Trace.space: a psychogeographical community project with members of an arts and health organisation

In this paper we theorise a situationist psychogeographical community group work project, conducted with members of an arts and health organization. Using creative ways to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, we draw on the concepts of trace and spaces both to map relationships between researchers and group members and project implications. This project was driven by three aims which were: to do community group-work in order to produce contributions both inside and outside of the University; to use a psychogeographical approach to playfully critique everyday life in consumer capitalist society and finally, to consider the extent to which wider personal and political changes could be enabled. To realise these aims, we put into practice a range of architectural, critical community psychological and psychogeographical methods including photo-elicitation, dice walking and site specific investigations. We also facilitated participatory workshops via the creation of artistic and reflective maps and writing poems and stories. Reflections from all the stakeholders, conclusions and implications of this work are considered in terms of individual, group and societal changes. We argue for more psychogeographically inspired work.