Civic investigators

A new research community on diverse social and climatic challenges

justice in the anthropocene

challenge

How can we develop a blueprint for both a ‘civilian’ research community and a step-by-step strategy for conducting investigations?

designers

Vanessa Hoffman
Kornelia Dimitrova
Bernhard Lenger

partners

ArtEZ

designers

Vanessa Hoffman
Kornelia Dimitrova
Bernhard Lenger

From the refugee situation on the Greek island of Lesbos to transgender rights in Argentina and healthcare in Kenya — Civic Investigators is a new community of ‘civilian’ researchers working on diverse social and climatic challenges worldwide. Specialists (designers, engineers, psychologists, students) join forces to put various local or global problems on the agenda, uncover as much information as possible and arrive at possible solutions to specific problems.

partners

ArtEZ

Open Call to join forces

The origins of this community can be traced back to Vanessa Hoffman’s research into the human price we pay for sugar cane production in Nicaragua. During Dutch Design Week 2019, both the process and the results of her investigation were exhibited. The goal was not only to make people more aware of the situation of the workers in the sugar cane fields, but also to inspire them to conduct similar investigations themselves on topics they feel passionate about. An open call at the end of the exhibition resulted in dozens of responses and fresh ideas for new research.

Open Call to join forces

The origins of this community can be traced back to Vanessa Hoffman’s research into the human price we pay for sugar cane production in Nicaragua. During Dutch Design Week 2019, both the process and the results of her investigation were exhibited. The goal was not only to make people more aware of the situation of the workers in the sugar cane fields, but also to inspire them to conduct similar investigations themselves on topics they feel passionate about. An open call at the end of the exhibition resulted in dozens of responses and fresh ideas for new research.

From the refugee situation on the Greek island of Lesbos to transgender rights in Argentina and healthcare in Kenya — Civic Investigators is a new community of ‘civilian’ researchers working on diverse social and climatic challenges worldwide. Specialists (designers, engineers, psychologists, students) join forces to put various local or global problems on the agenda, uncover as much information as possible and arrive at possible solutions to specific problems.

Motivated research

The Civic Investigators are convinced that collecting as much information and ‘evidence’ as possible on a social injustice issue is the first step to actively changing that situation. The amassed data and uncovered information can serve other interested parties, such as lawyers, policymakers or NGO’s, to get acquainted with a topic without having to invest too many resources into such an investigation themselves.

Kick-off workshop

In January 2020, Foundation We Are invited these researchers to the former Campina site in Eindhoven for the Civic Investigators kick-off. During a specially developed workshop, they discussed their research experiences and results to better position themselves concerning their problem, identify their intentions and goals, and find new ways to develop their research process.

This workshop served as the prelude to the development of a close-knit research community of the future. To support this goal, Foundation Are We enlisted the help of Andrea, a Master student from ArtEZ in Arnhem, who is working on this project one day a week.