Silvia Olvera-Hernandez to receive the Bridge Builder Award
We’re delighted to share that Silvia Olvera-Hernandez has received the Bridge Builder Award from the Society of Conservation Biology. The award acknowledges Silvia Olvera-Hernandez’s interdisciplinary research on performing values in local governance in Mexico, funded by Leeds Social Sciences Institute’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.
This innovative project is in collaboration with ECOSUR in Mexico and SRUC in Scotland and spans across disciplinary boundaries, including social sciences, the humanities and art. The research team includes, Professor Julia Martin-Ortega, Dr Azahara Mesa, Dr Paula Novo, Dr Aylywn Walsh, Dr Alice Borchi and Dr George Holmes.
The aim is to use a performance-based approach to help generate public debate about important issues affecting communities to cultivate shared valued frames and emotions about the distribution of power in environmental policy.
Silvia Olvera-Hernandez, who is a postgraduate researcher based in the School of Earth and Environment, commented:
I’m very pleased that the project has received this recognition from the Society of Conservation Biology, especially as this is traditionally focused on natural sciences. The project shares the potential of Forum Theatre as a tool to inspire debates about hierarchies of values regarding nature and power distributing in environmental decision making.