VIP-CLEAR: Voices in a Pandemic: Children's Lockdown Experiences Applied to Recovery
Lead Research Organisation:
University of the West of England
Department Name: Faculty of Environment and Technology
Abstract
Our proposal explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the learning, development, health and wellbeing of vulnerable, socially-disadvantaged children (Early Years: 3-5yrs; Primary: 5-11yrs) in England by capturing their voices and experiences. Their families live with multiple uncertainties, stresses and vulnerabilities, making these children more susceptible to COVID-19 impacts and highlighting deep societal inequalities. Our interdisciplinary research aims to: 1) gather and critically evaluate the worldviews, perceptions and experiences of socially-disadvantaged children during the COVID-19 response; 2) draw learning from the above to support their involvement in 'recovery'; 3) build anticipatory resilient capital from their experiences in preparation for future social shocks, including pandemics. We focus on multicultural Bristol, where we have well-established relationships with practitioners/stakeholders in children's learning, health and wellbeing. This will ensure meaningful co-production with local, regional and national partners (nursery centres, schools, Bristol City Council and Action for Children) for immediate translation of our findings in policy and practice at different scales. Our approach gathers and exchanges critical 'data' quickly: using creative, participatory 'daylighting' methodologies that are child-focused and multi-channel. Our methods interweave socially-engaged arts practice with social science to capture nuances and trends in children's voices and ensure their views are included. We will co-develop outputs tailored to different stakeholder needs: a unique archive of children's voices to inform recovery strategies; a primary school book to support children and professionals; and an extensive evidence-base to inform policy and practice around adaptation to future social and ecological shocks.
Organisations
- University of the West of England (Lead Research Organisation)
- Action for Children (Project Partner)
- Bristol Archives (Project Partner)
- May Park Primary School (Project Partner)
- Ilminster Avenue Nursery School (Project Partner)
- St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School (Project Partner)
- Bristol City Council (Project Partner)
- Curiosity Connections (Project Partner)
- Speedwell Nursery School and CC (Project Partner)
- Glenfrome Primary School (Project Partner)
- Hartcliffe Nursery School and CC (Project Partner)
Publications
Gorell Barnes, L
(2022)
'Learning to Live with Fog Monsters'
Jones, V
(2023)
Learning from children's experiences of lockdown: Talking about invisible threats
in Primary Science
| Description | The VIP-CLEAR project aimed to capture the voices of young people in Bristol during the mitigation phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The arts-based research process - framed by researchers as a creative diary - involved working with children of different ages (3-11 years) in two Early Year Centres and four primary schools in socially disadvantaged areas of Bristol. The emergent research process had three phases (with two activities per phase): deep mapping of the child's world at the time of the activity, an arts photo-elicitation activity and a forward-looking 'Tree of Hope and Ambition' activity. This work has involved significant methodological development and interdisciplinary reflection, particularly considering the otherness of children. Key research findings include the diversity of children's experience along various continua and the amplification of existing stresses through COVID-19 and its mitigation. We have produced a policy brief based on evidence from the deep mapping work has been shared regionally and nationally, and we are securing feedback on its impact. We have targeted our outputs to different audiences working out from the individual child. The primary book 'Learning to Live with Fog Monsters' was based on the children's voices we garnered in our research and is designed to support children through hidden risks and social shocks like pandemics but also climate change, threat of war etc. This book is being shared locally, regionally and nationally through different networks (e.g. School Library Association; School Wellbeing Partnership; County-level local government). Two interdisciplinary refereed journal articles are currently under review and will have accompanying public-facing blogs when they are accepted. There are three other journal articles in preparation. We are currently updating the VIP-CLEAR website to improve its accessibility as a resource bank and its articulation of outcomes from the project. We will share more from our evaluation of impact in the next audit. |
| Exploitation Route | We have used co-production as a key element of our research process to ensure that results are shared to inform practice within our partner schools (and beyond). We have determined the policy implications of different stages in the research (experience of the pandemic; ability to look forward), working with our partners (Bristol schools, Bristol organisations supporting children, Action for Children and our Specialist Advisory Board). We are also writing up our creative methodology in different formats (academic; practitioner) for different audiences and are sharing this with researchers and practitioners working with young children during periods of shock, stress and recovery. The storyline of the VIP primary book 'Learning to Live with Fog Monsters' integrates the child-centred, arts-based methods we have developed in working in our research with children. These are now being promoted as ways of working with the primary book in school and library settings. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://vip-clear.org |
| Description | Closest to project: Our partner schools have been active participants throughout our research process and as a research team, we learnt through mutual exchange (monthly meetings + listserv) during the research. Nationally: We continue to share learning and resources from the project around various practitioner networks (e.g. Barnados, Schools Wellbeing Network), who are then sharing among their membership. We are following up with an evaluation of impact at different scales - at school level, regional to national - funded through UWE IAA funds. This evaluation applies both to using the findings from VIP-CLEAR in settings explicit to the pandemic but also in other settings - involving social shocks- that need to engage children about hidden risks. A further update on the use of findings will be provided at the next audit. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Article in Centre for Health & Clinical Research (CHCR) Newsletter, January 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Short newsletter article with an illustration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | BOOK LAUNCH WEBINAR: How teachers can use 'Learning to Live with Fog Monsters' to support children through social shocks like COVID-19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Voices in a Pandemic team (VIP-CLEAR team) developed a free children's book entitled 'Learning to Live with Fog Monsters', which is available as a learning resource for seven to 11-year olds. This research-informed book, drawing on children's experiences, is designed to provide support to teachers who are often trying to tackle the issues due to social shocks like COVID-19, threat of war and climate change. The book highlights the impacts of invisible threats and its mitigation through the eyes of two 10-year-olds. The importance of sharing worries, working together, and planning for hopeful futures at home, in school and in the wider community is introduced as a springboard for classroom discussion and further work. The book is designed to help children, teachers and schools in responding to trauma and in supporting well-being. The seminar will explore curricular links and is led by VIP-CLEAR team members . |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.vip-clear.org/ |
| Description | Community sharing back events x3, Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Sharing events enabled the research team to disseminate information on the project directly to the communities involved. One of the libraries involved is the location for launch of the project's children's book. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.vip-clear.org/ |
| Description | Display at UWE Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A presentation at UWE Frenchay campus enabled findings from the project to be displayed for the attention of staff, students and visitors |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.vip-clear.org/ |
| Description | Geography Teacher Educators Conference, 28-30th January 2022 - Using mapping to explore experiences of the pandemic with 3-11 year olds (Verity Jones) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Overview of findings (maps and hopes data) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.geography.org.uk/Geography-Teacher-Educators-conference |
| Description | Participatory Stakeholder Formal Working Group Meetings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A monthly working group meeting set up to seek guidance and feedback from school leaders on the on going school based participatory research methods and outcomes of the project. The type of information captured include: - different stakeholder perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on children - input to the arts-led methodology and the logistics of its delivery in primary schools and early year centres - observations on the on-going synthesis of the data - advice on tailoring the research outputs to different audiences |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | Presentation at Bristol SENDCo conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation has led to ongoing engagement with the SENDCo community and they have provided feedback on particular activities. Furthermore they have diuscussed using the arts activities in their work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.vip-clear.org/ |
| Description | Presentation to the Climate Change Primary Education Research Network |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Online presentation to the network to give details on children's book created by the project and to encourage teachers to use it and feed back. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.vip-clear.org/learning-to-live-with-fog-monsters/ |
| Description | RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2022 (Royal Geographical Society) using deep mapping to explore children's changing perceptions and experiences during COVID-19 'recovery' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.rgs.org/geography/news/rgs-ibg-annual-international-conference-2022/ |
| Description | Specialist Advisory Group Meetings - To share expertise in the development of the research project from different disciplinary and/or professional perspectives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The specialist advisory board meetings were conducted with the following aims: ? To share expertise in the development of the research project from different disciplinary and/or professional perspectives ? To provide "a sounding board" on research processes, deliverables and issues raised by VIP-CLEAR team ? To offer advice on the social, political and ethical ramifications of the research method and outcomes ? To help shape the project in order to maximise its regional, national and international impact ? To act as ambassadors for the research project in different national and international contexts ? To provide a wider network for dissemination of key findings |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Specialist Advisory Group Meetings - To share expertise in the development of the research project from different disciplinary and/or professional perspectives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The specialist advisory board meetings were conducted with the following aims: ? To share expertise in the development of the research project from different disciplinary and/or professional perspectives ? To provide "a sounding board" on research processes, deliverables and issues raised by VIP-CLEAR team ? To offer advice on the social, political and ethical ramifications of the research method and outcomes ? To help shape the project in order to maximise its regional, national and international impact ? To act as ambassadors for the research project in different national and international contexts ? To provide a wider network for dissemination of key findings |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | UK Alliance for Disaster Research Conference 2022 - Using deep mapping to explore children's changing perceptions and experiences during COVID-19 'recovery' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.ukadr.org/docs/UKADR-2022-programme-overview.pdf |
| Description | UK Literary Association International Conference, 1st-3rd July 2022 - The power of picture books: a pandemic tool to recovery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Reflection on 18 months of interdisciplinary research in partnership with Schools and Early Years settings across some of the most socially disadvantaged areas of Bristol. Verity Jones. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://ukla.org/event/international-conference-2022/ |
| Description | UWE Centre for Appearance Research, 17th February 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Internal (UWE) presentation to a distinct disciplinary grouping of academics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | UWE Centre for Health and Clinical Research Conference - Children, Young People and Families research theme. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Centre for Health Research at UWE Bristol |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |