This paper outlines the development, and work in progress, of a PhD research project exploring the potential for participatory action research (PAR) approaches to successfully integrate the goals and work of humanitarian development projects with the creation of communication tools. Moving away from the established photo-voice and participatory video practices that hand over the tools of visual production, this project is predicated on a new model for collaboration between visual practitioner-researchers, humanitarian development organisations and the communities they work with that is, at once, extradisciplinary and mutually respectful of the skills and knowledges within the collaboration.