We’re delighted to launch a new film, Relational Practice – looking after ourselves and others, exploring relational practice in public engagement. Watch the film, start the conversation, and use our resources below to reflect on what relational practice means in your work.
Relational Practice – looking after ourselves and others, brings together voices from across public engagement to explore a way of working many of us already know but haven’t always had the language to describe.
If people are to be meaningfully involved in research; relationships matter. They take time, care, and commitment. But too often, the work of building and sustaining those relationships and the impact it has on the people doing it goes unseen.
At a time when many are being asked to do more with less, this film shines a light on the emotional labour, skill and dedication that underpin public engagement. It speaks honestly about the pressures: relational work is rewarding, but it can also be demanding, under-recognised and heavy to carry.
“Nothing happens without relationships.” (Jill Cornforth)
Relational practice asks us to rethink what we value. It challenges institutions to look beyond outputs and recognise the importance of trust, time and care. It invites a shift from transactional approaches to cultures rooted in compassion, interdependence and shared responsibility.
For many, this will feel familiar. As Tigist Grieve puts it, “this isn’t incidental, it is a skilled and deliberate practice.” Naming it matters. It helps us advocate for it, strengthen it, and challenge the idea that this work is ‘soft’ or secondary—when in reality, it is what makes meaningful engagement possible.
Why this matters now
Relational practice cannot rely on individual commitment alone. It must be supported, recognised and resourced by the systems around us.
“I want us to think not about resilience, but about resistance… being hard on systems and soft on ourselves.” Bentley Crudgington
This is about building a culture of care where public engagement professionals are supported, where relationships are properly valued, and where success is measured not just in outputs, but in the quality of the connections we create.
A growing movement
Relational practice is not new, nor is it unique to public engagement. Ideas such as ‘culture of care’ have long been used in other fields to examine how systems shape wellbeing. This work brings those conversations into public engagement with research—and calls for change.
Take the next step
Use the film to:
- Reflect on how you work and what you value
- Start conversations in your team or institution
- Explore what relational practice looks like in your partnerships and communities
To support this, we’ve developed a Quiet Guide to Advocating for Relational Practice and a Relational Practice - A Reflective Guide, alongside further resources including our discussion paper and Welfare and Wellbeing Commission report, and Field Guide.
This is essential work - and you are not alone in doing it.
If you’d like to continue the conversation, please email Bentley Crudgington.
Thank you to everyone who contributed their insights, and to those who helped shape this work at Engage Basecamp.
Respond
