Dr Safi Darden talks about her recent project, B-HUGS, supported as part of the 2024-25 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund. This work draws on interdisciplinary expertise, looking to address rissues of educational belonging for Black youth in Devon.
Drawing on psychology, education, and Black studies, and rooted in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), our project aims to investigate and develop actions to effectively mitigate the effects of the lack of Black representation in U16 education. It also explores the short and long-term implications for educational belonging, progression and attainment this has for Black youth. Our work has focused on engagement of Black youth in Devon, who are educated in predominantly white spaces, and are likely to go through their entire education without ever experiencing a Black educator.
The work funded through this award fell into three main strands: on-campus engagement, in-school engagement, and training. For our on-campus engagement, Black scholars (Jegna), project partners, and University of Exeter research interns led an 11-week programme with Black heritage pupils from two Exeter schools. This combined academic and creative activities with participant-led research, including interviews, media reviews, photography, and focus groups.
In-school engagement focused on raising critical consciousness and fostering identity exploration. We delivered an art-based workshop with artist Jedidah Chick on pre-colonial Black history, as well as a series ofworkshops in one of our partner schools involving around 250 year 7 students. These activities provided spaces for young people to reflect on representation, history, and selfhood within their educational environment.
The final strand of this work – training – included a variety of external and internal activities. These ranged from externally facilitated sessions on storytelling (Beyond Face), participatory video (Kier Harris), and Afronography (Guardians of Heritage), to internal sessions on community building. Each of these sessions were open to Jegna, partners, and research interns, incorporating valuable opportunities for co-creation.
This work has significantly strengthened our partnerships. We are now developing national and international collaborations, and are expanding to include additional partners across Devon and Cornwall. The project has also produced a range of outputs, such as international presentations, a book chapter with community partners, and a successful bid for external funding.
The impact on participants has also been clear. Young people reported increased well-being, enjoyment, and a sense of representation from their involvement in the project, and their reflections demonstrated notable growth in critical consciousness and belonging. The wider team also benefited, gaining space to work creatively, deepen partnerships, and strengthen our Jegna network. The training events with all project partners were a particular highlight, and proved invaluable in building trust and understanding, as well as genuine co-design.
While there were some logistical challenges around transport, food provision, and time, these experiences allowed us to refine our approach continuing this project in the future.
The project has laid the foundation for wider collaboration and greater reach. Looking forward, we will continue both on-campus and in-school programmes while expanding into new areas, drawing on young people’s insights, and creating spaces for science engagement and community connection. Our future work remains committed to fostering belonging in educational spaces, deepening connections across the African diaspora, and increasing opportunities for representation, mentoring, and progression for Black youth.