“By co-designing initiatives that balance immediate relevance with long term value, I advocate for community agency. My multi-artform practice is grounded in the belief that culture can build power, shift narratives, and drive durable change even within, and often in spite of, structural constraints. And by culture, I mean everything we embody, practise and live in, our values, our ways of relating, our stories and our everyday resistance.”

“My work focuses on social justice in the arts, and I have an interest in the experiences of older people who access the arts later in life. The YPIP emphasis on the value of the creative sector led to me agreeing to be part of the team. I am hoping that the YPIP project will improve the lives of people living and working in the region. I would like to see a clear and accessible roadmap for those who aspire to work in the arts, no matter what their life stage or background.”

“I joined YPIP excited by the possibility of pushing boundaries of university engagement with partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Communities sitting at the heart of YPIP too promises to identify new ways of making policy more democratic and responsive. My background is in policy facing research centred on tackling social and economic disadvantage at local and regional level. I am particularly keen to focus on the role of businesses in creating good jobs and employing people from underrepresented groups, as businesses have often not featured prominently in academic and policy work on inclusive growth.”

“I joined YPIP because I want to be part of a project that democratises policy development and values public facing scholarship. My research expertise and outputs contribute to understanding how automation and immigration intersect with economic insecurity; what kinds of policies support fair and inclusive labour markets in post-industrial regions; and how media narratives influence attitudes toward job loss and inequality. As a member of the YPIP I want to deliver interdisciplinary research contributions and engage community stakeholders for locally engaged, socially responsive, and future-oriented policy innovation.”

“I joined YPIP because I’m passionate about improving job quality and supporting fairer local economies. My background is in gender and employment, with experience in both research and Human Resources, including projects on workplace safety for women in the platform economy and promoting equality and diversity in the banking sector. As part of YPIP, I’m now looking into how we can create better work and better business in South Yorkshire. I’m excited about the programme’s potential to shape practical change by bringing together research, policy, and local voices. I hope our work helps build a stronger, more inclusive economy for the region.”

“My role in the YPIP project is to support on building a network of collaborators from the public sector, voluntary organisations and businesses. I have a background in “translating” academic research into positive impact for communities and was keen to be part of the YPIP team because of the partnership with communities from the outset – not as an afterthought. Enabling community needs and voices to be brought directly to the attention of policymakers and presenting solutions to the challenges and barriers communities face is a fundamental aim for YPIP. I look forward to showing how we as a team can help to deliver on that for our region and beyond.”