Research: Loneliness Connects Us
A co-produced research project on youth loneliness with mental health charity 42nd Street.
Project summary
Research summary
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October 2016 to April 2018
The Loneliness Connects Us project explored youth loneliness through arts-based and creative methods with 42nd Street, a Manchester-based charity that supports young people under stress.
The project developed new approaches for researching youth loneliness as part of the first large-scale participatory research project in this subject area.
It also brought the perspectives of young people into the decision-making process on approaches to reducing loneliness.
Researchers spent time with over 200 young people in England, Scotland and Wales. They listened to music, watched films, ate together, used immersive theatre practices, produced a radio programme and created graphic novels.
These methods enabled participants to talk openly to other young people and their peer group, and be more open and honest with themselves.
Immersive theatre: Missing
Working with a game designer and a theatre practitioner, the project developed Missing, an immersive theatre piece based on the idea of an escape room.
This interactive approach saw participants adopt different personalities, including acting as police officer recruits within a crime scene to solve a fictional missing persons case.
Investigating the cause and consequences of loneliness in this way allowed the young people to explore loneliness in greater detail while discovering hope for themselves.
About the collaboration
Hear from lead researchers Dr James Duggan and Janet Batsleer, as well as 42nd Street CEO Simone Spray, about the project and the immersive theatre piece Missing.Quote
A direct result of this project is securing funding for a whole year's worth of work that is delving deeper into the issues around isolation and loneliness for young people using the arts specifically.
Research outputs
Research outputs
Academic papers
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Duggan, J. (2020) ‘The co-productive imagination: a creative, speculative and eventful approach to co-producing research’. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
Other resources
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Batsleer, J., Duggan, J. (2020) Young and Lonely: The social conditions of loneliness. Bristol: Policy Press.
Research team
Funding
With funding from
The Co-op Foundation
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about the Education and Social Research Institute’s youth and community group, you can contact research group lead Prof Gabrielle Ivinson.
