Rebecka is Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol working on the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (2020-27) Sensing Spaces of Healthcare: Rethinking the NHS Hospital. The project explores the sensory past, present and future of NHS hospitals in England. The historical research is led by PI Dr Victoria Bates and Rebecka leads its creative study of the sensory experiences of hospitals in collaboration with Fresh Arts and GOSH Arts.

Rebecka’s background is in fashion textile design and psychology. Her PhD explored the significance of clothing and textiles to people with dementia, using embodied, sensory and creative research methods.

Publications

2025

• Making Memories: Creative Research and Sensory History

  Bates, V. L.&Fleetwood-Smith, R. E.,2 Feb 2025, (Accepted/In press)In: Rethinking History. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

2024

• Improving Sensory Environments: A Practical Guide to Person-Centred Healthcare Settings

  Bates, V. L., Bellamy, A., Casey, V., Dupays, H.,Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., Jellema, P., Jones, C., Joyce, S., Raynaud, I., Schoenherr, Z., Smyth, E., Tunç, U., Waters, L. & Zacaria, L.,16 Sept 2024. Research output: Other contribution

• Making and exhibiting: reflections from the sensing spaces of healthcare exhibition
  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., 5 Sept 2024, In: Senses and Society. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

• Senses and spaces of modern health/care: special issue editorial

  Allitt, M., Arnold-Forster, A., Barratt, H.,Bates, V. L.,Fleetwood-Smith, R. E.& Hickman, C., 1 Sept 2024, In: Senses and Society

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial (Academic Journal)

• Sensing Maternity Spaces: Using creative approaches to explore sensory experiences within a maternity department

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E.,12 Dec 2024, (E-pub ahead of print)In:Design for Health.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

2023

• Creative Forms: Booklets by the Hospital Senses Collective
  Bates, V. L., Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., Hickman, C., Arnold-Forster, A., Marie, A. & Harriet, B., 4 May 2023, (2023) In: Medical Humanities. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

• Embracing complexity within creative approaches to dementia research: ethics, reflexivity, and research practices
  Campbell, S., Dowlen, R. & Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., 2 Apr 2023, In: International Journal of Qualitative Methods. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
  

  2022

• Aesthetics and dementia: exploring the role of everyday aesthetics in dementia care settings

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., Tischler, V. & Robson, D., 2 Jun 2022, In: Design for Health.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

• Listening through lines: mark making, sound and the hospital

  Bates, V. L., Fleetwood-Smith, R. E. & Wilson, G., 21 Aug 2022, In: Wellbeing, Space & Society. 3, 100099.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

  
  2021

• Clothing, Textiles, and Everyday Creativity in the Lives of People with Dementia

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., 5 Jul 2021, (Accepted/In press) Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Health Humanities.

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

• Rethinking creative research methods in response to COVID-19: Creating a remote research kit

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., 1 Dec 2021, In: Journal of Applied Arts & Health. 12, 3

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review Open Access

• Using creative, sensory and embodied research methods when working with people with dementia: A method story

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E., Tischler, V. & Robson, D., 27 Oct 2021, In: Arts and Health.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

2020

• Fashion and Textiles

  Fleetwood-Smith, R., 2020, The Routledge companion to health humanities. Crawford, P., Brown, B. & Charise, A. (eds.). Routledge

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

  2019

• ‘It’s like... it’s me’: Exploring the lived experience of clothing attachment during wear

  Fleetwood-Smith, R. E.,Hefferon, K.&Mair, C.,1 Apr 2019,In:International Journal of Fashion Studies.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review