Helen Lomax

Professor Helen Lomax BSc (Hons), PhD

Professor of Childhood and Children’s Participation


Summary

I am a Professor of Childhood and Children’s Participation at the Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University. I am particularly interested in children and young people’s experience of place – and the opportunities and challenges this provides for them and their families. I research with children in the spaces that shape children’s experiences – in the home, at school and in their neighbourhoods. I have expertise in creative and visual methodologies (participatory film, photography, mapping and drawing methods) and research ethics. I am committed to developing methods to enhance children and young people’ inclusion and voice in research and policymaking and to improving the health, wellbeing and opportunities for all children including the most disadvantaged.

About

I joined the University in October 2024 as part of the Transforming Lives Fellowship programme. My research is focused on understanding and improving the lives of children, young people and families and ensuring their inclusion and voice in research and policymaking. My publications are at the forefront of innovation in participatory methodologies, research ethics and creative methods of knowledge generation and exchange.

I currently lead a Nuffield funded participatory action research project that seeks to understand the lives of children growing up in less advantaged neighbourhoods (urban, rural, coastal) to inform positive social change.  To find out more about what young people value and the changes they want to see in their local areas – expressed in animation, art and text - visit  Home | Chill Project

I am Co-I on an ESRC funded project exploring how multiple insecurities impact people’s wellbeing and their capacity to participate in education, employment and training – and what policy can do to help. The project uses creative methods of knowledge generation with families to generate knowledge and inform decision-makers.

Previously I led a BA funded research on children’s experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic using collaborative, socially-distanced arts-based methods to enable children to chronicle their experiences over time.  Findings are available in an animated film, ‘Our Voices’ and a Zine, ‘Back Chat’ capturing key messages about what supports children to maintain their relationships, education and wellbeing and what they need to recover now and, in the future https://bit.ly/3ZOpgP5

Teaching

Department of Education, Childhood and Inclusion , Sheffield Institute of Education

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Publications

Journal articles

Lomax, H., & Smith, K. (2024). Towards attentive, playful arts-based methodology with children. Global Studies of Childhood, 14 (1), 102-120. http://doi.org/10.1177/20436106241233006

Lomax, H., & Smith, K. (2022). Seeing as an Act of Hearing: Making Visible Children’s Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic Through Participatory Animation. Sociological Research Online, 27 (3), 559-568. http://doi.org/10.1177/13607804221087276

Lomax, H., Smith, K., McEvoy, J., Brickwood, E., Jensen, K., & Walsh, B. (2022). Creating online participatory research spaces: insights from creative, digitally mediated research with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families, Relationships and Societies, 11 (1), 19-37. http://doi.org/10.1332/204674321x16274828934070

Postgraduate supervision

Postgraduate supervision

I have supervised doctoral research on topics such as: Young children’s digital identity; Pedagogical documentation and Children’s voice. I welcome applications from candidates interested in children’s inclusion and voice and on projects focused on understanding and addressing place-based inequalities; children and young people’s access to public and green space, health and wellbeing.

 

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