Fostering a sense of belonging for higher education staff and students with caring responsibilities

Opening Monday 14th March and available to view to January 2023.

Fostering a sense of belonging for higher education staff and students with caring responsibilities: What works?

An original research- and art-based collaboration between Marie-Pierre Moreau, Professor of Education at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, and Sally Campbell Galman, an independent cartoonist and a Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, US. This project is supported by Advance HE, as part of the Good Practice Awards programme.

The story
Carers are a group of particular significance to society, as they contribute precious time and energy to other people's needs and, simply put, enable society to operate. Yet they are largely rendered invisible and misrecognised.

This is particularly the case in academia where the figure of the 'bachelor boy' has long prevailed. Through the use of comics and other art forms, they want to challenge the status quo and turn academia to a place of belonging for students and staff with caring responsibilities. In particular, hoping to raise awareness of carers and of the diversity and intersectionalities of their experiences, and to encourage the development of practices and policies which foster carers' sense of belonging.

The exhibition is also available online in open access for all to use, with appropriate recognition of the authors.