Using their creative resources to embed lived experience knowledge and influence change

Made by Mortals are a participatory arts organisation who work closely with communities to understand their lived experience and transform this into creative resources to change practice, policy and create wider, deeper understanding. Through their initial grant and extension, they worked with a group of Asian women to explore experiences of domestic abuse, created a widely watched film "Eggshells" on coercive control and developed training for safeguarding and frontline professionals. By coming together and collaborating, the participants saw improved mental wellbeing from the building of self-esteem, reduction of blame and anxiety, and celebration of recovery.

You can watch the film here - please note this film focuses on themes and experiences of domestic abuse.

“I have made shifts in my approach that have come directly from conversations with the women involved in this project”. Dr Saqba Batool, researcher.

In their Evidence Building Grant, they propose consolidating their significant pool of existing resources, and using these to amplify their impact locally through focused strengthening of existing relationships, interactive workshops and the delivery of domestic abuse learning days, to really demonstrate the potential of their approach.

The Ideas Fund has supported us in ‘bringing lived experience to life’ alongside underrepresented people, creating audio stories, films, music, and interactive workshops. We will now ‘supercharge’ our impact by putting this work into action empowering health researchers and practitioners to innovate within public involvement and engagement.

Find out more about Made by Mortals approach by watching their Enhancing public engagement in research film