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Loneliness Connects Us
- 1. LONELINESS CONNECTS US: Young People’s Experience of Loneliness and Friendship #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 2. One: Include youth co-research in the growing conversations on youth loneliness Two: Develop practical action to help young people navigate loneliness #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 3. Morning: Explore the research to develop new understandings of youth loneliness Afternoon: Develop practical action #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 4. Morning • Clean Break Theatre performance • Loneliness Connects Us: Janet Batsleer (MMU) and Kurtis Angel (42nd Street) • Youth led-discussions from loneliness and connection projects #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 5. Afternoon • Developing scenarios to reduce youth loneliness • Taken forward through: • Policy event this evening • Inform a theatre performance • Developed by the Greater Manchester Housing Association Youth Assembly #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 7. Listening and writing notes… #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 8. LONELINESS CONNECTS US: Young People’s Experience of Loneliness and Friendship #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 9. “Loneliness means something different to everyone because everyone experiences things differently. But I don’t think people should be afraid of loneliness. All your emotions are important... if you’re lonely it means it you’re missing out on something, you need that social connection.” #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 10. Creative and Collaborative Methods • It’s an awkward subject • Come at it by stealth • Find ways of talking about it without naming and shaming the lonely • Make a convivial space #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 11. Which is worse? •1 in 3? •2 in 5? #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 12. A Message to the Nation • Tell them that Youth Loneliness exists. • Tell them that we need to be able to talk about it without being ashamed of it. • Tell them it’s a real thing that really, really hurts. It’s painful. • But it might not be the worst thing and that it does not need to go on for ever. It can come to an end #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 13. Focus on being young • Because it is not always there • Because of the ‘first time’ nature of experiences • Because of the ‘transitional moment’ and how it is understood • ‘You can’t keep running to mummy and daddy’ #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 14. Social Conditions of Loneliness •Poverty •Isolation •Stigmatised and Distant Places •Socially Conservative Communities •The costs of aspiration #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 17. “Nobody’s thrown a brick through the window yet” #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 19. The Experience of Loneliness • Getting to 13 • I’m New Here • Loss • Violence, Abuse, Shame, Stigma • Being Different #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 20. “My parents don’t know but my brother started smoking last week, just trying to fit in. He doesn’t fit in anywhere else. I know that he is frightened of being on his own and it causes really bad anxiety so smoking lets him be part of something. I suppose he hopes if he smokes he won’t stand out, he won’t be the one who always has his head phones on. So he hangs around with smoking group, but I think he still feels alone. I’m really worried about him” #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 21. “I arrived in Manchester when I was 14 from Afghanistan. This was the first place I came to in the UK. At first I was happy with lots of new friends in a new country. I played football in the park with my friends. Then, after a couple of years with my foster family, when I was aged 16, the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) kicked in. I started behaving strangely and badly and couldn’t trust anyone. I had to leave my foster family and I live alone. I can’t watch television. I’m frightened of seeing violent scenes. My mind goes blank a lot and I can’t concentrate. I feel nothing. Because of this I dropped out of college and the motor vehicle course I was doing. I couldn’t cope with studying because I can’t concentrate. I have no friends now. I have very little in the way of belongings and I have no friends but I hang on to my life. My life is more to me than any object. If this were not so, I would not be here. I am alone all the time. I often feel very, very lonely. Sometimes I go to the park and just sit or sleep outside as it less frightening for me.”#YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 22. ‘Is it better to be without friends and safe or with friends and vulnerable?’ #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 25. Loneliness, Friendship and Connection • Online Spaces • Youth Clubs and other Clubs • Peer Support • Going Global #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 28. Hints about ways of being friends - some guesses…. • Google translate • Creativity • Advocacy • Recognising • Being outside: parks and open spaces •Small and not so small acts of everyday connection • Families • He’s my pal…. • Avoiding the Support Hub #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 29. Final thoughts •Recognising the work that stigma does •The power of abjection •Moving through loneliness to connection #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 35. • The bridge
- 39. The tour
- 42. Film ‘Missing’
- 43. Questions • 5mins on table • 15mins report back #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 44. Micro-talks • Youth-led discussions on youth loneliness and connection • Youth Loneliness Project • Proud Trust • Barnados • Off the Record • Clean Break • 5mins from young person/ 15mins discussion #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 45. Exploring practical action #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 46. Phase One 25 minutes Develop a scenario (People + Spaces + Action + Reaction) Individual level Phase Two 35 minutes Link scenarios together Groups/ community Phase Three 60 minutes Possible directions forward? Future focused #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 47. #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness You tell someone you feel lonely They tell other people what you told them ?
- 49. #YouthLoneliness @YouthLoneliness • Develop a scenario for your table (two at the most) • What other people, spaces and actions are possible or needed? • However, what other reactions might there be? • Listen, ask questions, and explore relationships.
- 50. Listening and expanding scenarios •2 people stay and explain the scenario. •The rest move onto another table. •Listen, learn, ask questions. •Return and expand the scenario. #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 51. Phase Three: Possible directions #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
- 58. Open Space • Propose or join a discussion • Whoever comes is the right people • Whatever happens is the only thing that could've • When it starts is the right time • When it's over, it's over #YouthLonelines @YouthLoneliness
Editor's Notes
- What did the peers do on the loneliness project? Why was the method, creativity, so important? Loneliness is complex and it’s difficult to go behind the persona a. Formed group b. Shared definitions c. The workshops: share something through music, image, collage. Not necessarily words. d. Popular culture: Potter, Gil, Maker e. HOME – I’m standing f. Ransack III. Interviews with academics IV. Radio show with Reform a. Share the work; their story and learn a skill
- Narratives and stories. Within the group – between the peers. Friendship. Explore. Staff and peers – Meaningful connections. Staff and staff – Kurtis, James and Janet II. Outside of the group: a. The stories we explored: Manchester and on tour into one story everyone can connect with III. So stories are a common thread that ran through the project IV. Challenges a. Staying creative b. Engagement – testament to the peers c. Time – 10 hours a week. Create and do the admin leg work d. Deadline – 9 months to complete everything
- Why was immersive theatre a good way to share the themes with other young people? a. It’s not a linear form of communicating: speaking, listening, reading… b. It encouraged the young people to tap into their own experiences c. It’s active and mobile. Helps people engage Why did it work? a. Method b. Common gist of all the stories. c. To a degree it’s 10 real stories with all the real detail extracted out and placed into a story everyone How was the tour? a. Great. Rich.
- Why a gestalt switch ? a. Challenge to understand the opinions and interpretations of others. b. Sword and shield analogy c. Is there an objective experience of loneliness? i. Family, friends, intimate relationship, work d. Different ideas of loneliness – subjective c. Worker to peer balance II. Practical's a. Staying creative b. Engagement c. Time – hours d. Deadline III. Do services always need updating? a. Raymond Williams. Process is never finished. Deep insight of sociology and anthropology re culture. Is this the same for services? b. Loneliness in young people is ‘new’ c. what happened if we’re not aware II. A lot of fun, great conversations, explored on tour, people I worked with
- IV. Finally, someone asked… a. Openshaw story b. There is some remarkable children out there doing remarkable things c. And also those who may have fell by the ‘way side…’ Services need to do the best they can to help them out !