© truetoyouphotography.co.ukElizabeth
Ascroft
Building collaborative spaces for research, participation, and social justice
I'm Elizabeth
I help organisations design participatory research and engagement processes that centre the people they aim to serve. I work with international NGOs, research institutions, and foundations to develop youth engagement strategies, co-creative research methodologies, and knowledge products that translate community voices into action.
I work internationally, with particular depth in sexual and reproductive health, youth participation, and gender justice.
I hold a doctorate in co-creative practice, and I bring 10+ years of experience coordinating multi-country initiatives, facilitating across cultures, and producing resources that make knowledge travel.
How I work
Whose knowledge counts, and for whose benefit?
This question drives everything I do. I work to change who gets heard, by building research and programmes from the ground up with the people they're meant to serve.
Creativity, play and joy as tools for change
Some of my most exciting work sits at the intersection of research and creative exploration. Making space for play and joy helps forge systemic change.
I remain in motion.
I’m comfortable with not knowing and iterating as we go. I hold discomfort, hear challenging feedback, and keep moving forward with the project and people.
What I do
CONVENING & FACILITATION
I curate space for organisations and networks to hold complex conversations, build trust, and move forward together.
This might look like: designing and facilitating a multi-stakeholder workshop series, running a learning retreat, training programme or leading a community consultation process
RESEARCH & CO-CREATION
I design and deliver participatory research that evolves with the people involved, to generate knowledge that is community-owned.
This might look like: designing a youth-led research initiative, facilitating a co-creation process using arts-based methods, or producing an accessible research report for advocacy.
STRATEGY
I advise organisations on how to meaningfully centre community voices in their programmes, governance, and decision-making.
This might look like: developing a youth participation strategy, reviewing and strengthening engagement approaches across a programme portfolio, or advising on inclusive governance models.
CREATIVE ADVOCACY
I support creative processes that translate research and lived experience into powerful public-facing outputs.
This might look like: producing a podcast series, facilitating a zine-making project with young people, or developing storytelling resources for campaign and advocacy work.
My Work
IPPF: Co-creating Youth Sexuality Education
ARUBA · RESEARCH & CO-CREATION, CREATIVE ADVOCACY
IPPF: Co-Creating Research with Activists
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA · RESEARCH & CO-CREATION
Brook: Young People’s Contraceptive Decisions
UNITED KINGDOM · RESEARCH & CO-CREATION
Flirting with Data
FILM · RESEARCH & CO-CREATION, CREATIVE ADVOCACY
Curious? Let's Talk.
If this resonates, I'd love to connect. I partner with organisations and movements who want to centre communities in their research, programmes, and advocacy.