Vanessa Lefton

I use creative and participatory methods on British inequality issues.

My doctoral research explores how ethnographic methods and participatory filmmaking can be used to evaluate a space of care. I am working with 11-14 year olds at a supplementary school in South London to forge a creative methodology for participatory evaluation. This research is funded by the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences. 

Prior to my PhD, I spent nearly a decade in government in cross government and strategy teams, working on issues like loneliness, homelessness, addiction and social support. During this time, I completed a Masters in Material and Visual Culture, focusing on visual anthropology, experimental storytelling and material culture. I combined my policy and creative research experience in Policy Lab, a cross government innovation team. Over 5 years, I co-led ethnographic research methods, applying creative ethnographic methods to cross cutting policy projects across government on social inequality issues.