On May 9-10, 2018, a delegation of senior representatives from the IFRC (Geneva) visited Keele and New Vic Theatre to explore ways of enhancing existing research links between CASIC and the Red Cross.

Funded by a KISI’s social inclusion award, the visit included a series of meetings and a one day Cultural Animation workshop on how organisations learn from volunteers, which was facilitated by Sue Moffat, director of New Vic Borderlines. The workshops attracted volunteers from many local organisations who were eager to share their experiences of volunteering with IFRC. The award is led by Professor Mihaela Kelemen (KMS) and Emee Estacio (School of Phsychology) and benefited also from the participation of Professor Matt Baillie Smith (Director of Centre for International Development at Northumbria University) and Veronique Jochum, Head of Research at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

In the spirit of the creative ethos of the Cultural Animation activities, Fred Fulton, Learning Systems Coordinator, IFRC offered his feedback as follows
“There once was a meeting at the New Vic
Designed to teach old dogs new tricks
Cultural animation was the focus
There was no hocus pocus”

Adjmal Dulloo, Volunteer Coordinator, IFRC expressed himself in haiku form:
“No boring surveys
Cultural animation
An eye opener!”

Professor Matt Baillie Smith, Director of Centre for International Development, Northumbria University said: "It was fantastic to visit Keele and find out about and experience the brilliant work CASIC is doing with New Vic Borderlines. Working alongside volunteers supporting communities around Keele, we were able to develop a really rich understanding of the ways those volunteers are helping tackle diverse forms of social exclusion. With our colleagues from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, we started to make important connections with the ways volunteers across the global South meet crises and the challenges of poverty and inequality. In all, a really valuable day, and I hope, the foundation for new and much needed collaborative work across global South and North."