Abstract

Creative participation may allow children involved in health research to better describe their experience. Using participatory methods, we co-produced a short film with children to express their experiences of the COVID-19 lockdowns and as participants in health research conducted around the pandemic. Thirteen children (10–11 years) from an area of deprivation in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, worked with theatre practitioners to develop their spoken and written reflections and memories into a script. The subsequent short film (https://tinyurl.com/YoungSciComms) was perceived by classmates as an accurate and entertaining representation of their experiences. Film-making with children can facilitate effective peer-led communication in public health research.

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Cite as

Basterfield, L., Batten, H., Weston, K., Burn, N., Galna, B., Ferguson, H., Wilson, S., Rimington, C. & Crosbie, K. 2025, ''It showed everyone what it was like in lockdown and how we felt': exploring short film-making with children to produce public health research dissemination', European Journal of Public Health, article no: ckaf105. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf105

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Last updated: 04 July 2025
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