8.Q. Skills building seminar: “The Church of Fail”: Learning from Our Mistakes in Co-Creation

Abstract When delving into the co-creation research literature, it might seem that researchers consistently attain success in their projects without any exceptions. At the extremes, co-creation might even be portrayed as a quasi-moral scientific approach, where the results are inherently positive and beneficial to all participants. Rarely do researchers openly discuss failures or mistakes encountered during co-creation projects, despite the well-established understanding that co-creation presents significant challenges and demands for those involved. Therefore, we aim to use the well-established “Church of Fail” method to underscore the importance of learning from failures, particularly within the dynamic and demanding landscape of co-creation. Therefore, we invite participants to embrace the inevitability of failures, emphasizing that the key lies in deriving valuable lessons from these. Failures present the greatest potential for professional growth and innovation. Reasons for the workshop: Ensuring the professional growth of researchers and practitioners is vital to unlocking the full potential of co-creation and participatory methodologies. It may appear that success in co-creation is guaranteed by applying principles such as building ownership or fostering shared understanding. However, in reality, co-creation demands significant effort, resources, and dedication from everyone involved. One way to avoid mistakes or failures is to embrace them and learn from them, thereby fostering professional growth and innovation. Objectives This workshop will: 1) Increase awareness of co-creation as a methodology within public health, by generating an open and safe learning environment for professional growth; 2) Exchange experiences with failure, to learn and encourage professional growth. The presenters will engage the participants with cases that illustrate different known pitfalls within co-creation, such as power imbalance, participation fatigue, recruitment strategies, and aligning objectives; 3) Discuss important consideration on co-creation approaches, to achieve the best possibility for success in such research projects in public health in the future. Key messages • Failure is not a flaw, but an opportunity to learn and innovate. • Success in co-creation is not a given, even though it sometimes seems so when reading the literature.