In episode five of Whose Power? Abigail Harrison Moore and Lauren are joined by new Preservative Party members Eden, Rowan, and Esme to explore the growing impact of this youth-led curatorial group on participatory research and museum exhibitions.

Together, they discuss how podcasting serves as a powerful tool for amplifying young voices and fostering safe, collaborative spaces. Eden, Rowan, and Esme share what drew them to the group, reflecting on the welcoming environment and the transformative nature of their involvement.

Together they highlight the accessibility of podcasting, the importance of research, and the potential of youth-led work to shape museum practices and challenge broader societal perceptions.

• Read a full transcript of this episode

Find out more about the Preservative Party on their LinkedIn or the Leeds Museums & Galleries website.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Presenters:  Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds and Lauren, Preservative Party

Guests: Rowan, Esme and Eden, Preservative Party

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Helix, University of Leeds and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party with Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

Funding: Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

In episode four of Whose Power? Abigail Harrison Moore and Tae speak with Hugo and Callum from the Preservative Party about the impact of collaboration in museum exhibitions. They discuss how inclusive, participatory research methods can reshape curatorial practices and empower those involved.

Hugo shares how giving young people a platform, especially through podcasting, can boost confidence and amplify underrepresented voices. Callum reflects on how working with the Preservative Party has influenced his research journey and deepened his connection to museum objects. Together, they highlight the value of diverse perspectives and the importance of co-creation in cultural spaces.

• Read a full transcript of this episode

Find out more about the Preservative Party on their LinkedIn or the Leeds Museums & Galleries website.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Presenters:  Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds and Tae, Preservative Party

Guests: Callum and Hugo, Preservative Party

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Helix, University of Leeds and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party with Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

Funding: Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

In this episode of Whose Power? Izzy Bartley, a post graduate researcher at the University of Leeds talks about the representation of colonialism in board games and how we can use these games as learning tools within museums and the board game industry itself.

Izzy shares how participatory action research and board game play create space for open conversations around colonialism and representation. Through recorded gameplay and podcast discussions, her work highlights the need for diverse voices and the importance of trust, respect, and collaboration in both museums and the board game industry.

• Read a full transcript of this episode

Find out more about the Preservative Party on their LinkedIn or the Leeds Museums & Galleries website.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Presenters:  Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds, Rahesa and Tae, Preservative Party

Guests: Izzy Bartley, University of Leeds

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Helix, University of Leeds and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party with Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

Funding: Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

In this episode of Whose Power? Abigail Harrison Moore is joined by co-hosts Tae and Rahesa - two inspiring youth mentors from the Preservative Party - for a powerful conversation with Whose Power? podcast producer Christine Garrington. Together, they explore how participatory research, and the medium of podcasting, can share and amplify the voices of young people.

Christine shares her reflections on the role of podcasting in storytelling and connection, while Tae and Rahesa speak candidly about their personal journeys, the importance of being heard, and the transformative power of safe, collaborative spaces. At the heart of the episode is a celebration of trust, authenticity, and the impact of making space for real voices in research and beyond.

• Read a full transcript of this episode

Find out more about the Preservative Party on their LinkedIn or the Leeds Museums & Galleries website.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Presenters:  Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds, Tae and Rahesa, Preservative Party

Guests: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Helix, University of Leeds and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party with Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

Funding: Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

In the first episode of series 2 of Whose Power? Abigail Harrison Moore and her co-hosts Lauren and Rahesa explore the critical role of trust in participatory research. Focusing on the Preservative Party at Leeds City Museum - a collective of young curators aged 14–24 - they discuss how creating a protected, deadline-free environment empowers authentic self-expression and meaningful activism. Abigail reflects on the emotional labour involved in this work and the importance of lived experience in research. Together, they uncover how trust, care, and collaboration can reshape not just museum practice, but society at large.

• Read a full transcript of this episode

Find out more about the Preservative Party on their LinkedIn or the Leeds Museums & Galleries website.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Presenters:  Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds, Lauren and Rahesa, Preservative Party

Guests: Jordan Keighley , Leeds City Museum

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Helix, University of Leeds and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party with Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

Funding: Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

In Episode 5 of Whose Power? we are in conversation with Preservative Party mentors Lauren and Grace.

Together they discuss how the group is working to empower young people to break down traditional barriers to influence and drive the way museum exhibitions are curated and presented, what participating in academic research means to them, what barriers and challenges they have faced along the way, and how they have helped to create new knowledge and bring about meaningful change in the sector with and for the young people they support.

Grace talks about why there needs to be wholesale change in academia and museums to create the space for young people’s voices to be shared and heard. And Lauren explains how the Preservative Party has helped them develop the confidence to pursue their own academic career.

• Read a full transcript of the episode

Episode credits

Presenter: Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds

Guests: Grace and Lauren, Preservative Party

Producer: Chris Garrington, Research Podcasts

Studio and sound: Kerr Hunter and Alex Neish, Helix, University of Leeds

Music: Aura, by Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and graphics: Preservative Party, Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts

Photography: Andrew Lord

In this second series of Whose Power? Abigail is joined by Preservative Party mentors Lauren, Rahesa and Tae, who, together with other members of the group, have been exploring the nature of power and how participatory research can bring about new knowledge and understanding.

They're talking about how we create and maintain safe spaces, amplify the voices of those least listened to, and what real collaboration looks like. By sharing the stories, insights and opinions of members, and the people they've worked, they hope to shed light on the power of trust, what it is to work collectively, how we create change and the power of the podcast as a medium and space to do meaningful participatory research.

Episode one drops June 4th. This series has been supported with funding from the Research England Participatory Research Fund 2024-25

• Read a full transcript

In Episode 4 of Whose Power? we find out how Preservative Party member Tae came to participate in the Whose Power project.

They discuss how the group is working to empower young people to break down traditional barriers to influence and drive the way museum exhibitions are curated and presented, what participating in academic research means to them, what barriers and challenges they have faced along the way, and how they have helped to create new knowledge and bring about meaningful change in the sector with and for the young people they support.

Tae tells Abigail about why and how they questioned the original research plan in order to produce new questions that represented everyone in the Preservative Party and what inspired them to create the theme music for the Whose Power podcast.

Further information

• Access and download a full transcript of the episode

Episode credits

Presenter: Abigail Harrison Moore, University of Leeds

Guests: Tae, Preservative Party

Producer: Christine Garrington, Research Podcasts

Music: Tae, Preservative Party

Artwork and Audiograms Preservative Party and Krissie Brighty-Glover, Research Podcasts