At Community Research we are always looking for new ways to engage communities. We know that using diverse media to engage and involve people is essential. A core part of this is the rapidly growing area of social media. Grasping the opportunities that this presents is very exciting for us. A range of approaches such as online discussions, filming and use of interactive keypad technology are also open to us to enable communities to participate in consultation and research as never before. One of our current areas of interest is in using applied theatre techniques to build understanding amongst those being consulted.

We are constantly exploring diverse media developments and building our own knowledge, expertise and experience so we can help you to harness the potential benefits for your organisation in community engagement. We work with you to demystify different media options and use the most effective media options to ensure community engagement and involvement. If you have any ideas on new ways to engage - please let us know.

Current directions for us include:

• Using social media more effectively to engage with communities in research and consultation
• Designing and running online focus groups and bulletin boards
• Using film in research and engagement exercises. We have developed an on-going partnership with the film-making company Postcode Films. They use their combined experience in professional filmmaking, anthropology, sociology, photography and research to create and deliver films that really get to the heart of the communities and issues they explore.