – and the same could be said of each of us – our experiences have impacts on our wellbeing and mental health. Our research is examining positive environments and experiences that may help to promote more positive outcomes.

What images come to mind when you think about representing mental health/wellbeing and ill health?

^{Research background:}

^{_{Relationship between mental health and a measure of wellbeing: Marquez, J., Katsantonis, I., Sellers, R., & Knies, G. (2022). Life satisfaction and mental health from age 17 to 21 years in a general population sample. Current Psychology, 1-11.}}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development: Sellers, R., Riglin, L., Harold, G. T., & Thapar, A. (2022). Using genetic designs to identify likely causal environmental contributions to psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 34(5), 1653-1665.}}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development; identifying evidenced-based supports: Sellers, R., Smith, A. F., Leve, L.D., Nixon, L., Cane, T., Cassell, J. A., Harold, G.T. (2019). Utilizing genetically-informed research designs to better understand family processes and child development: Implications for Adoption and Foster-care focused interventions. Adoption and Fostering, 43(3), 351-371.}}

^{_{Environments are important for youth development; identifying evidenced-based supports:Harold, G. T., Leve, L. D., & Sellers, R. (2017). How can genetically informed research help inform the next generation of interparental and parenting interventions?. Child Development, 88(2), 446-458.}}

"Taking part in this project was a really exciting challenge. It was fantastic to work with an expert to think creatively about how we might use imagery and metaphor to communicate our research."

Dr Ruth Sellers, Dr Wendy V Browne

Weblinks

@RuddCambridge

@ruth_sellers

Rudd Centre Website

Dr Ruth Sellers profile

Dr Wendy V Browne profile

One, None and a Hundred Thousands of scientist

Researcher:
Viviana Macarelli

Department of Clinical Biochemistry
(Clinical Medicine)

Close your eyes and imagine a scientist, what do you see?

As a part of a social study, 1300 students were asked to draw a scientist on paper. The majority of them drew an ugly, old man or a stereotyped version of Albert Einstein. Even if not always to this extent, the general idea of researchers and their lives are always far away from reality.

The aim of my project is to give you a taste of the work and of the emotions behind scientific achievements and researchers’ lives.

About the research

As part of my PhD at University of Cambridge, I work full-time as a researcher in the Institute of Metabolic Science studying the role of our brain cells in food disorders, such as obesity. However, I chose not to focus this photography project on the specifics of my research but on the general concept of scientific research and life.

Weblinks

@vivirogue

@VMacarelli

Viviana Macarelli

@ims_mrl

The aim of my project is to give you a taste of the work and of the emotions behind scientific achievements. My hope is that by looking at this picture, the observer is able to share this experience with me. Can you feel the time, the repetitiveness, the search for motivation, the loneliness but also the satisfaction of reaching the goal and the power of sharing it with others? Can you feel also more than that? Scientific work is based on the shoulders of thousands other before us who have made big and small achievements and have made possible what we do today. But also, scientific progress benefits the community in the past, present and future. So, in a way, we are alone but together in this journey.

The picture was realized by merging 4 different shots taken consecutively to be able to capture the entire movement throughout the area. Each shot was taken by a Nikon Camera d3300, with a shutter speed of 25 sec to allow enough light to enter the camera and give the blurry effect of movement to the figures. The aperture was kept at f/25 to restrict the entry of light, together with the use of ND (Neutral Density) filters.