Dr Emily Bradfield
Practitioner Research Associate Collections and Wellbeing (Older Adults)
Emily works at the intersection of art, public health, wellbeing and ageing, and is interested in using creative research methods to explore inclusive practice. Her research focuses on how it feels to be ‘in’ the Museum, working with people living with non-visible disabilities and chronic conditions; and developing principles for inclusive practice in the Museum.
Take a Walk in My Shoes is a participatory research project focused on the experiences of adults with non-visible disabilities in the Museum. In this iterative project, community participants are exploring what an accessible and inclusive museum might look like, through a variety of smaller research projects.
Museums for Life developed from Reimagining, an evaluative project, which explored older adults’ experiences of health and wellbeing initiatives in the Museum. Having created a set of principles for inclusive practice in the Museum with older adults, the programme continues to evolve in collaboration with the Public Programmes and Creative Studio teams, and independent creative practitioners through the development of creative programmes which address local public health priorities.
Emily holds a PhD in Creative Ageing (University of Derby), and an MSc in Cultural Events Management (De Montfort University). She is Founder and Co-Chair of the British Society of Gerontology’s Creative Ageing Special Interest Group, and a member of the Cambridge Public Health ECR+ Advisory Group, and the Arts Health Early Career Research Network.
Emily has been working in the field of Creative Health for a decade, leading a local mental health charity (Arts and Minds) and working as an Independent Consultant and Researcher working with clients including: University College London Hospitals Arts and Heritage; Fullscope; Hampshire Cultural Trust; and Air Arts (the arts charity for University Hospitals of Derby and Burton). She is also an Associate Lecturer on the MA Art, Health and Wellbeing at Anglia Ruskin University.
Email: erb71@cam.ac.uk
Articles
Bradfield, E. (2021) Subjective experiences of participatory arts engagement of healthy older people and explorations of creative ageing. Public health, 198, 53–58. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.06.019
Dowlen, R., Bradfield, E., Algar-Skaife, K., Gray, K. and Bailey, C. (2020) The British Society of Gerontology’s Creative Ageing Special Interest Group: Reflections on our achievements to date and aspirations for the future. FPOP Bulletin Psychology of Older People. DOI: 10.53841/bpsfpop.2020.1.152.31
Book Chapters
Hogan, S. and Bradfield, E. (2018). ‘Creative ageing: the social policy challenge’ in: Creativity in Later Life: Beyond Late Style, Amigoni, D. and McMullan, G. (Routledge)
Bradfield, E (2016) ‘Dia de los Muertos and its Representation of ‘Calaveras’ in Contemporary Art and Culture’, in: Focus on World Festivals: Contemporary case studies and perspectives, Newbold, C. and Jordan, J. (Goodfellow)
Blogs
Conference Presentations
How can we expand creative research methods beyond the conference?, International Creative Research Methods Conference, Manchester, 8 September 2025 [by invitation]
The People’s Museum: Exploring a Participatory Action Research Approach, International Creative Research Methods Conference, Manchester, 8 September 2025
Cultivating care and connection: rethinking museum practices to address inequalities in ageing, BSG Conference, Care, Creativity, Connection and Change, University of Surrey, 25 June 2025
Cultivating care and connection: rethinking museum practices to address inequalities in ageing, British Society of Gerontology Emerging Researchers in Ageing (BSG ERA) pre-conference, Navigating Creativity, Connection & Change: A Future Vision for Emerging Researchers, University of Surrey, 23 June 2025 [by invitation]
Museums for Life: developing inclusive practice with older adults, SLSAeu 2025/SAACY Conference - The Lifespace: Perspectives on Ageing and the Life Course, Kings College London, 5 June 2025
From Exclusion to Connection: Co-Creating Inclusive Museum Experiences, University Museums Group Conference, Innovation and Renewal, Trinity College, University of Cambridge, 15 May 2025
Caring for communities through participatory action research, Museum Ethnographers Group Conference, Help! Care and Support in Museums: Colleagues, Communities, and Collections, Museum of Liverpool, 24 April 2025
The People’s Museum: working together to create a great museum for everyone, ASBA (Anxiety, Stress, Brain-friendly Museum, Approach) Conference, Milano (Online), 18 February 2025 [by invitation]
Discussion Papers
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