LIVE PODCAST: Talking AHEADs : The Power of Public Engagement

LIVE PODCAST: Talking AHEADs : The Power of Public Engagement

Monday 19 October, 2pm - 3pm, Manchester Poetry Library, Oxford Road

Part of the Festival of Research 2026

Hear from researchers, engagement professionals and external partners as they share their experiences of working with communities and audiences.   

Through practical examples and honest reflections, this live podcast recording will explore what successful public engagement looks like in practice and the role it can play in creating meaningful impact. You'll leave with fresh perspectives, useful ideas and a better understanding of how engagement can support your own research.

With Esther Lisk-Carew, Engagement Co-ordinator for the AHEAD programme, alongside guest speaker Dr Daniel Joseph

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Dr Daniel Joseph 

Co-Lead for Public Engagement - School of Sociology & Criminology, Co Lead - Digital Society Research Cluster

Dr Daniel Joseph is Senior Lecturer of Digital Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University in the School of Sociology and Criminology, researching structural inequalities in our digital society with a focus on cultural production. His research is animated by questions like: what content do we see on platforms? Why do we see it? Who profits from it? Who doesn't? 

Daniel is the author of the forthcoming book "Levelling Out: The Crash of the Video Game Industry" from University of Bristol Press which asks "What happens to a cultural industry when its platform-driven growth ends?"
Other recent work has focused on the geopolitics and economics of esports, how the production toolsets like the Unity game engine create "workflow monopolies", and how advertising shapes content governance on social media entertainment platforms like YouTube. I have also written extensively on monetization and business models of free-to-play video games and how these shape content and consumption. 

Daniel has published in international journals such as Platforms & Society, Team Performance Management, Media, Culture + Society, The International Journal of Communication, Social Media + Society, The Journal of Consumer Culture, The Canadian Journal of Communication, Triple-C, Loading, and the Baltic Screen Media Review.

Esther Lisk‑Carew is the Engagement Co‑ordinator for AHEAD - Arts and Humanities Engagement and Dialogue the Public Engagement programme for Arts and Humanities Research at Manchester Metropolitan University

She supports research academics through AHEAD to plan, fund deliver and evaluate activities that bring the research of the faculty to organisational partners, professionals and public audiences. She is also building strategy and good practice advise support and resources alongside the Public Engagement with Research Team.

AHEAD has supported the Crime and Justice Film Festival, Future Proofing Equality In Children’s Literature Symposium, MeCCSA conference, Bunker Talks and nearly 60 projects across 3 years since the programme began.

Esther is part of the North West Public Engagement Professionals Network and a graduate of the of the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement Engage Academy, developing her skills in public engagement strategy and delivery.

Before joining the university, she had over 20 years’ project management experience across UK arts, festivals, heritage and culture. 

The Festival of Research 2026 (19-23 October) 
Open to all colleagues and doctoral students, the festival is your chance to discover the innovative research taking place across Manchester Met and meet the people making it happen. 

Show Notes:  Links referenced in the event

https://ahead.mmu.ac.uk/ - Projects from 2024 from across Arts and Humanities

https://linktr.ee/aheadmmu - Upcoming Events

https://ahead.mmu.ac.uk/2026/06/16/ai-literacy/ - AHEAD x Digital Society Research Cluster with Resources to support AI Literacy

https://digitalsociety.mmu.ac.uk/ - Digital Society Research Cluster website

https://ahead.mmu.ac.uk/2026/06/26/looking-back-at-the-crime-and-justice-film-festival-2026/ - AHEAD x Crime and Justice Film Festival

Useful Resources:

https://www.podchaser.com/lists/research-culture-podcasts

Research culture podcasts curated by Sarah McClusky

Podcasts exploring research culture, careers, impact and other research-adjacent topics