About
Matthew Barber-Rowell is the Founder of Spaces of Hope.
Over the last 15 years, Matthew has pioneered a new interdisciplinary paradigm and consultative methodology for organisations. This work was brought together through his PhD from Goldsmiths, University of London and it is called Curating Spaces of Hope. Spaces of Hope is being applied and developed in new and diverse contexts in north west England in Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, and through digital networks around the world. Matthew is an independent scholar who is nurturing Spaces of Hope through partnerships, scholarships, commissions with institutions across the public square. In 2017 Matthew received a Catalyst award and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his work with social movements. This has offered an underpinning methodology for his on going work. Across 2017 and 2018 repeat commissions were received from the Seedbed Trust to develop Spaces of Hope as a model. In 2018 Spaces of Hope was included as a case study of Bridge Building and Peace Brokering by inter faith based projects, in the Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in England. In 2019, Matthew was awarded a William Temple Scholarship which he used to write up his PhD. In 2020 Matthew was commissioned as a Research Associate with Cumberland Lodge to develop a Future Leaders Summit. This was curtailed by the pandemic. However also in 2020, Matthew was commissioned as one of 5 researchers who delivered the Keeping the Faith Research for the All Part Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society which mapped COVID-19 response by faith based organisations across the UK. In 2021 Matthew was commissioned by an Anglican Diocese in North West England to develop a strategy for responding to the climate crisis and delivering Net Zero by 2030. In 2022 Matthew was the inaugural recipient of the Len Collinson postdoctoral Fellowship through which he explore dialogue based approaches to developing leadership in the post-pandemic public square. This work led to Matthew becoming an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool Hope University in 2022 where he continued to pioneer Spaces of Hope with local, national global networks including the Royal Society of Arts, Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services and the Dialogue Society. In 2024 a roundtable took place with regional leaders from across the north west, to reflect on themes and ideas that might be pertinent to democratic movements and partnerships in response to global crises. This was written up in the volume Radical Hope in an Election Year, edited by Matthew and published by William Temple Foundation. In recognition of this work, Matthew has become a Dean's Scholar at Virginia Theological Seminary outside Washington DC. This scholarship has been used to complete the first monograph on Spaces of Hope, which sets out an approach to Transformational Leadership and is due for publication with SCM Press in 2025. Matthew is also using this Scholarship to develop work around digital Spaces of Hope in a post-truth era. This will include an international conference in 2025. During this period, Matthew bas become a member of the International Science Research in New York who are seeking to develop responses to and preparedness for global crises. In addition to this diverse portfolio of work Matthew continues to develop ideas around local leadership and leadership practice that responds to global crises. This includes ecological transformation work at local and regional scales with different organisations in the north west of England, strategies for ending poverty and inequality in the city of Liverpool and supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Matthew is a regular contributor to conferences on sociology, theology, social policy and interdisciplinary studies. He is a published author in international and interdisciplinary journals including Journal of Church and State, Sociology Study, Social Policy Review and Journal of Dialogue Studies. Matthew is married with two children and he lives in the north west of England.
You can follow Matthew on Twitter @DrBarber_Rowell or you can get in touch by email
Over the last 15 years, Matthew has pioneered a new interdisciplinary paradigm and consultative methodology for organisations. This work was brought together through his PhD from Goldsmiths, University of London and it is called Curating Spaces of Hope. Spaces of Hope is being applied and developed in new and diverse contexts in north west England in Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, and through digital networks around the world. Matthew is an independent scholar who is nurturing Spaces of Hope through partnerships, scholarships, commissions with institutions across the public square. In 2017 Matthew received a Catalyst award and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his work with social movements. This has offered an underpinning methodology for his on going work. Across 2017 and 2018 repeat commissions were received from the Seedbed Trust to develop Spaces of Hope as a model. In 2018 Spaces of Hope was included as a case study of Bridge Building and Peace Brokering by inter faith based projects, in the Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in England. In 2019, Matthew was awarded a William Temple Scholarship which he used to write up his PhD. In 2020 Matthew was commissioned as a Research Associate with Cumberland Lodge to develop a Future Leaders Summit. This was curtailed by the pandemic. However also in 2020, Matthew was commissioned as one of 5 researchers who delivered the Keeping the Faith Research for the All Part Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society which mapped COVID-19 response by faith based organisations across the UK. In 2021 Matthew was commissioned by an Anglican Diocese in North West England to develop a strategy for responding to the climate crisis and delivering Net Zero by 2030. In 2022 Matthew was the inaugural recipient of the Len Collinson postdoctoral Fellowship through which he explore dialogue based approaches to developing leadership in the post-pandemic public square. This work led to Matthew becoming an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool Hope University in 2022 where he continued to pioneer Spaces of Hope with local, national global networks including the Royal Society of Arts, Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services and the Dialogue Society. In 2024 a roundtable took place with regional leaders from across the north west, to reflect on themes and ideas that might be pertinent to democratic movements and partnerships in response to global crises. This was written up in the volume Radical Hope in an Election Year, edited by Matthew and published by William Temple Foundation. In recognition of this work, Matthew has become a Dean's Scholar at Virginia Theological Seminary outside Washington DC. This scholarship has been used to complete the first monograph on Spaces of Hope, which sets out an approach to Transformational Leadership and is due for publication with SCM Press in 2025. Matthew is also using this Scholarship to develop work around digital Spaces of Hope in a post-truth era. This will include an international conference in 2025. During this period, Matthew bas become a member of the International Science Research in New York who are seeking to develop responses to and preparedness for global crises. In addition to this diverse portfolio of work Matthew continues to develop ideas around local leadership and leadership practice that responds to global crises. This includes ecological transformation work at local and regional scales with different organisations in the north west of England, strategies for ending poverty and inequality in the city of Liverpool and supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Matthew is a regular contributor to conferences on sociology, theology, social policy and interdisciplinary studies. He is a published author in international and interdisciplinary journals including Journal of Church and State, Sociology Study, Social Policy Review and Journal of Dialogue Studies. Matthew is married with two children and he lives in the north west of England.
You can follow Matthew on Twitter @DrBarber_Rowell or you can get in touch by email
We work with a wide variety of partners from across the public square. A selection of these are shared here. If you want to discuss a project you think we could help with, get in touch.
