LIMING WITH GRAN - Breaking Down Health Taboos with a Game of Dominoes
Liming with Gran - Breaking Down Health Taboos with a Game of Dominoes
Have you ever asked your mum, dad, aunties, uncles or grandparents if any health issues run in your family? It can feel overwhelming even thinking about starting what can seem like a ‘scary’ conversation like this.
But learning about the experiences that have shaped the lives of those we love and who came before us can provide us with important insight into our own health so we can live happier and healthier lives.
The Power of Liming
To inspire the nation to speak more openly about heritage and medical conditions that run through families, with the aim of improving well-being among Black and Minority communities, the University of Cambridge and Genomics England have launched a new film called ‘Liming with Gran’. It shows that sometimes, all you need is a chat … and a fierce game of dominoes to spark conversations with family members that can help you live a healthy life.
Breaking Taboos to Advance Science and Research
Having these sorts of conversations around heritage and family medical conditions is especially vital for Black and Minority Ethnic communities, where speaking about health and well-being can sometimes be taboo, leading to many shying away from having these all-important discussions.
We know today that systemic, historical and cultural alienation of some British communities has led to mistrust and withdrawal from advances in medical science and research, specifically within DNA and genetics − and that Black and Minority Ethnic communities especially have faced inequalities in accessing appropriate medical care.
A Very Special Bond
Liming with Gran is fronted by published author and gal-dem founder, Liv Little, and features the special relationship between grandmother, Jean, 84, who came to the UK from Jamaica in 1960, and her grandson, Tré, 29. It spotlights the special bond between these two generations, as they are seen liming by playing a unique game of dominoes, which have topics of conversation surrounding health and well-being written on them – often a taboo subject for older generations. In the Caribbean community, liming is a cultural social pastime and when coupled with topics of important conversation with friends and family, can inform and help change lives for the better.
Using Human Storytelling to Spark Conversations
The film, made by our creative team at Ketchum, is part of a new ground-breaking project called Only Human which seeks to break down the barriers many people face when it comes to discussing genetics and inheritance of disease. Based on ten years of rigorous, evidence-based research, Only Human seeks new ways to start conversations about genetics that lead with human storytelling instead of technical, scientific language. The project is led by the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public, University of Cambridge. It involves a collaboration between Genomics England and has historical funding from Wellcome Connecting Science.
Inspiring our Young and Elders
Tré, who features in the film, hopes Liming with Gran inspires young kids and elders to feel like they can approach these important topics: “I’m really close to my grandmother and visit her regularly, so knowing that I can open up and ask these questions is really valuable. I want others to feel comfortable to talk to each other while still loving each other’s company and spending quality time together.”
Tre’s gran, Jean (the star of the show!) hopes the film inspires others to open up too: “When we talk about the difficult topics that we have shied away from for generations, magic can happen. We can start to not only understand ourselves better, but we can use that to support our future generations to live healthier and happier lives too … I hope that this project inspires many more to open up and speak about the taboo topics. These are the conversations that are so worthwhile to have.”
Encouraging More Open Conversations
You can find out more about the Only Human initiative here. As part of the campaign, limited edition sets of dominoes featuring the topics of conversation seen in the film have been created to encourage more open conversations to take place while liming. The domino sets are being left in key community locations like barber shops, cafes and church groups. One set will also be used by a PHD student in her research for sickle cell within the Caribbean community. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes footage too for the thinking and creativity behind the making of the film.
About:
Only Human
Only Human is a research project that seeks to create a better conversation between genomic science and everyday people, especially those from seldom heard communities. It exists with one sole purpose: to empower the public with conversations about genetics, so that when the science does become relevant to them – they’ve had a head start on thinking through what it means. Most importantly, by engaging early, it aims to correct the imbalance in health outcomes that a lack of engagement can bring. Only Human is led by Director of the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public, Professor Anna Middleton.
Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public
Enabling global conversations on the ethical issues raised by discovery science, the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public is based in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. The Kavli Centre has received funding from the Kavli Foundation, the Isaac Newton Trust and historical in-kind funding from Wellcome Connecting Science.
The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
As one of the world’s leading departments for education, the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge undertakes teaching and research that addresses these issues on an international scale. Its influence and impact touch communities worldwide, in particular those which are least-advantaged: from opportunity areas in the United Kingdom, to some of the world’s poorest families in the Global South. The Faculty of Education hosts the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public.
Genomics England
Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future.