Covid-19 and Mutual Aid

The Covid-19 crisis has led to the establishment of a wide range of mutual aid networks. The Oral History Collective is undertaking a pilot study to understand how these groups operate, the reasons people have become involved, and their hopes for the future. This builds on the themes of solidarity and self-help that have emerged from our Foodbank Histories research.

Following on from their successful Foodbank Histories collaboration, this project will be led by Dr Alison Atkinson-Phillips and Silvie Fisch, both members of the Oral History Unit & Collective.

As Director of Northern Cultural Projects, and involved in mutual aid responses to Covid-19 herself, Silvie Fisch is ideally placed to co-ordinate this project, with Alison Atkinson-Phillips acting as academic lead (principle investigator). They will be joined by a team including Associate Researcher Liz O'Donnell and community oral historians Rosie Serdiville and Teresa Cairns.

The Oral History Unit & Collective will conduct 20 pilot interviews with people involved in Covid-19 mutual aid networks nationally. The broader aim is to create an archive of synchronous Covid-19 mutual aid responses, which will form the basis of a future ‘post-crisis’ project to evaluate initial responses and retrospective perspectives, within a historical framework.  

Last modified: Wed, 06 May 2020 14:38:20 BST