Tessa Lewin

Dr Lewin is a Senior Research Fellow in the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change cluster at the Institute of Development Studies, where she co-convened the MA in Gender and Development from 2019 to 2023. She has 25+ years’ experience using creative, participatory, and visual methodologies, alongside other qualitative methods for research, teaching, and research communication in community and development contexts. Her research focuses on gender politics, sexuality, visual activism, and child rights. Her doctoral research investigated the nature of queer visual activism in South Africa. She is well known for her work as a creative facilitator, often with children and young people, and has worked on projects involving digital storytelling, photovoice, radio drama, animation, and participatory video. She led the communications work for Pathways of Women’s Empowerment (2007–2012), during which she established the Real World documentary film scheme.