The Shared Spaces Project, funded by the Economic and Social Research council, explores the factors that influence whether or not young people in the UK chose to interact with people from different ethnic, religious or racial groups. We are interested in how individual characteristics, school environments, family and the wider community influence young people’s interactions and friendships.

Working with young people, their parents and local communities in Belfast and Bradford, our project involves three phases. In Phase 1, we focus on understanding the things that influence who young people chose to interact with. In Phase 2, we explore how young people use the social spaces around them. And in Phase 3, we consider the things that young people think support them to interact with people who are different to them.

We hope to develop a new understanding that will promote social cohesion in Belfast and Bradford, as well as beyond.

Learn more about the planned impact of our research here.

Photo Exhibitions

The Shared Spaces Project photo exhibitions were held in September 2023 in Belfast and in June 2024 in Bradford. The exhibitions presented photographs and reflections from young people aged 16-18 who lived in or grew up in each city. The exhibitions told us about how public spaces, such as restaurants, parks, streets or buses, are viewed and how they shape young peoples’ experiences of social interaction and cohesion.

Digital copies of the exhibitions can be found in our Belfast Exhibition Booklet  and our Bradford Exhibition Booklet. 

A fuller analysis of young people’s accounts from Belfast can be found in our published paper here.

Publications

Check out our latest project papers.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Youth Intergroup Contact and Social Cohesion Outcomes in Two Divided Societies

Understanding the Spatial Dimension of Youth Intergroup Contact in a Post-Accord Society

Promoting Youth Intergroup Contact in a Post-Accord Society: the Role of Supportive Interaction Norms and Self-Expansion.

And, some of our related publications:

Putting theory into peaceful practice: insights and reflections on the process of co-producing a school-based intergroup relations intervention with teachers

Adolescent outgroup helping, collective action, and political activism in a setting of protracted conflict

Perceived teacher support, collective efficacy in school and constructive engagement amongst youth in a conflict-affected society.

A new agenda for examining interethnic interactions amongst youth in diverse settings

Promoting positive community relations: what can RE learn from social psychology and the Shared Space project?

Youth identity, peace and conflict: insights from conflict and diverse settings

Intergroup Contact and Peacebuilding: Promoting Youth Civic Engagement in Northern Ireland

Connected projects

Check out our connected research projects.

The Diversity Effect project. If you are interested in resources for supporting the teaching of diversity in school classrooms, you can find a co-produced teacher toolkit on this project website.

Shared Space project (NATRE). If you would like to know more about how to teach community relations within the Religious Education/Religious Studies classroom then look no further than this toolkit.

Helping Kids! If you would like to learn more about promoting children’s empathy and prosocial behaviours, check out the Helping Kids lab.