Hugarflug annual conference on artistic research
11. - 12. September 2025
Iceland University of the Arts
In participatory and action-oriented research, unexpected ethical complexities often emerge—from complex power dynamics to AI-related questions. However, typical research ethics procedures and tools, while necessary, rarely prepare researchers for these emerging challenges. This workshop introduces a body-based approach to ethical research practice that helps researchers respond better to unstable and emergent situations. We adapt the Structured Ethical Reflection process developed by Mary Brydon-Miller and colleagues to include arts-based methods and bodily awareness, creating new possibilities for how ethics are embodied in research.
The workshop has three parts: a brief theoretical overview, a guided experience to engage with the adapted Structured Ethical Reflection process, and a collaborative discussion to connect these experiences with broader practice. By bringing together ethics, bodily experience, and arts-based approaches, we suggest that responsive ethical research goes beyond procedure or protocol, to incorporate bodily awareness and responsiveness to emergent ethical challenges. Participants will leave the workshop with practical tools and understanding for deepening their ethical awareness and practice.
Lucy Allen-Kelley
Lecturer at Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney
Lucy is a Lecturer at Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia. As a transdisciplinary practitioner, Lucy leads creative education and research that moves beyond disciplinary boundaries, bringing together diverse students, academics, industry and community partners to address complex social challenges. With a background in the creative-arts and innovation, Lucy draws on arts-based methods to support collaborative and creative problem-solving processes, reflecting her commitment to transformational practices that generate new possibilities amidst uncertainty.