In May 2020 a 13 year-old recommended the video above to us and it became a foundational tool in supporting young people through the first lockdown.
We’ve wheeled it back out for Lockdown 3.0. During a monthly planning session for our partnership youth project Find Your Fire, a team member suggested we review it, and it’s being rolled out again throughout the different partner organisations.
As we develop resources around the video, we’re looking at ways to share those resources further within our networks.
The video uses the model of those in lockdown being on spaceships leaving earth, and outlines key areas people can create: zones for exercise, sleep, ‘couching’ (recreation) and ‘creativity’ (work, school, learning a new skill).
It clearly communicates the need to keep our physical and mental health ticking along during lockdown.
The video gives young people (and adults!) a way to take control of their narrative instead of drifting through lockdown, providing a framework for survival and success, a way of taking control of the situation and making positive changes.
We’re seeing recurring themes as young people respond to the video: they love the spaceship model. One lad commented that “there’s a novelty about [being in a spaceship]… you could be proud of yourself and get into that idea”.
Creating zones resonates; many fed back in the spring of 2020 that they adopted zones for work and recreation after watching the video.
We also recorded an increase in conversations around exercise and creativity, how people were finding home school, and discussions on sleeping patterns.
Young people re-watching it found it a helpful reminder; the young leader who suggested a mental health quiz reflected on changes he’d made in the spring, what had slipped, what he wanted to pick up. His engagement encouraged others.
The ‘Spaceship You’ video is a simple framework and it just works! That’s what young people (what we all!) need just now. It’s 11 minutes long and completely PG – give it a go! A reminder of the link: https://youtu.be/snAhsXyO3Ck
Hannah Woods is Lead Youth Worker for Doorsteps, Viva’s partner network in Oxford.