Publish date: 20 June 2023
The Trust-funded short film Nexus was screened at the historic Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) at the weekend.
Screenings were held as part of The Great Exhibition Road Festival, which saw 40,000 visitors descend onto the streets of South Kensington across two days for a festival of science and technology.
The main venues were Imperial College London, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.
Screenings for Nexus took place in the V&A’s digital learning centre with many visitors joining to watch the film and learn about how it was made.
Nexus is a short film drama about the impact of Covid-19 on young people’s mental health, eating-related coping strategies and the power of social connection.
The film was made from a collaboration between Imperial College London, West London NHS Trust, and Inner Eye Productions, with thanks to funding from The Burdett Trust for Nursing.
The project is based on the research of Dr Lindsay Dewa who as well as being an Honorary Research Psychologist for the Trust, works as an Advanced Research Fellow in Mental Health at Imperial College London.
Dr Dewa’s research examined the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the mental health of young people and revealed eating related coping strategies was common during the pandemic.
It’s for this reason that the short film follows Matt, a 17-year-old boy, whose bulimia worsens as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of the most unique parts of the project is that it was co-produced by young people who were selected to help lead the project forward.
It was also archived by the BFI, because of its historical importance which means people will be watching it in years to come to better understand the pandemic.
During the film screenings this weekend on Saturday 17 June and Sunday 18 June, visitors were given the opportunity to share how the film made them feel and what emotions it brought up, as well as, where they would like to see the film taken next.
The events were led by Dr Dewa and some of the young people who co-produced the film.
It was a great event and opportunity to share more about the Nexus short film in one of the most prestigious venues in London.
Dr Lindsay Dewa said: “We were delighted to be able to show the Nexus short film drama at the V&A Museum as part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival. It was a great opportunity for more people to see the film and there were some brilliant discussions about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people’s mental health and how the story would continue.”
