In the physical to digital transition with friends - a story of performing inclusive research together no matter what life throws at you.

Abstract

BackgroundAs part of ‘The Hub’ project at Wellcome Collection, a team of eight co-researchers with learning disabilities alongside academics created an online survey to challenge public understanding of learning disabilities. Using creative and arts-based methods, co-researchers remotely co-analysed the survey results amid Covid-19 lockdown challenges. Here, we explore our unexpected ‘transition’ journey from the physical ‘Hub’ to the digital space.MethodsWe organised 20 sessions at ‘The Hub’ and used audio/video/photo recordings to ‘capture’ key moments. With the lockdown, we ensured that every co-researcher had access to and support for digital technologies. Throughout 2020, we organized 28 Zoom meetings involving all co-researchers. In June, Lilly1 and Sue2 conducted Zoom interviews with the co-research team to reflect on our ‘transition’ journey. In this creative video-form submission accompanied by an accessible report, Lilly puts together a story of how we transitioned and felt throughout this process.FindingsWe identify that trust and the social bonds established at ‘The Hub’ are the key components of our transition to the digital environment. There is the tension between longing for in-person contact and trying to make the most out of the situation to maintain these relationships. At the heart of this is the motivation to ‘change the world’ and the strive for social justice. Having time and opportunity to improve, and co-researchers’ steady growth in confidence, are equally important.ConclusionsThe determination for maintaining friendships among co-researchers and the motivation to ‘change the world’ overcome Covid-19 related challenges in continuing co-research.Summary Heart n Soul are an arts organisation who support the creative talents of people with learning disabilities and autistic people. We have been working on a research project called Heart n Soul at The Hub at Wellcome Collection. But because of coronavirus, we all had to stay home to stay safe. To carry on with our research project we participated in 28 research meetings on Zoom. Along with a video, this is an easy read to tell you about how we did it and how we felt about it.