Using Poetry, Collage, and Creativity to Reimagine Research Data: A Collaborative Zine on Data Practices in Youth Homelessness and Child Welfare Organizations

This zine was created by a group of about 25 participants in a hands-on workshop facilitated by four of our lab members at the February 2025 Making the Shift, Youth Homelessness Prevention conference in Toronto, ON. Sarah Cullingham, Thamer Linklater, Aron Rosenberg, and Naomi Nichols presented on the creative approaches the Research for Social Change Lab has been taking to share research findings with community members. The group prepared an opportunity for conference goers to try some of these strategies themselves. 

During the workshop, participants – most of whom work in or conduct research related to child welfare and youth homelessness organizations – engaged with anonymized interview transcripts from the lab’s research projects to explore the dreams and desires that workers have for their work in relation to the data practices required of them. Using techniques from found poetry, blackout poetry, and collage, they transformed the excerpts into powerful poetic reflections.  

By engaging with data in informal and artistic ways, this zine reimagines how research findings can be shared beyond traditional academic formats. The poetry and zine-making process offer a more accessible, reflective, and engaging way to communicate key insights – particularly for frontline workers and their clients who may not have the time or capacity to engage with lengthy academic publications. Through this creative approach, we aim to bridge the gap between research and practice, making space for dialogue, connection, and new perspectives.