Situated Facilitation as Community-Based Practice
This methodology, authored and developed by me, represents my distinct approach to community-based creative practice.
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
In my work, 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.
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. My methodology is defined not just by process, but by long-term relationships, ongoing reflection, and the community’s own leadership, ensuring the work remains co-owned and distinctively mine. This is legacy work, rooted in care, reciprocity, and lasting impact.
Distinction and Ownership
While others may work with community groups in similar settings, my practice is fundamentally different. My focus is on people, place, and co-creation. Projects emerge from curiosity and relationship, and communities shape the work as much as I do. I stay in connection long after formal projects end, supporting ongoing reflection, growth, and legacy. 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.This methodology was developed by me over years of practice, reflection, and collaboration. While aspects of this approach may now be in use elsewhere, it remains my original distinct intellectual property, grounded in the ethos of non-extractive community engagement, my own ways of working and guided by relational, adaptive, and ethically accountable principles.
#groundup #communityart #cocreation #engagementmatters #careaspractice
© Naomi Heath 2025 – All rights reserved.
Naomi Heath 