Prof Helen Kara is known internationally for work in creative research methodologies and community-based participatory research—conference chair of the Creative Research Conference in the UK. Helen Kara is a leading independent researcher, author, teacher and speaker specialising in research methods, particularly creative methods, and research ethics. With over twenty years’ experience as an independent researcher, Helen now teaches doctoral students and staff at higher education institutions worldwide. She is a prolific academic author with over 25 titles and 2000 citations. Her books include Creative Research Methods: A Practical Guide and Research Ethics in the Real World: Euro-Western and Indigenous Perspectives for Policy Press, and Qualitative Research for Quantitative Researchers for SAGE. Helen also founded the annual International Creative Research Methods Conference and the new Journal of Creative Research Methods – first issue due in September 2025. Besides her regular blogs and videos, she also writes comics and fiction. Helen is an Affiliate at Swansea University, a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. In 2021, at the age of 56, she was diagnosed as autistic. Her neurodivergence explains her lifelong fascination with, and ability to focus on, words, language and writing. 

Prof Brendon Barnes writes in the fields of critical psychology, environmental health and research methodologies. His research is based on the following assumptions: toxic physical environments have negative impacts on psychological, social and physical health; environmental impacts disproportionately affect the poor and marginalized; and interventions are inherently political. He contributes to the field in three ways: to identify evidence of disproportionate environmental impacts, to strengthen critical methodologies to study environmental and social injustices, and to reveal the ways in which environmental activism is undermined. Prof Barnes has worked on studies of air pollution, housing, lead poisoning, mercury, water and sanitation, and climate change that cut across impact, intervention, activism and politics.. 

Ms Latiefah Jacobs is a South African author, community advocate, and founder of Aurorah Community Action Network (CAN) in Kuils River. A fierce voice against gender-based violence, she uses storytelling to amplify survivor experiences and promote healing. Through her books, A Letter to My Perpetrator and From Surviving to Striving, Latifah provides platforms for those silenced by trauma to be heard. She is currently compiling a new book, The Horror of Trust, focusing on stories of betrayal by those closest to survivors. Her work is rooted in compassion, justice, and the belief that speaking out is a powerful step toward reclaiming dignity. Recognized with awards such as the City Hero Award and the African Authors Award, she continues to challenge systems of silence while empowering communities through writing, advocacy, and healing-centered programs. 

Dr. Jamie Bird is a Senior Lecturer in the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at the University of Derby. His role focuses on developing the college's research activities, including securing funding, conducting studies, and disseminating findings. He also chairs the college's research ethics committee. ​Dr. Bird's research interests encompass art therapy, arts-based research methods, domestic violence and abuse, migration, asylum and refuge, emotional adaptation to the climate crisis, and nature connectedness. His PhD research involved working with women who had experienced domestic violence, using visual media to explore their perceptions of home, relationships, and support. Currently, he is developing and implementing social action and arts-based research methods in response to the climate and environmental crisis, focusing on community collaboration and adaptation. ​Among his notable publications are "Social Action Art Therapy in a Time of Crisis" (Routledge, 2022) and several articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is also an associate editor of the International Journal of Art Therapy

Prof. Karin Hannes is a transdisciplinary scholar specializing in the development of innovative research methods and models to respond to emerging social challenges, with a particular focus on arts-based, place-based, multisensory and futures studies research designs as well as qualitative evidence synthesis as a meta-review technique. Part of her job is to test, evaluate and improve existing methods and techniques or to re-appropriate them for use in multiple study contexts. She currently coordinates the Idiosynchratic Inventors Collective, hosted by research group TRANSFORM in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her inventors collective has a strong record in the coordination of living labs both in and outside a university context to explore new ways of thinking, acting and being in the world in different fields such as social-behavioral sciences, public health and the art & design sector. She has a special interest in community-based research praxis in urban spaces and works towards inclusive and sustainable living environments for all. Prof. Hannes collaborates intensively with scholars from the global South and is strongly invested in the development of new approaches to education and public outreach with a creative twist. She chairs the European Network for Qualitative Inquiry and co-hosts the Institute of the Future. Her theoretical base aligns with post-human, new materialist, and post-structural thought as well as critical realism. 

Mrs Leana Snyders is the Director of the South African San Council. The council promotes and protects their rights through legal advice and coordination of development programmes engaged. Collin is also responsible for negotiations of Traditional Knowledge and the use of medicinal plants like the Hoodia and other plants. 

Mr Collin Louw works to protect the rights of the San people in South Africa- the Khomanisan !Xun & Khwe and the /Xam people. The council promotes and protects their rights through legal advice and coordination of development programmes engaged. Collin is also responsible for negotiations of Traditional Knowledge and the use of medicinal plants like the Hoodia and other plants. 

Ms Hamidah Adewumi Olabisi Rabiu is a third-year medical student at Stellenbosch University and a dynamic student leader from Cape Town, South Africa. With Nigerian roots and a passion for social impact, she serves as the Social Impact Portfolio Manager on the Tygerberg Student Representative Council. Hamidah has also held key roles in the Tygerberg Academic Affairs Council and the Mentor-Tutor program. Guided by resilience, purpose, and a belief in shared humanity, she is committed to breaking barriers, uplifting communities, and empowering women to lead with confidence and authenticity. Rabiu is shaping a future rooted in equity, inclusion, and compassion – not just through her academic journey, but through her tireless commitment to social justice and student empowerment. Born and raised in Cape Town to Nigerian parents, Rabiu's sense of identity runs deep. As a black African Muslim woman, I am unapologetically proud of my identity," she states. That pride forms the foundation of her leadership: a firm belief that everyone deserves to be seen, respected and empowered. Her projects reflect her creative approach to wellbeing and inclusion. She introduced pet therapy events, giving students a moment of joy and calm in high-stress environments. Through a knitting circle, she has helped to instil mindfulness and a sense of community while donating blankets to the homeless. 

Dr Astrid Treffry-Goatley is a senior researcher at Stellenbosch University, specialising in transdisciplinary and participatory research at the intersection of the arts, health, and social justice. Trained in ethnomusicology and film studies, she has extensive experience using creative methodologies to address issues such as HIV, gender-based violence, and the impact of climate change on health. With a background in public engagement at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Astrid has led participatory projects that enable young people in low-income settings to use film, photography, and digital storytelling for research and advocacy. Her work continues to advance innovative, community-led approaches to knowledge production and social change.

Dr Gill Black is the Co-Founder and Director of the Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation (SLF), a Cape Town-based non-profit organisation specialising in research, community engagement, and innovation across the thematic areas of Health, Informality, Ecology & Society, and Citizen Action. Headquartered in Wynberg, SLF’s work extends across multiple regions in Cape Town as well as into Johannesburg and Durban.

With a foundational career in immunology, Gill has developed a strong focus on health and biomedical science communication, participatory methodologies, and behaviour change. Her work centres on building meaningful partnerships with individuals and communities in high TB and HIV-burdened settings, co-creating innovative, culturally responsive, and sustainable strategies aimed at reducing stigma, raising awareness, and supporting the prevention of TB, MDR-TB, and HIV in South Africa.

Dr Lwando Mdleleni is a policy analyst with extensive experience in academia, research, and community development. He currently works for HSRC as a Senior Research Specialist and a Policy Fellow. Formerly, as Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, he contributed to social innovation for sustainable development. His roles in the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and the School of Government focused on aligning university-community collaboration with the UN's 2030 and AU's 2063 agendas. He taught governance, public administration, and policy analysis, and has supervised numerous postgraduate students. As the founding member of Zenzeleni Networks, he led impactful research and development projects in rural South Africa. Holding a PhD in Development Studies and Masters in Public Administration, he specializes in e-government and ICT4D policies. Mdleleni is also a prolific scholar, actively publishing and presenting at international conferences. 

Dr Mahima Kalla is a digital health researcher, working at the juncture of academia and industry. Dr Kalla is an international expert in digital health equity and digital health co-design. Dr Mahima Kalla’s work is focused on the translation of patients’, carers’, and healthcare professionals’ lived experience into the co-design, development, and implementation of digital health interventions. She has a particular interest in digital health equity, and digital determinants of health. She is skilled at facilitating successful industry-academia-community partnerships to drive evidence-based, translation-ready, digital health solutions. Dr Kalla started and leads an international research hub on inclusive digital health technologies, which is a trilateral partnership between the Universities of Melbourne (Australia), Manchester (UK) and Toronto (Canada). Dr Kalla has been invited to speak internationally on digital health co-design, evaluation, inclusivity and equity, at University of Oxford, University of Manchester, University of Glasgow in the UK, and Apollo Hospitals, the largest private hospital network in India. In 2025, Dr Kalla was invited to be on an 8-person Australian delegation to India as part of a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) program to generate bilateral policy recommendations to make the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare more inclusive and equitable. She has been interviewed by radio channels including ABC, Triple R (Melbourne), Triple U (NSW), and The Wire (Queensland). In the past three years, CI Kalla has advised 12 Australian clinician-researchers on their digital health projects as part of the University of Melbourne’s Learning Health System Academy. 

Dr Naiema Taliep is a research psychologist with expertise and extensive experience in community-based participatory action research, community engagement, violence prevention and programme evaluation. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the development and evaluation of an interpersonal violence prevention intervention that focused on the promotion of positive forms of masculinity and safety and peace. She has conducted research in the development and psychometric testing of questionnaires in the field of violence, family functioning, safety and peace and health-related quality of life. 

Dr. Neziswa Vuyasande Titi is a transdisciplinary activist-academic at the African Feminist Studies Department, University of Cape Town. Her teaching champions multilingual and translingual pedagogies, complementing her research emphasis on decolonial, African-centered, and child-centric methodologies. Dr. Titi investigates critical areas including child sexual trauma, access to services, and the intersections of violence against women and children. As an engaging educator, she supervises postgraduate students and teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Beyond academia, Dr. Titi actively influences through leadership and consultancies national and international discussions on social justice, gender equality, and child well-being. Locally, her advocacy and community responsiveness further encompass access to education and mental health support for youth in South African townships, alongside leadership on child welfare and health boards like Childline Western Cape (2021 – current) and the Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital (2023-2024). Internationally, she advances Pan-African feminist activism, leads the Southern Africa segment of the Ford Foundation's Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice International Program, and advised on the MenEngage decolonial gender transformation agenda. Her global work also extends to MHPSS (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support) for humanitarian settings, contributing to critical dialogues and initiatives for vulnerable populations worldwide.