ALPHABETICA Engages Families with Art and Research at Oxford Brookes Science Bazaar

Members of the ALPHABETICA UK team from Oxford Brookes University (OBU) and The Open University (OU) took part in this year’s Science Bazaar at Oxford Brookes University on Saturday, 21 February 2026, offering families an opportunity to explore the role of art in caring for ourselves, others, and the environment.

The event provided a platform for the team to share and showcase research-in-progress from the ALPHABETICA pilot action Our Caring World through Art (OCWA). Fieldwork is currently taking place in libraries across Greater London and in schools throughout the Midlands.

Throughout the day, artist and arts-based researcher Dr Kremena Dimitrova, a member of the OBU team, led interactive arts activities with hundreds of families attending the event. Participants were invited to reflect on key research questions at the heart of OCWA, including: What is art? What is art’s purpose? What does art teach us? and How can we show that we care through art?

By combining drawing, text, and visual storytelling, families explored themes such as love, care, and enchantment. The activities encouraged children and young people to express their thoughts and feelings about caring—for themselves, for others, and for the wider environment.

The collaborative process generated a collection of reflections captured in ALPHABETICA’s OCWA sketchbook. Among the comments shared by participants were:

“Art is a treasure.”
“Art makes me relaxed.”
“Drawing makes my grandsons concentrate and enjoy.”
“Maths explains the world. Art makes it worth living in.”
“Art helps my mental health.”
“Art is an expression.”
“I don’t want to go away from art!”

The contributions highlight how creative engagement can open meaningful conversations about wellbeing, imagination, and care, reinforcing the value of arts-based research in connecting academic work with communities.