Immersive storytelling and the power of using 360 to amplify the experiences, agency and action of children and young people facing flood risk

Flood hazard is projected to at least double by 2050 as a consequence of the impacts of climate change, meaning many more societies and communities will need to be able to mitigate and adapt to the resultant increase in flood risk.

One often overlooked aspect of flooding is the experiences of children and young people who also deal with disasters first-hand and who often have a very different viewpoint than adults.  In 2014 researchers (Lloyd Williams et al., 2017) worked with flood-affected children, using creative and participatory methodologies to explore their experiences and tell their story. The research gave the young people the opportunity to express their voice on this issue and take action, including the production of Children’s Flood Manifestos that called for changes in UK flood management. A key feature of these manifestos was the call for all children to receive flood education as part of the school curriculum.

The research reported herein takes up that call by seeking new and innovative ways to engage young people with flood education. As part of the work, the children’s flood stories have been brought to life through the use of immersive storytelling and 360 technologies. In the Help Callum and Help Sali immersive videos, generated via the project, the viewer gets to experience the children’s stories first-hand and develop an understanding of some of the issues that young people face during flood events. As part of the immersive journey the viewer is asked to think about what would have helped the children and how we could all be better prepared for flooding. To complement these films, we have co-created a suite of learning resources with teachers, young people and England’s Environment Agency, including links to the National Curriculum and the Sustainable Development Goals, exploring how the videos can be used to communicate and contribute to better understanding, and subsequent action, in response to flood risk among a new generation of young people.

The paper will show you how it is possible to not only communicate your science but also demonstrate how working with young people can help to build agency, self-esteem and be a means to taking meaningful action.

Lloyd Williams, A., Bingley, A., Walker, M., Mort, M. and Howells, V., 2017. “That’s Where I First Saw the Water”: Mobilizing Children’s Voices in UK Flood Risk Management. Transfers, 7(3), pp.76-93.