The Verbatim Formula is a socially engaged research project and is also a type of participatory action research. It positions its young co-researchers as experts in their own life experience and in the systems they deal with, aiming to involve the young people in all the stages of the research process. We have been influenced by ideas around the importance of self-representation, challenging stigma and care-ful solidarity.
Our primary methodologies are listening and dialogue. It is important to us that we help to make opportunities for policy makers to listen to experiences of care. We have also worked closely with third sector partners, including Become, the charity for children in care and care leavers, and in close collaboration with the Peer Outreach Team at the Greater London Authority.
In 2016 the research team were called as expert witnesses in the GLA Peer Outreach Team’s Enquiry into Children’s Rights. The verbatim testimonies were performed as part of the evidence, and the transcript published in Hansards.
We have published academic articles about The Verbatim Formula in the journal Research in Drama Education (24.3, 2019) and in the book Performing Care (Manchester University Press, forthcoming). You can click on the documents here to read extracts that provide some of our research context and methodologies: