The Millbay Project on Place-Writing

Summary

This research explores the intersection of literary tourism and urban regeneration through a case study of Plymouth's dock area, focusing on the impact of the new Moxy Hotel and the milb Boulevard. The team of writers and a photographer applied processional writing and sketchbooking to synthesize literary effects in tourism, using digital tools for dialogue capture and journaling. The project aimed to reimagine the dock area as a leisure space and foster public engagement through social media and storytelling.

Takeaways

• 📚 The research project discussed in the transcript originated from a conference on literary tourism, emphasizing the productivity of experimenting with research methods close to one's base of operations.
• 🏭 The chosen site for the research was the dock area of Plymouth, a region undergoing significant development and regeneration, which also had a connection to a literary text, 'Marshlands' by Enright.
• 💧 The area is part of a larger waterscape project, with a new boulevard named Milb Boulevard, funded by the EU to combat flooding and regenerate the area.
• 📊 According to the UK Office of National Statistics, the Milbay neighborhood is one of the most deprived areas in England, with stark income contrasts across the new boulevard.
• 🚢 Plymouth is connected to Rosoff in France via a daily ferry crossing, which has historical and tourism significance for the area.
• 🏨 The Moxy hotel, part of the new development, opened during the research residency and was used as a case study for the impact of such developments on the local area.
• 📝 The research team used a combination of processional writing practices, dialogue, and sketchbooking to synthesize rich literary effects in tourism and urban place-making.
• 🗺️ The project aimed to reimagine the dock area as a potential leisure space, using narrative knowing and literary texts to explore and understand the area's identity and potential.
• 📱 The researchers utilized apps like Google Keep and Microsoft Group Translator for capturing dialogue and facilitating public engagement and data collection.
• 🤝 The project experimented with cooperative journaling, using a shared Google Doc to encourage collective ownership and comfort in contributing to the research dialogue.
• 📖 The output of the research includes a variety of narrative non-fiction writings, including an article by Charles on the strategy of social media publishing for building interest and trust in tourism and hospitality.
• 🔍 The research also explored the concept of 'becoming' in relation to the area, using the theoretical framework of 'A Thousand Plateaus' by Deleuze and Guattari to understand the transformative potential of the space.

Q & A

What was the main purpose of the research conducted in Plymouth's dock area?

The research aimed to experiment with methods and methodologies in literary tourism, exploring the impact of regeneration and development on the dock area of Plymouth, and applying processual writing practices to synthesize rich literary effects in tourism.

When was the 'lit andour waterscape' conference held, and what was a key outcome of the dialogue during the conference?

The 'lit andour waterscape' conference was held on the 11th of April, 2022. A key outcome was the idea that being close to a research lab could increase productivity in literary tourism research, leading to the choice of Plymouth's dock area as the research site.

What is the significance of the Moxy hotel's opening in the context of the research?

The Moxy hotel's opening in June 2023 provided an excellent opportunity for the research team to live through and experience the impact and change to the space as part of their residency project.

How does the milb area relate to the literary text 'Marshland' by Enright?

The milb area is built on marshlands, which is the setting of Enright's 'Marshland'. This connection was made to provide a literary context to the research and to explore the area's identity and transformation.

What was the role of the European Union in the milb area's development?

The European Union funded the urban drainage scheme, named milb Boulevard, which is part of the area's regeneration efforts to prevent flooding and improve the living conditions.

What method did Charles develop for synthesizing rich literary effects in tourism?

Charles developed the method of processual writing practices, which was initially used in a textbook for travel writing in tourism studies.

How did the research team use technology to capture dialogue and stories during their residency?

The team used Google Keep, Microsoft Group Translator, and Google Chat Space to capture dialogue and stories, facilitating data collection and encouraging more questions for further research.

What was the significance of the ferry crossing from Plymouth to Rosoff in France for the research?

The ferry crossing represents a connection to the wider world and was part of the researchers' past experiences, as they used to take groups of tourists across the English Channel from Plymouth to Rosoff.

How did the research team approach the challenge of engaging with stakeholders in tourism and hospitality?

The team used social media publishing, specifically a blog post by Charles on the travel writers online magazine blog, to build interest and trust within stakeholders in tourism and hospitality.

What was the role of the 'terine' concept in the research?

The 'terine' concept from the litandour research guide was used to establish a catalyst for moments of insight and understanding, helping the researchers to identify and focus on significant events and stories.

What are the future plans for the research outputs and the developed journaling templates?

The research outputs, including the journaling templates, are planned for future autoethnographic analysis. The templates are made available for download in Microsoft OneNote format and Google Drive format through a QR code on the research's progress website.