Want to see community research in action? Join us on our immersive field trip with  the Young V&A’s Designer in the Shed, Christie Swallow, for a community-centred exploration of how we can build stronger relationships with the human and non-human neighbours who share our city. “It has really brought a really interesting group together and made me feel part of the UCL research community.” – A UCL student who joined us for our first trip! What we'll explore Embedded within the museum, Christie works alongside visitors and young people to explore sustainability through creative collaboration, fostering new ways of understanding our place within urban ecosystems. Alongside visiting their work in The Shed, Christie will lead us on a Parakeet walk; convening with the bright green birds who are thriving in London. We'll learn about the ways Parakeets have fluttered through British and global history, exploring what lessons we can glean our fine-feathered friends in an age of climate crisis. At the end of the walk, you will become a certified “Paracologist”, learning the stories of East London’s greenest inhabitants. What can you expect? Visit a socially-engaged design studio Christie’s work is all about putting research into motion. They centre co-design, horizontal ways of working and collaboration in their work. See how these values are translated into design proposals. Explore a unique Museum:studio space The Shed is a novel studio:display hybrid space, dedicated to nurturing designers to develop their practice in partnership with local communities. For their residency duration, Christie embeds themselves into ‘The Shed’ and opportunities to engage with Young V&A’s visitors through Show and Tell events, tours and workshops. Learn about storytelling as a methodology Through the Parakeet Walkshop, you’ll see first hand how storytelling is a collective and evolving method of research. We’ll explore how parakeets have been used to express different values; of belonging, of…