Supporting Research
on Parliaments

We are interested in opening up the study of political representation, engagement and participation to collaborations across disciplinary boundaries – including the arts, social sciences and humanities, and creative and cultural industries. Our aim is to generate, support, and share insights into the relationships between parliaments, politicians and people in ways that deepen democratic dialogue and foster more inclusive forms of democracy

We are embarking on a comparative ethnography of representation, relationships, and ruptures between parliaments, politicians and people in Brazil, Fiji, Ethiopia, India, the UK and the USA. Professor Emma Crewe (PI), and Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira (Co-I), lead a research team comprising Dr Richard Axelby and Dr Jastinder Kaur (SOAS University of London), Professor Cristiane Brum (Legislative School of Brazilian Chamber of Deputies), and Mitiku Tesfaye Gabrehiwot (Mekelle University, Ethiopia) on this five-year project.

Partners in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the UK have been studying the relationships between parliaments, politicians and people with our support. We have awarded over £800,000 to scholars, artists and activists to do inter-disciplinary research and produce creative outputs. We have been facilitating mentoring, training and peer to peer learning among these communities of inquiry.

We have been supporting coalitions and processes that promote more inclusive academic networks and democracy at all levels of society. With partners in Myanmar, Ethiopia and the UK, we have established opportunities for global south scholars (especially women, early career and ethnic minorities) to research and participate in advocacy.