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GW4 Crucible Seed Projects

Participants of the GW4 Crucible leadership development programme are offered the opportunity to apply for funding of up to £5K to enable them to pursue collaborative projects that have emerged from the programme.

Proposals are favoured which are ambitious and bold and seek to generate innovative, multifaceted responses to global challenges. The project may include (but are not limited to) network building and co-production, collaborative working and stakeholder engagement, scoping studies, experimental data collection, prototype design, and trialling new methodological approaches. Proposals must reflect the theme of that year’s Crucible. We encourage both discrete projects and projects designed to act as a stepping stone to large-scale collaborations.

Past activities have included literature reviews and gap analysis, survey design and delivery, stakeholder identification, workshops and sandpits, lab and desk research, game or app design, and away-days and grant writing.


Explore our projects:

All communities are listed below in alphabetical order, and can be searched using key words or fund type.

36 results found
Sort Sort Date Newest
Funds
Learning the narratives and expectations of health and care needs for LGBTQ+ older people
Crucible 2024
Overview
Led by Dr Enrico De Luca (University of Exeter), this public engagement project aims to explore the experiences, perceptions and expectations of LGBTQ+ people regarding ageing and related health needs
Community lead

University of Bristol: Amanda Hughes

Cardiff University: Diana Contreras, Neil Turnbull, Adam Williams

University of Exeter: David Barrett, Enrico De Luca (PI)

Awarded
September 2024
Explore sensory overload detection with biosensing wearables
Crucible 2024
Overview
Led by Dr Nhat (Nick) Pham (Cardiff University), this project aims to explore how a biosensing wearable system could potentially support children to manage their sensory overload, exploring what is needed from such a system and developing a prototype.
Community lead

University of Bath: Aikaterini (Katrina) Tavoulari, Runan Zhang

Cardiff University: Nhat (Nick) Pham (PI), Elisa Vigna

Awarded
September 2024
PlayData: Multi-Sensory Digital Play for All Ages
Crucible 2025
Overview
This project led by Dr Danielle House (University of Bristol), aims to explore how digital experiences can become collective, connective, multi-sensory and embodied.
Community lead

University of Bath: Hitesh Dommati, Mike Richardson

University of Bristol: Danielle House (PI), David Garzon Ramos, Lisa Thomas

Cardiff University: Sofia Vougioukalou, Wei Zhou

Awarded
September 2025
Play in the Academy
Crucible 2025
Overview
Led by Dr Alyssa Alcorn (University of Bristol), this project uses universities as sites to investigate how play already operates—or could operate—within multilayered organisations.
Community lead

University of Bristol: Alyssa Alcorn (PI)

Cardiff University: Enrique Uribe Jongbloed, Hayley Trowbridge

University of Exeter: Chloe Asker, Michael Flexer

Awarded
September 2025
Folklore Futures: folkloric community practices as playful generative methods for critical interpretation, navigating complexity, and narrative resilience
Crucible 2025
Overview
This project led by Dr Harriet Hunt (University of Exeter), investigates how folkloric practices can be harnessed as tools for interpretation and sensemaking.
Community lead

Cardiff University: Jess Hoare, Simone Willis, Esther Wright

University of Exeter: Sylvia Hayes, Harriet Hunt (PI), Emmylou Rahtz

Awarded
September 2025
Restorative disruption and creativity: Nurturing ‘third places’ for connection and mental rest in the remote workplace 
Crucible 2025
Overview
This project led by Dr Karen Grey (University of Bristol), aims to explore the potential of ‘third places’ to support connection and rest experience at work.
Community lead

University of Bath: Christian Michelet

University of Bristol: Karen Gray (PI), Sam Stone

Awarded
September 2025
University of Bath
University of Bristol
Cardiff University
University of Exeter