Situated Facilitation as Community-Based Practice
Situated Facilitation is a co-created, place‑responsive practice where communities shape the work, learning is visible, and the process continues until the community takes ownership and carries it forward as enduring legacy.
My work is rooted in community, place, and relationships. It is not about delivering outcomes; it is about growing creativity together. I call it Situated Facilitation, a method I developed that adapts to what is already there and invites everyone to contribute while staying true to the communities I work with. I make mistakes all the time, and I do not ignore them. I take the time to learn. Thank goodness for patient people who care for me and understand my neurodivergence.
How It Begins
I start with simple questions: Who is here? What exists already? What sparks curiosity? From there, the creative thread unfolds. A patch of soil might grow seeds that turn into a communal meal. A shared object or story might become the focus of playful exploration. Participants shape the work as much as I do, bringing their own skills, ideas, and energy.
Principles of Practice
This practice is non-extractive. Everyone is involved at every stage. It is transparent, non-hierarchical, and responsive. Art becomes part of life, messy, joyful, and experimental. Failure is built into the process; it is how we learn.
I work where people are, whether that is in community centers, unexpected groups, or everyday spaces. Facilitation is about noticing how people and places transform through engagement, watching parts of yourself grow in others, and letting those moments guide what happens next. Then taking those ideas to communities and asking them to teach you how to do better. In contrast, working with groups within institutional frameworks often follows programme objectives or network expansion, rather than centring the community’s own ideas, creativity, and process.
Legacy and Ongoing Commitment
My work is only complete when communities take it up, share it, and carry it forward. I do not leave after a project ends or a funding cycle closes. I remain in relationship with communities, supporting ongoing reflection, growth, and stewardship. This is legacy work, rooted in care, reciprocity, and lasting impact.
Why It Is Distinct
This is my methodology, developed over years of practice, reflection, and collaboration. It is distinct, original, and grounded in the ethos of non-extractive community engagement, offering a relational, adaptive, and ethically accountable approach to creativity.
Naomi Heath 