The 'MARCH' Network proposes that Assets for Resilient Communities lie at the heart of Mental Health (M-ARC-H) and is dedicated to advancing research into the impact of these assets in enhancing public mental health and wellbeing, preventing mental illness and supporting those living with mental health conditions. Specifically, it will advance our understanding of the impact of social, cultural and community assets including the arts, culture, heritage, libraries, parks, community gardens, allotments, leisure centres, volunteer associations, social clubs and community groups, of which there are an anticipated 1 million in the UK. The network will bring together a Disciplinary Expert Group of researchers with a Policy Group of major national policy bodies, a Patient Public Involvement Group of national mental health charities, and a Community Engagement Group of national organisations. Across three years, our network will unite research with policy and practice to tackle critical questions of research priorities, methods, and implementation in this field; understand and resolve barriers to mobilising community assets; and provide training and support to the next generation of researchers. Specifically, our network will address questions organised in two core work streams (WS): WS1. Cross-disciplinary research and challenges: (a) What evidence is there, from a cross-disciplinary perspective, for how and why community assets impact on public health and wellbeing and the lives of those living with mental health problems, and where are the gaps for future research? (b) How can we use a cross-disciplinary approach to provide meaningful data to different stakeholders and users? WS2. Equity of engagement and access innovation: (a) Who amongst the UK population, demographically and geographically, currently engages with these programmes and how does participation vary dependent on mental health? (b) What are the current barriers and enablers to engagement at an individual, organisational and policy level and how can we develop innovative approaches to enhance engagement, especially amongst the vulnerable? This research work will be complemented by a rich portfolio of impact, engagement and training activities (see 'Impact Summary'). This network aligns with strategic priorities of the AHRC and ESRC as well as having a secondary relevance to the priorities of the MRC (through its consideration of the role of community assets and social prescribing to support medical approaches to mental health), NERC (through its exploration of the impact of green spaces) and EPSRC (through its focus on the opportunities provided by technology for driving research forwards). It has also been designed in response to the Network Plus Research Agenda. In addition to the objectives already discussed in the prior Je-S section, it is responsive to many of the mental health challenges cited in the agenda. For example, the call specification noted that only 25% of people with mental health problems receive ongoing treatment. Whilst there are recognised economic and resource constraints with delivering sufficient mental health services, this Network proposes to focus on the role that existing community assets could play in providing support to a much wider range of people in the UK including those on waiting lists. As another example, the call specification raised that 70% of children and adolescents with mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at an earlier age. This Network will involve working with policy makers and community organisations to see how research could help overcome barriers to access with the aim of engaging more young people and those who are hard to reach. Overall, the network will seek to understand and support future research into how community assets could be mobilised to encourage more resilient individuals and communities with a greater understanding of and capacity for self-management of mental health.

The city of Bath is primarily known for its Roman and Georgian roots, and for becoming the temporary home of novelist Jane Austen. Yet Bath's role as the chosen home in exile of one of world history's most famous leaders, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, who is considered God incarnate by members of the Rastafari faith, remains largely undetected in the city. This project builds upon my previous research exploring the relationship between the city of Bath and Ethiopian and Caribbean culture through the legacy of the Emperor, to build connections between local communities and civic institutions, to enlarge the conversation and find cross-cultural connections. The project encompasses four main strands of work; 1. Hallowed Halls - using faith and exhibition as methods of engagement around the notions of cultural identity and creative practice. 2. Queen's Stories - using an opera performance, discussion forum and celebration event and photography exhibition to explore narratives of Black women leaders and their power and legacy. 3. The Emperor's Music - using a pianola recital hybrid performance, a musicians residency, and a public talk as a method of cross-cultural and intergenerational engagement; 4. Reasoning Room - encouraging a safe space for informed debate across experiences, building a research repository, and working with young people to produce podcasts and engage in the themes of the Festival of Learning. The Freedom in the City Festival of Learning, has playfully altered the name of the Freedom of the City award, which Emperor Haile Selassie was honored to receive from the leaders of Bath when he returned to the city on a state visit on 18th October 1954. The award symbolically offers the keys to the city as an honoured adopted guest resident, welcomed with open arms. This interdisciplinary project embraces the spirit of that award, and has used it as the basis of the curation of a seven-month series of events, which bear the hallmark of openness, fusion, and cultural hybridity