3 min readLife during the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown experiences, uncertainties and feelings about the future... online show 4ofUs certainly does not shy away from exploring the big topics of our times. Join hosts Lucy Burke (Co Investigator at D4D and Principal Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University) and Smug Roberts (Actor, Comedian and Broadcaster) for deep discussion, inviting guests to 'talk about life in lockdown', in this brand new series as part of SICK! Festival’s latest digital content. This will be a short series of conversations highlighting a whole range of lived experiences at a crucial point in time.
SICK! Festival is a Manchester-based organisation known for its innovative exploration of the topics of life, death, health and everything in between, in an unabashed and interactive way. 4ofUs is one of their latest pieces of online content, designed to allow audiences to experience the thought-provoking themes of the festival, from home.
The format? In each episode Presenters Lucy and Smug will be joined by two different individuals from the Greater Manchester area who will share their unique perspective on the lockdown experience, the struggles they have faced and how they have coped. Two presenters, two guests… hence the title ‘4ofUs’. Talking about our coping mechanisms and vulnerabilities is after all crucial, something this format seeks to embrace, and the chat show will also touch on key topics such as disability, aging and caring, with a different theme every time. This short series of conversations will be uploaded to the SICK! Festival website over the course of the coming weeks.
From people on the hospital frontline and carers, to teachers and students, this chat show will feature real lives at the heart of what is an unfolding global situation.
Honest and insightful, this is a show that will share the raw reality of the human experience; hopes, fears, worries and reflections… including on mental and physical health. Prepare to hear questions cracked open that you perhaps wouldn’t have dared to ask and explore contemporary issues by listening to another’s perspective.
Host Lucy Burke reflects:
“The idea for the show emerged from a conversation between Smug Roberts, a comedian and writer, and me about the impact of lockdown on our everyday lives, jobs and personal relationships. We both like talking to people and we wanted to create something that captured the kind of stories and personal experiences that don't make it to the mainstream news but which express the very different ways in which COVID-19, social distancing and lockdown have affected our everyday lives. The series brings together everyone from disability activists, stand-up comedians and health professionals to teachers and faith leaders. We cover both big issues such as bereavement, loss, our mental health and the difficulties of accessing social care right now, to the smaller stuff like how it feels to watch someone ignore the arrows in the supermarket. Each episode is filmed on zoom and features four of us having a chat. One viewer described it as ‘really accessible, engaging, warm but touching on bloody big serious issues … the kind of thing we need more of.’”
The first show takes the theme of Disability – online now – featuring Lucy and Smug in conversation with Comedian and Ex Probation Service Worker Nina Gilligan, as well as Disability Activist and PhD Student at Manchester Metropolitan University Richard Currie.
Join 4ofUs for true talk about life in lockdown, personal experiences, discussion of disability, health and more. Stay tuned to the SICK! Festival website for future episodes.
By Emily Oldfield
Imagery thanks to SICK! Festival
