Londoners' Stories of School, Work and Life During COVID-19
Hear from Londoners who went through dramatic changes in work/life patterns due to the pandemic and 4 organisations who helped them adapt to the new normal
By Mayor of London
Co-curated by Katrina Man (Independent Curator) and the London Community Story grantees
Sports Day in Park (2021) by The Show CribMayor of London
Introduction
In 2020, soon after London went into its first lockdown, communities, arts and cultural, and heritage organisations began projects to start to gather people’s experiences of the pandemic.
Collections of films, poems, photographs, diaries, and much more were created, focusing on lived experience and generating a wealth of collections that could be tapped into by those responding to the crisis.
Whilst collecting projects were occurring policy and decision makers were researching the impact of COVID on London’s diverse communities. The Mayor's London Community Story programme aimed to connect policy makers to the communities generating these creative responses to COVID.
Healthcare Professionals (2021) by Mayor of LondonMayor of London
London's Recovery: Good Work for All and A Robust Safety Net
The pandemic has significantly affected how we work, learn and socialise. Some workers were furloughed, whilst others experienced loss of income or lost their jobs completely, with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Londoners facing particularly high unemployment rates.
Key workers faced longer working hours and challenging working conditions, putting themselves at risk to support and provide for others. Meanwhile, children had to adapt to home schooling and a lack of access to friends, activities and after school clubs.
1) Sport4Health
The challenges of London’s Filipino community during the pandemic were platformed by Sport4Health. Many work as key workers and faced gruelling working conditions due to COVID-19.
Badminton Community (2021) by Sport4Health Community Interest CompanyMayor of London
Sport4Health
Sport4Health is a charitable organisation providing free sport and social activities for young people and adults from various communities in London. They focus on reaching out to those who are disadvantaged and who are from minority backgrounds.
A Filipino Story (2021) by Sport4Health Community Interest CompanyMayor of London
Sport4Health: 'Filipino Workers on the Front Line'
In this documentary we hear from members of London’s Filipino community working as key workers during COVID. Their experiences of mistreatment and lack of visibility is highlighted and they discuss how exercising together has been important for their physical and mental health.
2) The Show Crib
Despite the restrictions, school children were able to keep active through The Show Crib’s activities. The Crib also provided free food to support local families.
Sports Day in Park (2021) by The Show CribMayor of London
The Show Crib: 'On Lock'
The Show Crib is a youth organisation in Hackney using a youth-based approach. They provide young people with a safe, family-like environment to enjoy activities such as table tennis, dance classes and youth workshops, and to relax after school when parents may still be working.
Here, local children are enjoying a sports day that The Show Crib held during the October half term in 2020. It encouraged children to get outside and get exercising.
COVID Stories (Captioned) (2021) by The Show CribMayor of London
The Show Crib: COVID Stories
In this video we hear about the lived experiences of children, young people and their families in Hackney during the pandemic. They talk about changes to schooling, not being able to see friends and family and the boredom and isolation they felt when stuck at home.
Face Masks Workshop (2021) by The Show CribMayor of London
Face Mask Workshop
The Show Crib still managed to provide some of their after school activities to support local families, including this workshop where students were taught how to make face masks.
3) On the Record
The experiences of nurses and midwives who have worked tirelessly to care for people during the pandemic were captured in oral history and sound recordings by On the Record.
Moments of Grace Poster (2021) by On the RecordMayor of London
On the Record: 'Moments of Grace'
On the Record are a not-for-profit specialising in oral history, co-production and creative media. They explore the memories of communities and movements from multiple perspectives to re-imagine future possibilities.
On the Record: 'Moments of Grace' Trailer
'Moments of Grace' is an interactive artwork featuring oral histories with nurses. The nurses have historic associations with the Nightingale Training School, although many work for other NHS Trusts now.
Original music by Nicole Robson and web design by Pete Hudson.
Moments of Grace Poster (2021) by On the RecordMayor of London
NHS nurses are there for us 24-7, even when our loved ones cannot be. 'Moments of Grace' expresses the ever-presence of our key workers as a circular composition, with no beginning and no end. Visit momentsofgrace.uk to hear nurses at the present moment in time.
4) BADU
BADU's sports coaches and teachers continued to provide exercise classes for children to keep them fit and active, both at school for children of key workers and remotely for those studying at home.
They captured changes to the work lives of their coaches and documented young school children's mental health experiences of the pandemic.
Badu Group Photo (2021) by Badu Community CICMayor of London
BADU: BADU Lockdown Logs
BADU uses a holistic approach of education, community development and mentoring to develop and support local young people and their families in Hackney and surrounding boroughs. They focus on using sports as a vehicle to educate, empower and uplift.
BADU: Rebecca Coach Log (Captioned) (2021) by Badu Community CICMayor of London
BADU Lockdown Log: Coach Rebecca
In this video we learn about a day in the life of Rebecca, who has been delivering sports classes in schools throughout the pandemic. She tells us about her commute, how she has had to adapt her classes and what it is like to work when most are staying home.
BADU: Children's Mental Health Week Video (2021) by Badu Community CICMayor of London
BADU: Children's Mental Health Week Video
In these interviews young people talk about how they have been feeling during the pandemic and give advice to fellow young people. Many of them reflect on how much they miss their friends and how they are looking forward to things returning to normal.
