Ruban, M., Lloyd, J., 2026.

Special issue of Media Practice and Education Journal: WILD RESEARCH

Session In Play is the forthcoming showcase of work by Early Career Researchers (ECRs) at SODA (School of Digital Arts), MMU. This work builds upon a previous one off, almost spontaneous pop-up exhibition held last Autumn. At this event there was no attempt to create synergies or connections, it was purely a manifestation of our willingness to show work at any stage; published or prototype. As a group of ECRs we are attempting to navigate shifting understandings of what practice-based research is, particularly in a digital arts context. Session In Play will be an exhibition in SODA's public gallery space in mid- December 2025 until end of January 2026. Our Wild Research Proposal is to examine how these methods of sharing knowledge and research as ECRs create our own possibilities of a playfulness of ideas, collaboration and community, outside of regulated structures as practice-based researchers.
The findings of our proposal can also be presented at the exhibition.

For this proposal we will investigate further how we share and support our practice-based research, through interactive dialogues. Developing upon the ideas of 'reframing, embodying and in-betweening', (Woods, Grenados, Gauntlett, 2024), we will host a series of conversations, in which SODA ECRS respond to each other's research and what this could lead to. The conversations will focus on discussion, debate and response, rather than presenting; it is to engage and inspire. The discussions can be whatever format: interviews, film, interactive game, artwork, scribble, text or dialogue. Through this process we may generate new projects or works that may or may not connect with anything, or not even function beyond the discussion, but are spontaneous and part of a playful testing of ideas. This will also be an opportunity to think about our research in a way that is not formal or part of any designated pathway for regulating our work. It will be presented as a multimedia piece with accompanying statement