Saskia Coulson is a researcher, photographer, and filmmaker. She is interested in how creative research and practice can be used to explore complex global challenges.

Currently, Saskia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with WeObserve, a Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action that brings together four citizens' observatories across Europe: GROW, LandSense, Scent and Ground Truth 2.0. WeObserve aims at building a sustainable ecosystem of citizens' observatories and move citizen science into the mainstream.

Prior to WeObserve, Saskia was a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the H2020 funded project, Making Sense. In this role, she focused on design for social innovation and developed tools for co-created citizen science activities across Europe. Saskia also held the position of Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Design in Action, an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy. Here, she worked within an interdisciplinary team at the University of Dundee, and within a national consortium of six research institutions. Saskia contributed to principal project outputs, including devising a framework for design-led innovation and delivering a major knowledge exchange event at Scottish Parliament in 2015.

Saskia holds a PhD from the Department of Design and Craft at the University of Dundee and sponsored by V&A Museum of Design Dundee. Using design research methods, she developed a framework for an innovative residency programme for creative professionals.  This study contributed to a national portfolio of interdisciplinary research managed by the Capacity Building Cluster ESRC Scottish hub, Institute for Capitalizing on Creativity at the University of St Andrews.

Saskia also holds a MLitt (Distinction) in Managing in the Creative Industries from the University of St Andrews and a BA (Honours) in Fine Art Photography from the Glasgow School of Art.

When Saskia is not in the DJCAD Research Studio, she is creating visual stories through still and moving image on matters of culture, society and the environment. 

Creative practice funded projects:

• Stories of Radical Landownership, Community Land Scotland and The Stove Network, 2020-2021
• Crafting or Future, British Council: Crafting Futures Grant 2020-2021