Through multidisciplinary co-creation with a remote, rural, coastal community, this project aims to place spirituality at the center of life, capturing insights, understanding and knowledge of spirituality (‘thin space’) and its benefits to individuals, heritage, community, culture and landscape.
Research
- Introduction
- Context
- Research Questions
- Methods
- Contribution to the field
- Publications and Dissemination
- Analysis & Key Findings
Outputs
- Thin Spaces book
- Poster
- Spontaneous essay
Email
Context
The idea of thin space originates in the Celtic concept of “thin places”: locations where the distance between the physical and spiritual worlds feels reduced. Yet we prefer the term space to place. In typography, a thin space is a small, indeterminate gap — neither fully present nor absent, existing between things. This ambiguity offers a useful metaphor for the project.
Our work began through collaborations with the Lyn Valley community in North Devon, a rural coastal area situated between sea, farmland, and moorland. Rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage, the region also faces challenges associated with isolation, social deprivation, the loss of local services, and changing patterns of community life. Working with schoolchildren, teachers, parishioners, local residents, and community leaders, we explored personal experiences of thin space through oral history, collaborative drawing, and co-created visual artefacts.
As wider society navigates environmental uncertainty, economic pressures, and growing social fragmentation, Thin Space asks how creative and participatory approaches might help people reconnect with place, memory, community, and meaning.