Frances Howard

Dr Frances Howard is an Associate Professor in Youth Research within the Department of Social Work, Care and Community at Nottingham Trent University. She leads the Youth Research Group and serves as Deputy Director for the Centre of Policy, Citizenship and Society. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes creative methods like music elicitation and journey mapping in Youth Work Education.

• Research Areas: Youth arts programmes, music-making, health and well-being, youth work, informal education, evaluation, youth voice
• External Roles: S3 Methods Hub Youth expert, advisory board member for Nottingham Community Artists Network, consultant for ChalleNGe, Captivate, and YMCA projects

Her recent publications and project reports (2025–2022) analyze youth arts programmes' role in addressing inequalities in education, well-being, and youth offending, with a focus on creative methods during the pandemic, cross-cultural comparisons, and heritage projects. She contributes to knowledge exchange with local youth organizations and participates in national/international policy consultations, including advising on youth services and youth violence reduction strategies.

Frances supervises doctoral candidates and placement students, integrates work-like learning experiences into curricula, and develops research funding bids. Her lab collaborations include the Youth Professional Practitioner Network and international youth arts research exchanges.