{"id":1826,"date":"2026-07-28T14:40:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T13:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heatherconnelly.co.uk\/translationzones\/?page_id=1826"},"modified":"2026-08-05T12:42:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T11:42:56","slug":"transformher","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.heatherconnelly.co.uk\/translationzones\/?page_id=1826","title":{"rendered":"TransformHER"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship in Higher Education through Creativity and Innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Following the success of Translation Zone(s): South Africa (2026<\/em>) 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\u2019s Entrepreneurship in Higher Education through Creativity and Innovation<\/a>:<\/strong> <\/em>on the British Council project, part of the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programm<\/a>e (SWEEP)<\/a>, supported by British Council<\/a> and Universities South Africa<\/a> (#USAf<\/a>), Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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The project project draws upon Connelly’s conceptual and artist-led approach developed through Translation Zone(s),<\/em> together with my pedagogical approach in Transcultural Encounters<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TransformHER<\/em> 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 <\/strong>– integrating arts\u2011based 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\u2019s economic empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The TransformHER <\/strong>project comprises of multiple activities and components that will take place online and in person over a 6-month period including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. HER Growth\u2013 Mindset Cultivation: Train-the-trainer webinars<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. HER Roots \u2013 Reverse Mentorship<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. HER Rise \u2013 Group Coaching<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. HER Land: Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. HER Living Lab through HER Story(2 day in person event 14 -15th<\/sup> July)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. HER Creation \u2013 Skills Recognition > Micro-credential Courses<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    The CREATIVE STRAND led by Dr Heather Connelly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The creative strand of TransformHER, has been designed to embed creative methods throughout the project. Through \u2018live scribing\u2019 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 \u2018messages\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Heather has been working closely with design students at the University of Lincoln to devise different ways of utilising their \u2018images\u2019, creating rubber stamps, postcards and badges from their drawings \u2013 to enable dissemination and collaboration across continents \u2013 allowing their works to evolve and develop through collaborative exchange, without being present.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Kate Morgan – Live Scribing from Webinar 2: Prof Monomita Nandy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    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 \u2018internationalisation at home\u2019. They will be sharing their work with each other and their North West University peers on 8th<\/sup> September 2026, thereby fostering intercultural understanding and developing students\u2019 global mindset, confidence and transferable skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The creative strand<\/strong> has been developed with Professor Louise Bezuidenhout<\/a> 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 H\u00e9niel Fourie <\/a>to continue to expand opportunities for students to participate in internationalisation at home. H\u00e9niel is working with his final year Graphic Design students to visualise the data from the TransformHER mentoring sessions \u2013 which they will share on 8th<\/sup> 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<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The creative strand <\/strong>extended into the mentoring and webinar sessions as Heather introduced the team to Morrighan Humbleby, a Service Designer, NEC Digital Studio<\/a> who mentored one of the SWEEP groups and Jo Thomas and Rhona Breeze from Honours Studio<\/em><\/strong><\/a> who will be delivering a webinar entitled DESIGNING YOUR OWN PATH: Creativity, Courage & Purpose in Women\u2019s Entrepreneurship<\/em> on 7th<\/sup> September 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The TransformHER project<\/a><\/strong> and associated \u2018materials\u2019 are documented in full at: https:\/\/sweep2026transformher.co.uk\/<\/a>. Where the TransformHER Virtual Gallery<\/strong> provides a space for the creative outputs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n