"During lockdown, BOREDOM-19 has been an important outlet for our creativity..."
THE CREATIVES
Chelmsford Creatives are a group of 15-24 year olds who work alongside Chelmsford City Council to elevate the voices of young people. Over lockdown, we created BOREDOM-19: a zine that features creative reflections on social media, mental health, privilege, and how young people across Essex have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic.
In meetings, we spoke candidly with each other about the effect COVID-19 has had on our lives, families, mental health, jobs and education. Most of us were quick to associate negativity with being bored.
But through workshops with Dr Tina Kendall (ARU Boredom researcher), we reflected on the complexity of boredom in lockdown: creativity, making the most of our free-time, opportunities for self-reflection, pressure of self-improvement, and the reality that maybe boredom is a privilege key-workers might not have had. We then worked with Lu Williams (Essex zine artist and activist) to create unique pieces of artwork, that reflected our personal experiences.
"It’s been really exciting to see the project manifest itself from discussions over Zoom to a curated 64-page zine, where we’ve invited other young people in Essex to share their experiences. We hope this project helps young people in Essex feel heard."
"During lockdown, BOREDOM-19 has been an important outlet for our creativity, giving us the chance to express what we’ve been thinking and feeling or channel our frustration into something."
The Boredom Project was a partnership between Chelmsford Museum, Anglia Ruskin University, and the British Science Association.
The Boredom Project was funded by Anglia Ruskin University and National Lottery Heritage Fund.