Practitioner Research Associate Collections and Wellbeing
Emily is interested in using creative research methods to explore participatory arts engagement which supports positive wellbeing. Her current research focuses on how it feels to be ‘in’ the Museum, from a multi-sensory perspective working with people living with non-visible disabilities and chronic conditions.
Emily has also been collaborating on an evaluative project - Reimagining - to reflect on the Look, Imagine, Move programme, design designed to support the physical and emotional resilience of adults with chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions, and stroke survivors. The evaluation is being used to develop new principles of practice in the museum for working with older adults.
Emily holds a PhD in Creative Ageing (University of Derby), and an MSc in Cultural Events Management (De Montfort University). She is Founder and Co-Chair of the British Society of Gerontology’s Creative Ageing Special Interest Group, and a member of the Arts Health Early Career Research Network.
Emily has been working in the field of Creative Health within the charity and hospital arts sectors since 2016, leading a local mental health charity (Arts and Minds) and working as an Independent Consultant and Researcher working with clients including: University College London Hospitals Arts and Heritage; Fullscope; Hampshire Cultural Trust; and Air Arts (the arts charity for University Hospitals of Derby and Burton).
Email: erb71@cam.ac.uk
Articles
Bradfield, E. (2021) Subjective experiences of participatory arts engagement of healthy older people and explorations of creative ageing. Public health, 198, 53–58. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.06.019
Book Chapters
Hogan, S. and Bradfield, E. (2018). ‘Creative ageing: the social policy challenge’ in: Creativity in Later Life: Beyond Late Style, Amigoni, D. and McMullan, G. (Routledge)
Bradfield, E (2016) ‘Dia de los Muertos and its Representation of ‘Calaveras’ in Contemporary Art and Culture’, in: Focus on World Festivals: Contemporary case studies and perspectives, Newbold, C. and Jordan, J. (Goodfellow)
