On January 22, 2026, Visual Exchange will take part in the 4th Atelier-Forum “Research-(cre)action: learning together,” held at Le BLED in Lausanne, by the Swiss platform dedicated to action research. This event will bring together researchers, professionals, students and civil society actors around a common objective: exploring how creativity can renew collaborative action research and strengthen dialogue between field actors, institutions and the public.

The morning session will offer a series of presentations showcasing projects that have mobilised artistic methods such as theatre, photography, life stories and animation. These experiences will highlight how creative approaches make often-unheard issues visible: family–school relations, family norms, migratory narratives, and hospitalisation pathways after the age of 65. Through these examples, the forum will position research at the crossroads between the sensitive and the scientific, with the ambition of questioning ethics, researcher posture and the co-construction of knowledge.

In the afternoon, four introductory workshops will enable participants to discover and experiment with these methods first-hand. Federico Varrasso will lead the workshop dedicated to participatory video, introducing the foundations of this approach in the social sciences, its epistemological implications, and its potential for empowerment. Participants will explore different ways of sharing analysis, building collective narratives, and reflecting on possible applications within their own projects: social intervention, community health, mediation, or participatory research.

By taking part in this edition, Visual Exchange will continue to pursue its commitment to accessible creative tools and inclusive dialogue processes capable of transforming the relationships between researchers, decision-makers and the people concerned. The Atelier-Forum will also provide an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and further highlight the collaborative dimension of creative participatory methodologies.

We look forward to contributing to this space of training and dialogue, and to sharing our experience in the service of more horizontal, creative and engaged research!