In a context of super-diverse cities and the proliferation of data, how can we enable communities to think, learn and meaningfully interact with data about themselves and their city?  Bristol’s identity as a creative technological hub and ‘living laboratory’ has the potential to open up spaces for engagement and learning while at the same time closing down these same opportunities for some.  In designing an infrastructure, such as the Bristol Brain, that presupposes particular genres of engagement certain groups are privileged. This may risk further excluding typically unheard voices marginalised by age, social class, disability, language and cultural difference to name a few.

This research will ask:

• What kind of ‘brain’ is being envisaged and what types of synaptic pathways enable connections that might not only draw on new technologies?  
• What other methods can be used to facilitate productive modes of engagement that meet the needs of these communities? 
• What are the questions and issues that are of importance to these communities and how do they currently engage with data and the city?

The aim is to begin working towards a road map, building pathways to enable Bristol Is Open to engage with such communities.

This research is being carried out by Dr Frances Giampapa, Dr Helen Manchester, Prof Keri Facer and Dr Lisa Lucas from the Graduate School of Education and Dr Debbie Watson from the School for Policy Studies.