Large Grant Projects 2024-25

The Big Mouth Project: Shaping Oral Health Priorities through Community Conversations

Dr Vanessa Muirhead, Clinical Reader and Honorary Consultant in Dental Public Health (Institute of Dentistry)

The Big Mouth Project was an oral health project in Tower Hamlets aiming to empower residents to have a voice in oral health research and help to shape research priorities and impacts. The project included community conversation events in Bethnal Green and Shadwell, an online survey, a project mural and the creation of the “Big Mouth” booklet, describing the co-creation process and summarising common themes identified throughout the project.

The project was led by Dr Vanessa Muirhead (Institute of Dentistry) in partnership with Professor Arunthathi Mahendran (Institute of Health Sciences Education), Dr Stephan Taylor (School of Geography) and Ceri Durham (Social Action for Health). 

Project Partners

• Social Action for Health

Engaging new audiences with the art of Hamad Butt at Whitechapel Gallery

Led by Professor Dominic Johnson (School of English and Drama)

This project created a series of public events engaging new audiences with the art of British-Pakistani artist Hamad Butt at Whitechapel Gallery, London. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, and raised in East London, Butt was British South Asian, Muslim and Queer. He died at the age of 32 from AIDs-related complications. The funded project included a commissioned short film by producer and director Farah Qayum, about Hamad Butt and LGBTQ+ South Asian art in Britain, a community film screening, a performance, a panel discussion, and exhibition tours for local HIV service user groups from Positive East.

The project was led by Professor Dominic Johnson (School of English and Drama), in collaboration with Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan (SHARE – Sexual Health, HIV All East Research Group).

Project Partners

• Whitechapel Gallery
• Positive East

Pedagogy in the Park: Building Capacity and Confidence for Holding Critical Conversations in the Community

Led by Dr Jennifer Randall (Wolfson Institute of Population Health)

This project offered 20 QMUL students and alumni a structured, paid, training experience to work alongside a range of third sector organisations to support and develop dialogue around Harm Reduction and Debt Justice, culminating in days of action in local parks and at parliament.

Led by Jennifer Randall (Wolfson Institute of Population Health) in partnership with Debt Justice, Release and Anyone’s Child. 

Project Partners

• Debt Justice
• Release
• Anyone's Child
• Health Poverty Action
• Change, Grow, Live

Housing the Commons: Where there’s Wool there’s a Way

Led by Dr Jessica Jacobs (School of Geography)

This project carried out a series of crafting engagement workshops in sheep farming locations in the UK and in France. The project explored the changing nature of rural-urban relations through cultural and natural heritage of “commoning” through seasonal traditions. The workshops supported new community networks between France and the UK, creating a space where researchers, artists and local artisan partners were able to map and document how these different ways of practicing and enacting the commons can help us respond to climate change. Participants drawn from the local community and visitors to the region produced portraits and maps using traditional felting practices with wool, and short films and animations based on the outputs were created.

The Wildlife Photo-ID Game: Can you do better than AI?

Led by Dr Kostas Papafitsoros (School of Mathematical Sciences)

This grant supported the development of an interactive, educational and engaging digital game focused on photo-identification of wild animals – the first of its kind. Photo-ID involves identifying individual animals based on their unique external patterns, such as zebra stripes or facial scales in sea turtles. This technique serves as the foundation for many ecological studies, informing research on topics ranging from behavioral studies to extinction risk assessments. The game is designed to engage wildlife conversationists, ecotourists and students and aims to foster awareness about biodiversity, endangered species, and local conservation efforts while showcasing the role of AI in environmental protection.

Led by Dr Kostas Papafitsoros (School of Mathematical Sciences) in partnership with Frederick Wordie (Designer) and Dr Lukas Adam (University of West Bohemia)

Project Partners

• Frederick Wordie (Designer)
• University of West Bohemia

Planetary Repair & Reparations

Led by Professor Kathryn Yusoff (School of Geography)

This grant supported a programme of activity alongside the British Pavilion exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The 2025 British Pavilion exhibition is a high-profile installation as part of the ‘curated core’ of the UK-Kenya Season 2025 and focuses on the themes of repair, restitution and reparations in colonial afterlives, focused on solutions or repair for decolonial and decarbonised futures. Project activity included production of a short film, screenings, performances and workshops. The project was led by Professor Kathryn Yusoff (School of Geography) delivered in partnership with the British Council and the Royal Geographical Society. 

Project Partners

• British Council
• Royal Geographical Society