Picture This: Someone Like Me – Building Confidence, Creativity andInclusion Through Visual Storytelling is a creative communication and public engagement project funded by Newcastle University’s Doctoral College that aims to make research more visible, inclusive and relatable.
The project addresses two critical gaps: supporting postgraduate researchers to build confidence and skills in communicating their work visually to non-specialist audiences, and challenging who research is seen as being “for” by helping audiences, particularly young learners, see themselves reflected in research careers and stories.
The project is delivered in two phases:
Phase 1 focuses on researcher development through visual storytelling training and a public exhibition showcasing artwork created by the researchers.
Phase 2 (supported by the SAgE Participatory Fund and a British Ecological Society outreach grant) is about bringing that exhibition to life through researcher-led interactive events, family-friendly activities and evening talks.
Phase 1 began in early November, when 30 postgraduate researchers from different faculties across the University came together for a full-day creative communication workshop.
This workshop was delivered by Peter Moore-Fuller from science communication agency infohackit and was held across two sessions, with the morning taking place on campus and the afternoon hosted at the Great North Museum: Hancock.
During the morning session, participants were introduced to principles of good design before gaining hands-on skills in Affinity, the software they will use to create visual artworks. In the afternoon, researchers worked collaboratively in the museum setting to explore how complex research ideas can be distilled into simple, engaging visual narratives through creative exercises and peer-to-peer feedback.
The approach of the workshop offered a space for collaboration across faculties, shared learning and new perspectives that don’t often emerge within traditional academic structures, and the impact of this approach was clear. Pre- and post-workshop surveys showed substantial increases in confidence across all areas measured, particularly in using digital design tools, developing simple visual materials and communicating research to non-specialist audiences (Figure 1).
Looking ahead, 26 researchers are continuing on to infohackit’s 12-month training programme, where they will further develop their skills in Affinity and create original artworks inspired by their research.
These artworks will then be displayed in a public exhibition at the Great North Museum: Hancock from March 202 until January 2027.
Visitors are invited to explore research through creativity and conversation, discover the people behind the work and reflect on how diverse experiences and perspectives shape the way knowledge is created.