In the physical to digital transition with friends – a story of performing inclusive research together no matter what life throws at you

BACKGROUND: As part of ‘The Hub’ project at Wellcome Collection, a team of eight co-researchers with learning disabilities alongside academics created an online survey to challenge public understanding of learning disabilities. Using creative and arts-based methods, co-researchers remotely co-analysed the survey results amid Covid-19 lockdown challenges. Here, we explore our unexpected ‘transition’ journey from the physical ‘Hub’ to the digital space. METHODS: We organised 20 sessions at ‘The Hub’ and used audio/video/photo recordings to ‘capture’ key moments. With the lockdown, we ensured that every co-researcher had access to and support for digital technologies. Throughout 2020, we organized 28 Zoom meetings involving all co-researchers. In June, Lilly() and Sue() conducted Zoom interviews with the co-research team to reflect on our ‘transition’ journey. In this creative video-form submission accompanied by an accessible report, Lilly puts together a story of how we transitioned and felt throughout this process. FINDINGS: We identify that trust and the social bonds established at ‘The Hub’ are the key components of our transition to the digital environment. There is the tension between longing for in-person contact and trying to make the most out of the situation to maintain these relationships. At the heart of this is the motivation to ‘change the world’ and the strive for social justice. Having time and opportunity to improve, and co-researchers’ steady growth in confidence, are equally important. CONCLUSIONS: The determination for maintaining friendships among co-researchers and the motivation to ‘change the world’ overcome Covid-19 related challenges in continuing co-research. SUMMARY: [Table: see text]