CIC Media: Policy Brief

The Covid in Cartoons project engaged 15-18 year olds with political cartoons and cartoonists to foster processes of meaning-making in relation to the pandemic. Working with Cartooning for Peace and ShoutOut UK we engaged young people in building critical narratives of the crisis and its impact on their lives. We aimed to promote an inclusive, socially-responsive curriculum that supports young people's ability to cope in difficult circumstances. We used surveys, focus groups, and records of the participants' experiences in the form of workbooks to gather data. The project was led by Dr Fransiska Louwagie (PI) and Dr Diane Levine (Co-I), with postdoctoral associates Dr Kara Blackmore and Dr Sarah Weidman, and ran between January 2021 and July 2022. The Covid in Cartoons team produced a briefing for policy makers in January 2022. We provided insights from our data relating to the recovery curriculum and priorities represented by the Departments for Education and Culture, Media, and Sport.