Posted in Publications on Jun 15, 2026.
Author: Gareth David Thomas
Published online: 31 Mar 2026
This recently published paper in the Journal of Arts and Communities, explores the extractive pollution of Swansea Valley and the reclamation of the Lower Swansea Valley through rural craft.
It examines the overlooked potential of integrating traditional rural handcrafts into transdisciplinary research (TDR). While academic fields related to design and craft have historically validated physical creation as a legitimate form of research, these methods are rarely utilised in broader collaborative studies.
To demonstrate this approach, this paper analyses a joint initiative held at the Hafod/Morfa Copperworks in Wales. By working together, academics, local residents, and an expert weaver produced a traditional hazel coal carrier. The process served as a bridge, allowing diverse forms of information - such as historical records, environmental insights, and personal stories - to intersect.
The findings suggest that when manual craftsmanship is used as a core research technique, it facilitates the production of new insights that span professional, social, and natural boundaries.
Source: Journal of Arts & Communities, Volume 16, Issue 1, Apr 2025, p. 9 - 24 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/jaac_00075_1
