Highlights from the day
The morning featured a creative policy session, which brought BSU’s Creative Policy Fellowships to life through a performative presentation. This reflected Strategy 2035’s focus on creative and civic innovation, connecting researchers with policymakers and communities to shape real-world decisions. Researchers and partners shared how creative methods are being used in real-world policy settings, offering insight into how research can shape decision-making in practice. It was a compelling example of impact in action, highlighting the value of collaboration between researchers, policymakers and communities.
Participants also enjoyed a series of hands-on workshops designed to get them actively thinking about impact. From storytelling and speculative futures to accessibility walks and reflective evaluation tools, sessions offered creative, practical ways to develop ideas and approaches. These sessions reinforced BSU’s commitment to practice-driven, innovation-intensive research and learning, a key foundation of Strategy 2035.
Alongside these, Jenni Lewis’s “Bath Impact Spa” provided a spa-like, calm space for one‑to‑one reflection and coaching on impact practice, with tea, aromatherapy oils, and Jenni’s listening ear and gentle encouragement. Spaces like this highlight the importance of supporting researchers to develop impactful, people-centred work, aligning with BSU’s values-led and socially responsible approach.
3MT winner announced
The day concluded with a lively Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kyriaki Anagnostopoulou. Showcasing the breadth and creativity of research across the university, four PhD researchers – Rachael Burnett, Geza Csosz, Ellis Naylor and Tobi Obadara – took on the challenge of presenting their work in just three minutes. The standard was exceptionally high, with prizes awarded for Winner (£250), Runner-up (£100) and People’s Choice (£50). Ellis Naylor was named runner-up, while Tobi Obadara received both the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice awards for an outstanding and engaging presentation.
Tobi presented about his PhD research ‘Exploring The Effectiveness of Arts-Based Interventions to Facilitate Intercultural Dialogue in a Non-Diverse Secondary School’ – a fitting example of how impactful research runs right through the university, from PhD research to Professor level.
Building Bath Spa’s research culture
Together, the day’s activities highlighted how Bath Spa is building a distinctive research culture and meaningful, creative approaches to impact – a place that is collaborative, creative and outward-facing. From early career researchers to established academics, the festival demonstrated BSU’s strength in nurturing talent, supporting innovative methodologies, and embedding impact in practice. This reflects the ambitions of Strategy 2035: to create research and innovation that is inclusive, interdisciplinary and deeply connected to the world around us. As BSU moves towards 2035, events like the Research Festival play a vital role in shaping a research culture that is connected, confident and future-facing.