COLLABORATION
Some of the most enjoyable and fruitful collaborations I have engaged in emerged because I asked. And in my view the single most important thing about the internet is that it allows people to connect who otherwise would never have met. As a researcher, writer, maker and teacher I am looking for collaborations with people who are heading in a similar direction. This could be to make a filmpoem, create a taught course, set up a community initiative or find new ways to support yourself. If what I do is relevant to what you do and you think I might have a role to play in that, get in touch – even if just for a chat or an exchange of ideas.
“Jeppe is very good at asking the right questions. Questions that really push thinking forward rather than just remain and indulge in a position that lets us feel quite good and revolutionary. He can live with experiment and uncertainty. I think this is why he is good at unearthing exciting ideas, connections, patterns.”
Daniela Othieno, writer and artisan
Here’s how I would describe myself to anyone I think might need my skill set:
I discern and communicate stories that matter to people in ways that help bring clarity to the issues involved, emerge from the viewpoints of participants and enable the narratives to travel further or find the right audience.
I work with people on an individual level, in their communities as well as in wider networks or organisational settings. I have developed my own method for participatory and engaged research which opens up new possibilities for:
» co-creating narratives in organisations and communities;
» strengthening existing and making new connections within a community;
» introducing self-awareness and reflexivity in networks and organisations;
» surfacing and communicating existing knowledges or practices;
» seeing old problematics in a new light and finding new ways of doing things.
The most important thing for me in working with others is building a common understanding and shared language for working together. This means awareness about what matters, growing trust and learning how to tackle challenges and uncertainties together. I’m good at spotting those places or processes that need attention in order to reach shared viewpoints or achieve long-term goals, and I enjoy working collaboratively.
“Last winter I had a conversation with Jeppe Graugaard. It sparked something alive. Although I have spent a great deal of my life interviewing people and hearing their stories, this was the first time anyone had sat down and asked me questions and was interested in the answers. This kind of attention is rare in our me-only, rush-rush world. About as rare as a ray of sun in that hard winter.”
Charlotte Du Cann, author of “52 Flowers That Shook My World”
THE KIND OF ROLES I TAKE ON IN OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK AND PROJECTS
My background in research, consultancy, teaching and community work has shown me that I work well at the interface between research, strategy and communication or outreach. My experience covers various research projects in academia and the private sector, ranging from designing and managing a four-year doctoral research project to evaluating social, economic and environmental impacts (SROI), mapping organisational expertise and excellence, analysing scientific data and evaluating policy implementation (see the Research page). I have helped deliver projects for regional and national government in the UK and for the EU, and have performed a variety of organisational roles and tasks for different initiatives and events (you can find examples on the Projects page).
I’m adept at synthesising and communicating information in a way that is effective, creative and easily comprehensible. I’ve used online platforms and social media extensively in my work, am familiar with a broad range of research methods and can present different types of data in various formats including written reports or briefs, infographics and audio-visual output. I pay attention to detail and never cut corners.
I also have a range of more technical skills which are useful for starting and running projects, including funding and grants applications, accounting, publicity, IT-skills and making and maintaining websites. I value project design work, strategic and conceptual development, asset and ideas mapping, public liaising, group facilitation and artistic design work.
PROJECTS I WOULD LIKE TO DO
These are some of the ideas and projects I am currently thinking about and would like to develop further in the near future:
» Establishing a production company or sort of clearing house for the untold stories about how life is changing in the face of ecological crises and social change.
» Setting up a book project which explores some of the radical thinkers, ideas and projects which are creating new forms of community action across Europe.
» Organising a research caravan that connects some of the community responses to austerity and environmental change which have emerged in recent years in Europe.
» Instituting a temporary school which brings together friends from different walks of life to share their knowledge and skills for a week or two over the summer.
I see my work as part of a culture that cares for and encourages non-partisan modes of interaction. Finding new ways to work also means finding new ways of working together and to help each other flourish – I have no illusions that I’ll be able to do any of these projects alone.
If you would like to speak more about working or collaborating with me, just send me an email.
