Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship in Higher Education through Creativity and Innovation

Following the success of Translation Zone(s): South Africa (2026) and the sustained development of research and development opportunities with academics at North West University, I was invited by Professor Nadia Gulko (Interim Dean of Lincoln  International Business School) to be Co-Investigator (UoL) TransformHER: Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship in Higher Education through Creativity and Innovation: on the British Council project, part of the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP), supported by British Council and Universities South Africa (#USAf), Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE)

The initiative is led by University of Lincoln (UoL) in the UK and North West University (NWU) in South Africa developed in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, Ulster University, University of Johannesburg, University of Limpopo with South African NGOs, MOSAIC & Ubambano Women SA Entrepreneurship Forum (UWSEF).

The project project draws upon Connelly’s conceptual and artist-led approach developed through Translation Zone(s), together with my pedagogical approach in Transcultural Encounters by using arts-based methods to facilitate participatory engagement, ethical knowledge generation, and collaborative learning with students. Methods that are intrinsic to the transcultural encounters pedagogical strand of my research, supporting inclusive and reflective modes of engagement across cultural contexts.

TransformHER is a transdisciplinary project is led by Professor Nadia Gulko (UoL – UK) and Professor Sanlie Middleburg (NWU – South Africa), with Dr Heather Connelly leading the Creative Strand – integrating arts‑based methodologies and working closely with colleagues at NWU – using creativity as a powerful, decolonial tool to surface lived experience, build confidence, strengthen entrepreneurial capability, and leave a visible, accessible legacy for women’s economic empowerment.

The TransformHER project comprises of multiple activities and components that will take place online and in person over a 6-month period including:

1. HER Growth– Mindset Cultivation: Train-the-trainer webinars
2. HER Roots – Reverse Mentorship
3. HER Rise – Group Coaching
4. HER Land: Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector
5. HER Living Lab through HER Story(2 day in person event 14 -15^th July)
6. HER Creation – Skills Recognition > Micro-credential Courses

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The CREATIVE STRAND led by Dr Heather Connelly

The creative strand of TransformHER, has been designed to embed creative methods throughout the project. Through ‘live scribing’ by employing undergraduate students in Uk and South Africa to document and capture the webinars and events through drawing, synthesising each session, translating and communicating core ‘messages’ through innovative design to engage different audiences; and running creative workshops at live events to empower participants to share lived experiences and collaborate in knowledge production.

Heather has been working closely with design students at the University of Lincoln to devise different ways of utilising their ‘images’, creating rubber stamps, postcards and badges from their drawings – to enable dissemination and collaboration across continents – allowing their works to evolve and develop through collaborative exchange, without being present.

The illustration students from University of Lincoln (Kate Morgan & Emily Dewis) and University of Johannesburg (Katia da Cunha & Lemohang Serape) are not only gaining valuable work experience, through being commissioned but have also reported how much business knowledge, advice and practical know-how they have gained by being involved in the TransformHER entrepreneurial sessions. Through immersing themselves in what it takes to set up and run a successful business and the various elements involved, they are gaining confidence in how to establish themselves as freelancers, how to articulate and reframe their practice, and how to envision themselves as independent creative practitioners and future creative entrepreneurs. The students have actively engaged with entrepreneurs, senior leaders, academics and peers from different cultures and disciplines, demonstrating openness, curiosity and a growing appreciation of the value of ‘internationalisation at home’. They will be sharing their work with each other and their North West University peers on 8^th September 2026, thereby fostering intercultural understanding and developing students’ global mindset, confidence and transferable skills.

The creative strand has been developed with Professor Louise Bezuidenhout in Communication and continues to strengthen the partnership, pedagogy and knowledge exchange between the UoL and NWU school of design. Heather has been working closely with and Graphic Design subject Lead Héniel Fourie to continue to expand opportunities for students to participate in internationalisation at home. Héniel is working with his final year Graphic Design students to visualise the data from the TransformHER mentoring sessions – which they will share on 8^th September 2026 (this will also be shared as part of a new elective module within Lincoln College of Creative Arts and Design focused on the UNESCO chair).

The creative strand extended into the mentoring and webinar sessions as Heather introduced the team to Morrighan Humbleby, a Service Designer, NEC Digital Studio who mentored one of the SWEEP groups and Jo Thomas and Rhona Breeze from Honours Studio who will be delivering a webinar entitled DESIGNING YOUR OWN PATH: Creativity, Courage & Purpose in Women’s Entrepreneurship on 7^th September 2026.

The TransformHER project and associated ‘materials’ are documented in full at: https://sweep2026transformher.co.uk/. Where the TransformHER Virtual Gallery provides a space for the creative outputs:

• Live Scribing: Visual narratives produced by UoL(UK) illustration students and UJ (SA) Graphic Design Students offer alternative means for communication, expression, reflection and reporting.
• Common Threads Workshops at the Living Lab: A textile and badge making workshop allowing entrepreneurs to express themselves and lived experience whilst making and creating space for dialogue during the ‘living lab’.
• Visual Outputs: designed to be shared and available as downloads for participants – artefacts and memento of their participation and entrepreneurial journey during the TransformHER project. We anticipate that this visual artefact will become part of the women’s homes or work-places and spark further dialogue and serve to inspire more women to become female entrepreneurs – thereby becoming part of the legacy of the project.
• Data Visualisation: [further info to come]

Live Scribing

Introducing Student Live Scribers from University of Lincoln

Heather is working with two undergraduate illustration students from University of Lincoln, Kate Morgan (1^st/2^nd Year) and Emily Dewis (2^nd/3^rd Year) who have been documenting the HER Growth webinars and HerLand event through live scribing and visualising the entrepreneurial journeys and advice. Each developing their own distinct visual styles – extracting key messages and information from each session they attend.

The TransformHER Gallery will feature all of the work produced throughout the project [Link coming soon] here are a few examples to whet your appetite!

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HER Land: Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector

University of Lincoln 22nd-24th June 2026

HerLand was an event designed by the TransformHER principal investigators to explore ….  scheduled over 3 days in collaboration between the Lincoln International Business School (LIBS), Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT), the Lincoln School of Design and Architecture (LSDA).

Emily and Kate where invited to attend the 3 days where they got to …experience… and take home strawberries. They met students, academics. entrepreneurs from UoL and across South Africa and were even invited participate in an entrepreneurial workshop. They live scribed whilst they listened, networked and developed their practice and accumulated business skills that they hope to put into practice.

Heather curated the final afternoon inviting presentations from LSCA&D staff to showcase the amazing work that goes on within the school and the potential for future collaborations. The afternoon began with talks from Product Designer, Head of School Associate Prof. Timothy Whitehead, Architect Deputy Head of School, Denver Hendricks, Graphic Design Senior Lecturer and UX/UI specialist Wayne Christian, Photography senior lecturers Tom Martin and Michelle Walsh, Professor of Theatre Ananda Breed, UNESCO chair, Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange, Lincoln School of Creative Arts & Design and Ben Anderson Creative & Executive Director of Lincoln Arts Centre.

Delegates were invited to participate in a creative workshop working with the illustration students works before a walk around the degree shows.

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HER Living Lab: through HER Story– 13th-15th July

Johannesburg 13th – 15th July 2026

Living lab’s are user-centred open innovation ecosystems that integrate research and innovation through co-creation in real-world environments. This Living lab was designed by Katharina De Vita, Director of Education for the Faculty of Business & Law at Manchester Metropolitan University and delivered by

It was a vibrant programme of talks, inspirational sessions and activities – over the 3 days students reflected, innovated, created & danced…there was a lot of joy!

You can read more about the event https://sweep2026transformher.co.uk/living-lab/ and with documentation of the event [coming soon]

The TransformHER Creative Strand took two main forms during this event with Katia and Lemohang live scribing and Heather turning one of the conference rooms into an artists studio for the MakeHER: Common Threads workshop where the participants could come and ‘make work’, unleash their creative juices!

Introducing Student Live Scribers from University of Johannesburg

Katia Da Cunha and Lemohang Serape answered a call from their tutor, Christa Van Zyl, University Johannesburg a week before the event took place. I met with them online to describe what the ‘gig’ entailed and shared Emily and Kate’s work. They had never heard of ‘live scribing’ and had never done anything like this before but they had the courage to say ‘YES’, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They are both in their final, honours year studying Graphic design so the presentations and sessions helped them to start to consider what life could be life after University. Whilst nervous at first they got stuck in and it was great to see how their work changed over the 3 days, they grew in confidence and made the most of opportunities presented to them – discussing masters programmes and meeting new people.

I have embedded a number of their illustrations into this page, more will be published on the: https://sweep2026transformher.co.uk/.

MakeHER: Common Threads and New Directions workshops by Heather Connelly

Heather invited the Living Lab participants, SWEEP chapters, to work together to create textile banners with statements and phrases that would provide strength, inspiration and reflect their personal and collective journey. The studio provided a relaxed and convivial space where the students could share stories and discuss the other sessions, whilst engaged in making – sharing stories and creating something together. Creating a hospitable and welcoming space where friendships, networks and creativity could bloom, ideas were shared and new ventures were formed.

TransformHER provided a range of new and preloved fabrics, equipment for hand stitching or machine sewing. A badge making station where participants could create their own wearable artwork, using collage and images and texts scribed during the webinars by Emily and Kate (UK), and postcards that they could colour or create for themselves – to convey their own message to others. Mementoes of their own journeys – a lasting reminder of the Living Lab and TransformHER programme.

Héniel Fourie assisted me with the badge making workshops, leant us his mother’s sewing machine to make the banners and I showed hm how to use it in return! Participants went beyond the brief and many wanted to make garments, and discussed setting up similar workshops – purchasing equipment to make businesses or as social activities…embracing the freedom that these arts-based activities afforded. One of the students made a cape to where at the social, another a sash for their graduation! I hope that their creative ‘works’ continue to inspire others as they are worn, used and shared. I passed on the left over fabric and equipment to SWEEP and NWU, hoping that they can continue to spread the creativity.