QMU researchers set to create a COVID legacy
When all of this is said and done, how will we look back on this time? The time of COVID-19. The moments of trauma, trivia, joy and all those feelings in between, as we stayed home and tried to stay safe.
Queen Margaret University (QMU) researchers are launching a project to capture the experiences of students and staff during the pandemic.
Project lead and Honorary Lecturer in Nursing, Kath MacDonald said a key goal of the project is to create a legacy of what QMU went through, just like we did during World War One and Two. So that when this becomes history we can look back and understand, we can learn from where we went wrong and what we did well, and celebrate the resilience and adaptability we – the QMU community – have shown.
“It’s more than that though, sharing experiences helps people to feel supported and like they’re not the only one in that position. Sharing and listening to others’ stories allows for deeper understanding of issues,” Ms MacDonald said.
“The Stories of COVID: Trauma, Trivia, Joy project will collect stories from QMU students and staff and put them together into a collective representation. The stories can take any form – a written piece, a poem, a voice recording, a photograph or artwork, a video or something else altogether – and should respond to or reflect one or more of the project’s themes. Participants are welcome to present their story individually, with another person or even as part of a group.”
“We don’t know yet what that collective representation will look like – it might be a book or an exhibition or a piece of theatre – it all depends on what is submitted.”
“Stage two of the project will see a group of volunteers from within the University community collaborate on how the stories will be presented and look at ways they might be used to inform research."
“Then, when we can all be safely together again, we hope to present the outcomes at a special event on the QMU campus,” Ms MacDonald added.
Submissions are now open and will close on 16 August.
Notes to Editor
For further media enquiries, please contact Amy McGregor-Dainton (Media Relations and Content Officer) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh on amcgregor-dainton@qmu.ac.uk
