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SHARING RESEARCH THROUGH ART
Sarina Isenberg, PhD wants research to resonate with everyone
- Research has the power to improve health care, inform policy, and change lives. Yet too often, valuable insights remain within academic journals, making it difficult for the broader public to engage with the knowledge being created.
That gap is often bridged through knowledge translation, which helps put research into practice.
What if research could do more than inform? What if it could spark curiosity, encourage conversation, and inspire people to see health care through a new lens?
“I want to spark fascination and appreciation of science through the arts,” says Sarina Isenberg, PhD, Chair in Mixed Methods Palliative Care Research with Bruyère Health Research Institute. “I believe in creating opportunities for people to connect with scientific discoveries in ways that are engaging, accessible, and deeply human.”
Turning research into public dialogue
- Sharing research can be about more than communicating results, it can be about creating dialogue.
Arts-based knowledge mobilization uses creative approaches to help people engage with complex ideas through experiences that stimulate the senses and evoke emotion. By making research more relatable, it breaks down barriers between researchers and the public, and it creates opportunities for broader participation in the research process.
“Research is strongest when it is shaped by the people it is intended to benefit,” says Isenberg. “This approach encourages collaboration and co-design, meaning researchers work hand in hand with patients, caregivers, and care providers.”
By bringing arts into the mix, that collaboration includes artists and designers, who have become a valued part of the feedback loop arts-based knowledge mobilization methodology that guides Isenberg’s work. Previous research informs art and design products. Those creative pieces then invite audiences to share their own perspectives and experiences through interactive elements, generating insights that help inform future research.
“I want to spark fascination and appreciation of science through the arts. I believe in creating opportunities for people to connect with scientific discoveries in ways that are engaging, accessible, and deeply human.”
Sarina Isenberg, PhD
Chair in Mixed Methods Palliative Care Research, Bruyère Health Research Institute
A path to difficult conversations
- In some cases, even without the complexity of research, having any dialogue about difficult topics such as palliative care and end-of-life experiences is challenging.
This is where art and design can help.
Instead of trying to pair the conversation about end-of-life in a hospital room, the research and design team crafted The Terminal Diner, immersing the audience in the familiar idea of a restaurant. It encouraged audiences to look at a “menu” of choices and complete an order “chit,” expressing their wishes for what end-of-life care might look like for them. Some left “reviews” at the diner; reflections on the experiences of family members and friends.
For many, it’s a way to express what’s often uncomfortable to think about, let alone discuss openly and intimately.
“We have had incredible success with installations like The Terminal Diner, Going Home to Die, The Storytelling Project, The Art of a Good Death, and most recently, Roots of Wisdom,” says Isenberg. “By embracing arts-based knowledge mobilization, we have the potential to create a more inclusive way of sharing and generating findings, ensuring that research has the power to touch the lives of the people it is meant to serve.”
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