Paper short abstract:

This paper presents research findings and reflections from a 10-day experimental ethnography conducted in and around Funchal, capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, and the nearby coastal town of Câmara de Lobos.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents research findings and reflections from a 10-day experimental ethnography conducted in and around Funchal, Madeira's capital, and the coastal town of Câmara de Lobos, outlining and advocating for a set of methods particularly well-suited to the study of those sites and situations where worlds meet. Reflecting on some of the particular challenges of short-term (Pink and Morgan, 2013) and collaborative ethnography, we share some of the techniques we used to quickly explore the interplay of digital systems, imagined futures, and framings and practices of inclusion here, on an island at the periphery of Europe. As a small, experimental project running alongside, on the one hand, an 'immersive' documentary film shoot and, on the other, a longer phase of practice-led research on art and social innovation, and with a team and partners of different backgrounds, capabilities, and levels of engagement, we use vignettes to demonstrate tactics that can be used to identify and orchestrate spaces of encounter.