Webinar and Creative Work Launch: Imagining Better Futures of Health and Social Care with and for People with Energy Limiting Conditions (ELCs)

We are delighted to invite you to a zoom webinar launch for the creative work and findings from our AHRC funded project Imagining Better Futures of Health and Social Care with and for People with Energy Limiting Conditions (ELCs)*

The launch is on Wednesday July 17th 2-4pm on zoom. Register for your free ticket here and we will send you the link to join before the event: https://tinyurl.com/ELCshare

About the project

We have worked with a team of creative practitioners including Khizra Ahmed, Khairani Barokka (Okka), Julian Gray, Mish Green and Louise Kenward. They have all created new work including a podcast, comic book, zine, animation and creative writing. Each piece was produced following workshops with people of marginalised genders (women, trans men, non-binary, intersex and gender nonconforming people) who live with ELCs, with dedicated workshops for Muslim women and for LGBTQIA+ people. These workshops asked people to imagine what better health care would be like for themselves as they age, and for people who will be diagnosed with ELC in the future. Participants in the workshops also created their own art, writing, and zines. We also used learning from the creative workshops in discussions with healthcare practitioners and allied professionals.

This event is a chance to celebrate the wisdom, resilience, creativity and care which participants so generously shared with us. The creative artefacts produced are profoundly moving and we are really excited to be able to share them with you. We will also be launching a policy brief at the event based on the discussions with healthcare and allied professionals, outlining how practitioners can be better supported to improve services for people with ELCs.

The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of a series of projects on the future of health and social care, funded to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the NHS. The team was led by Professor Bethan Evans at the University of Liverpool with Dr Ana Be Pereira (Liverpool Hope University), Dr Alison Allam (Independent Researcher), Dr Stephanie Davis (Healing Justice London),  Dr Morag Rose (University of Liverpool), Dr Anna Ruddock (Independent Researcher) and Dr Aaliyah Shaikh (Independent Researcher). The project was in partnership with Chronic Illness Inclusion, an organisation of people living with energy limiting chronic illnesses, Healing Justice London, a community-led health and justice organisation, and The Lantern Initiative, a social enterprise raising awareness of mental health issues in the Muslim community. 

We want to make this webinar as accessible as possible. Captions will be enabled and there will be a BSL interpreter. You do not need to turn your camera on and there will be a break in the middle. If there is anything else we can do to support your access needs please do get in touch.

*ELCs include neurological, musculoskeletal and auto-immune diseases, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia and Long Covid, amongst others. They involve energy impairment and debilitating fatigue that affect every part of people’s lives. For more information, on ELCs, see this webpage by Chronic Illness Inclusion: https://chronicillnessinclusion.org.uk/

For more information on the project, please see https://disbeliefdisregard.uk/ahrc-project/

We would like to whole heartedly thank everyone who participated in this project, and we hope to you can join us for what promises to be a very special event.