Emma Arya-Manesh | University of Chester

I am a post doctoral mixed-methods researcher with over 13-years of experience conducting evaluations and undertaking research across a diverse range of settings including art galleries, cultural and arts-based organisations, children’s centres, youth groups, universities, and schools. Emma is also the Editorial Manager for the International Journal of Art & Design Education (iJADE) and the Editorial Assistant for COMPARE: A Journal of Comparative and International Education .

I have published on creative arts practices in teaching, pedagogy, and learning. My most recent research has focused on doctoral students encounters with creative practices in education. I am also working on a project to explore the lived experiences of Palestinian women living in the West Bank.

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EdD Cultural Practices (PR8008)

Principal Investigator, Evaluating the RESTORE Programme. Warrington Borough Council, 2023-2024.

Principal Investigator, Theory of Change. Culture Health and Well Being Alliance (CHWA), 2021-2022.

Co-investigator, People Project. Keele University and CWaC, 2020-2022.

Co-investigator, ‘Beyond Text’. Erasmus+ 2015 Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships. The project is in co-operation with ten European and Palestinian partner organisations,(2016-2019).

Researcher, ‘The Pedagogical turn to art as research: A comparative international study of art education.’ with Concordia University Montreal, University of British Columbia, University of Lapland, and the University of Granada. Partnership Development Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, (2015–2019).

Co-Investigator, ‘Arts-Based Evaluation’, evaluating the impact of learning programmes for young people, Storyhouse Cultural Centre, Chester, (2017-19).

Co-Investigator, ‘Creative Pedagogies in Palestinian (West Bank) and English (North West) schools, British Academy Award. A comparative study in collaboration with Bethlehem University, (2013–2017).

Articles in refereed journals

Adams, J., Al Yamani, H., Arya-Manesh, E, Mizel, O., Owens, A. & Qurie, D. (2020) ‘Creative Pedagogies in Teacher Education: West Bank, Palestine and North West England’, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education; DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2019.1708706.

Chapters in books/edited works

Arya-Manesh, E. (2023, forthcoming) Violence and Peace: Insights into Education in the West Bank. In Findlow, S. & Akar, B. (Eds.) Routledge Handbook on Education in the Middle East and North Africa. Oxfordshire: Routledge, pp. n-n.

Arya-Manesh, E. & Adams, J. (2021) ‘Arts Based practices in Doctoral Education Research’. In Adams, J and Owens, A. (Eds.) Beyond Text: Education Research Through Creative Practices. Bristol: Intellect.

Adams, J. & Arya-Manesh, E. (2019) ‘Transformative Interventions: Creative Practices in an Education Doctorate Programme’. In Sinner, A., Irwin, R. & Adams, J. (Eds.) Provoking the Field: International Perspectives on Visual Arts PhDs in Education. Bristol: Intellect, pp. 48-58.

Research reports

Arya-Manesh, E., Davies, K & Ponsillo, N. (2022). Theory of Change Report. Culture Health and Well Being Alliance (CHWA).

Owens, A., Passila, A. & Arya-Manesh, E. (2022) Final Report: An arts-based evaluation of Terriers as a crime prevention intervention. Royal Court Liverpool.

Adams, J., Arya-Manesh, E., Owens, A., & Poole, S. (2019) Evaluation of the Young Leaders Programme. Storyhouse, Chester.

Atherton, F. & Arya-Manesh, E. (2016) Evaluation of the Early Years Quality Improvement Programme. DfE

Arya-Manesh, E., Simcock, T., McKay, J. & Sampson, L. (2015) Evaluation of the HENRY Approach Across Wirral: from parents to HENRY facilitators. Wirral Borough Council.

Atherton, F., Connolly, P., Godding, E., Hulme, R. & O’Hare. (2014). An Efficacy Test of an Adapted Version of Booktime. BookTrust.

PhD, University of Chester, 2021.

MA Research Methodologies in Globalisation and Development, Liverpool University, 2010.

BA (Hons) Social and Human Geography, Liverpool John Moores University, 2007.

Dr Emma Arya-Manesh