The Lockdown Lounge Zine

Acknowledgement of country We would like to acknowledge the custodians of the land that we work, play and live on, the Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung peoples of the Kulin nation, and pay respect to their elders past and present. We recognise their ongoing care and connection the land that we are on.

We also recognise the disproportionate impact of lockdowns on First Nations peoples, and acknowledge the resilience demonstrated by their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We stand in solidarity with all First Nations peoples, acknowledging the enduring connection they have with the land and their ongoing contributions to the broader community.

Sovereignty was never ceded, and this was and always will be Aboriginal land

CONTENTS What is Resilience?

Victoria in lockdown - a timeline

Exhibition objects

Mental health resources

RESILIENCE /rɪˈzɪlɪəns/ noun the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.

RESILIENCE is also theorised as a multisystemic social process supported (or inhibited) by a range of ‘everyday’ intersecting external and contextual factors at individual, family, social, institutional and economic resource levels.

The socio-ecological approach to resilience demonstrates that aspects of individual, family and community resilience can be learned and reinforced, but they can also be eroded or weakened, depending on the dynamic interplay of various forces and influences in the social ecology of an individual or a group.

This means that while factors at the level of the individual, family, community or institutions may strengthen resistance to harms or the ability 1 to overcome adversity in one context, the same factors can promote vulnerability and erode coping abilities in others.

1 Ungar, M., Ghazinour, M., & Richter, J. (2013). Annual research review: What is resilience within the social ecology of human development?. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 348-366.

Via a collection of everyday objects, our research project documents the diverse experiences of Victorians during the COVID19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

By curating objects and stories people adopted to survive long lockdowns, our project seeks to contribute to a shared understanding of resilience, adaptation, and community spirit.

It is hoped that the insights from our study of the material dimensions of everyday resilience can be used in future crises to enhance our collective responses to challenges.

This Zine is based on the Objects for Everyday Resilience Research Exhibition and Learning Experience held at Deakin Downtown in November 2022.

Curated by our team of researchers who all lived through Victoria’s long lockdowns, we showcase objects that helped our project participants to survive long lockdowns.

We hope you enjoy it!

Hiruni Walimunige David Cao Lead Zine Creators

Welcome to our zine: a curated collection of stories, reflections, experiences, and objects that helped Victorians through the challenging landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

The reflections in this zine provide an insight into the thoughts and feelings of Victorians as they grappled with isolation, uncertainty and significant changes to their daily life. Victorians coped with lockdown in diverse ways, through creating digital connections, or finding comfort in nature.

Many Victorians (re)discovered newfound, material/nonmaterial objects whether it be diaries, plants, yoga mats, music, to assist them through the pandemic. We have also included our own reflections on the exhibition, and the ways that it resonated with our experiences of the pandemic.

As you explore this zine you will encounter a range of voices and perspectives, which are a testament to the resilience of Victorians throughout lockdown.

We encourage you to reflect on your own experiences of the pandemic, and what got you through lockdown.

Lockdown initially felt like a challenge that united us. It might have been a gift from mother nature herself, showing us that we could indeed change our exploitative, extractivist ways and move beyond capitalism toward degrowth.

That was, it became clear, what was required of us to move through the health crisis, if we wanted to minimise deaths and ensure that all members of society were protected from the virus’s ravages.

Vivian

Many of the visitors were surprised to learn that I would be inside the gallery space for the entire week.

One of the venue’s staff members remarked that I must have drawn the short straw.

I realise that being On the first day of the exhibition, a woman came to visit the gallery and told in a space like this could be too me she’d wondered if I was a ‘human immersive for exhibit’! We laughed at the thought and some, especially so I remember thinking to myself ‘not at all! soon after things had opened back I’m a research assistant, not a research up again. object’.

Hiruni

Hiruni

A TIMELINE OF VICTORIAN LOCKDOWNS 43 DAYS 31ST OF MARCH 2020 12TH OF MAY 2020

111 DAYS 9TH OF JULY 2020 27TH OF OCTOBER 2020

5 DAYS 28TH OF MAY 2021 10TH OF JUNE 2021

13TH OF FEBRUARY 2021 17TH OF FEBRUARY 2021

14 DAYS

12 DAYS 31ST OF MARCH 2020 12TH - OF MAY 2020

78 DAYS 31ST OF MARCH 2020 12TH OF MAY 2020

Learn more at www.reallygreatsite.com.

On the first day of the exhibition, a woman came to visit the gallery and told me she’d wondered if I was a ‘human exhibit’! We laughed at the thought and I remember thinking to myself ‘not at all!

I’m a research assistant, not a research object’.

Hiruni

During lockdowns we were really constrained in terms of movement and my sense of smell, especially outdoors, was limited, which I mourned.

Perfumes were my sensory transport during this time — they could evoke memories of places I’d travelled to, seasons, people, feelings and even colours. I could go to far-off places in my mind (geographically and also temporally) through scent even though my body was largely stationary within my home.

Research Participant Reflection

[Initially] I purchased an oodie for myself and my daughter. they are a hooded blanket, very warm and comfortable, and nice to snuggle down and into. almost embracing in a way. my 2 sons thought that they were such a wonderful idea, and kept stealing ours. so I got 2 for them as well. we found them great in lockdown, ideal for home schooling, and very comfortable.

Research Participant Reflection

O B I A The 2020-2022 COVID-19 pandemic fostered uncertainty and concern for personal well-being. Owning a companion animal, such as a dog or a cat, has benefits for good mental health. Pet ownership in Australia increased by around 10 per cent during the pandemic. A visitor to the Lockdown Lounge fortuitously brought along her AI robotic dog Aibo. Aibo reacts to touch, can recognize up to 100 faces, responds to over 50 voice commands, and can learn tricks. The friendly and

comforting presence of Aibo in the space made me reflect on how many living puppies and dogs were adopted across Melbourne to help people and families cope with social isolation and anxiety during the challenging months of lockdown. Dogs have lived with humans for so many centuries they have biologically evolved and adapted to living with us. Studies show oxytocin levels go up in both humans and dogs when they interact.

Pam

This object was a project that filled time and facilitated a connection to my favourite people...

Once they were put together I needed to care for them until Christmas, so they were looking their best, when thankfully I was able to give them to my friends and family in person.

Research Participant Reflection

My yoga mat is all I need to practice yoga.

I can practice it anywhere at any time. Yoga not only helped me remain physically fit during lock-down, but it assisted my mental health and immune system ... It is something that I can do with myself or others, providing a way to engage in mindfullness, movement, seated, cooking and philosophical practices, without the need to pay money, no need for extensive equipment or a large space.

Research Participant Reflection

Like many people who found themselves living in small, confined spaces during the pandemic, I felt bored and lonely living in the apartment I moved into during the pandemic.

Searching for signs of 'life', I was drawn to the indoor plants I saw displayed whenever I went supermarket shopping. These plants are part of a growing collection I started in 2020. During the uncertainty and upheaval of the pandemic, I found that tending to my plants every morning became a kind of grounding ritual, and helped generate a sense of calm and positivity before starting another day of work.

Kim

The puzzle helped me to pass the down time in an enjoyable way. It was not a chore. Many other things I did during that time were work related, gardening chores, cleaning out cupboards, baking etc which were okay but did not necessarily make me feel content or happy. Jigsaw puzzles made me happier for that time I was doing them. They transported me out of the confines of the lockdown with landscapes and images from across the globe.

Research Participant Reflection

During the Covid lockdowns we purchased several difficult jigsaw puzzles. Family members completed them over a period of time which not only gave us something nice to focus on, talk about and complete at times, together. The puzzles also provided a circuit breaker for the monotonous day to day home lockdown routine.

Research Participant Reflection

I have always had a special relationship with books and reading as it was always a way of escaping reality when I was younger…It helped me connect with the outside world and be able to entertain myself without unhealthy coping mechanisms such as scrolling endlessly through TikTok. It also helped me feel less alone during the pandemic Research Participant Reflection

The beauty of the ‘lounge’ was that it came to represent a variety of experiences of being in lockdown.

Not everyone lived in a house but almost everyone had access to a living room in lockdown, whether they were in hard lockdown in the Housing Commission Towers or living in a mansion near the beach in Brighton.

Team Reflection

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There was no one typical experience of lockdown, and yet there were moments that many of us shared: tuning in to the Premier’s daily press conferences to find out what life might look like in coming days and weeks - Would I be able to leave home for more than an hour? See family?

Would my daughter be able to go to school? Could I meet a friend for a walk? Would I be able to go to the hairdresser?

Vivian

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The collecting and curating of items for the exhibition was particularly exhilarating. A stray copy of Russell Brand’s Revolutions, which I’d found while looking for lockdown lounge exhibition items at the Salvation Army charity shop, was strategically placed on a coffee table next to David’s record player. This displayed Tracey Chapman’s famous hit: ‘Talkin’ about a Revolution’, a tune that had become popular during 2020’s Black Lives Matter resurgence and defeat of Donald Trump at the US federal election.

Vivian

I received my record player from my friends in early 2021 and I have used it ever since... The object supported me through encouraging me to focus on music and to take time to be in my own headspace. Listening to the music and watching the record spin really let me zone out and de-stress from all the stimulation that I was constantly receiving from digital technology.

David

For Saja et al. (2019, p. 3) social resilience is understood as the ability of social entities and social mechanisms to effectively anticipate, mitigate and cope with disasters and implement recovery activities.

People in Melbourne experienced 262 days of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than any other city in the world. The infection rate was high, as was the death rate. Hospitals were in crisis attempting to deal with the influx. During lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, all movement in the city was restricted, with 9 pm-5 am curfews and a 5kilometre travel limit. Workplaces, schools, businesses, sports and leisure clubs were closed. One person per household could shop. Masks were mandatory at all times. PCR testing was extensive. People stayed in their homes, with no visitors.

Our project asked to what extent this social-ecological understanding of resilience might be further enhanced by attending to nonhuman materialities that can contribute or erode resilience within human relations?

Our project emerged from insights collected on the issue of mental health during 'Living Lab' Roundtables undertaken by our Centre For Resilient and Inclusive Society's Youth, Diversity and Wellbeing research Stream, convened as part of the Foundation Project (Lam et al. 2021). In particular, we deployed an object-based analysis to investigate the art and object-based methodology in the aftermath of a potentially traumatising lockdown (Gerrand et al 2023).

Through curating the art exhibition, we engaged in what Wang et al.

(2017, p. 15) describe as 'Art as research, whereby the artist-researcher aims to gain a deeper understanding of what art, art creation, or an artistic installation can do or activate.... either in terms of personal experiences or environmental circumstances’. As Wang et al. (2017, p. 15) further write, the act of creating is simultaneously the ‘act of researching' – neither of which can be distinguished from one another.

The Lockdown Lounge is an example of a regathering of experiences through a process that, through its methods, also serves as a reminder of a common sociality integral to resilience. Our project highlights the role of objects and arts-based research approaches in understanding the resources required to enhance and enable pandemic recovery and multisystemic wellbeing (Gerrand et al. 2023).

In those months I used up so much knitting wool I thought I might run out, so I started ordering different yarns online to cheer myself up.

Pam

In those months I used up so much knitting wool I thought I might run out, so I started ordering different yarns online to cheer myself up. That was a mistake because even now my work space is still jammed with unstarted craft projects.

Attendee reflections It was interesting how a lot of it resonated with me The room’s layout allowed for this the most...

Having the objects on the side was great

The room was curated so well. It captured all the various stages of COVID lockdown. It made me feel like I was 16 again

It reminded me that I wasn’t the only one that went through it We all found things to do

A pleasant, friendly experience

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES THE PANDEMIC WAS A TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR MANY IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES BELOW AS NEEDED

Beyond blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids helpline: 1800 55 1800 Headspace: 1800 650 890 Lifeline: 13 11 14 WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE DYNAMIC AND UNFOLDING NATURE OF RECOVERY. WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT HAS HELPED WITH YOUR RECOVERY?

SCAN THE QR CODE TO ADD YOUR RESOURCES AND REFLECTIONS HERE

OBJECTS FOR EVERYDAY RESILIENCE

ABOUT US DAVID David Cao is a research assistant on the Objects for Everyday Resilience project. He recently graduated from a degree in science with a focus on Human Geography, with an interest in researching social models of health for diverse communities. A highlight of the project for David was rewatching the comedic music remix of the footage of lockdown announcements at the exhibition, helping him reflect and reconcile with the events of the pandemic. He felt that the remix, with its clever editing and light-hearted musical accompaniment, managed to bring humour into the otherwise sombre and challenging period marked by lockdowns and uncertainty.

HIRUNI Hiruni is a research assistant on this project. She has a master’s degree in public policy, with prior study in science (majoring in psychology). As the team member who spent the most time in the ‘Lockdown Lounge’ exhibit itself, she feels that the experience has allowed her to make sense of her own experiences during Melbourne’s lockdowns. A highlight of the project for Hiruni was interacting with exhibit attendees and exploring how the ‘mundane’ can support resilience in day-to-day life.

VIVIAN Vivian Gerrand is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute where she coordinates Stream 2 (Building resilience to social harms including violent extremism) at the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies. She also co-convenes The Australian Sociological Society’s Cultural Sociology Thematic Group. Vivian is the author of Possible Spaces of Somali Belonging (MUP, 2016) and co-editor of The Black Mediterranean: Bodies, Borders and Citizenship (Palgrave McMillan 2021).

KIM Kim Lam is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, and Stream Coordinator of the ‘Youth, Diversity & Wellbeing in a Digital Age’ for the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies (CRIS). Her work focuses on Buddhism, youth religiosity, digital participation, and co-research with young people.

PAM Pam Nilan is a sociologist who has conducted research in Australia, Indonesia, Fiji and Vietnam. She is currently an Honorary Professor at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University, and Conjoint Professor in the Youth Studies Network in the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. Pam is author or coauthor of six books, including Global Youth? (Routledge, 2006), Ambivalent Adolescents in Indonesia (Routledge 2013) Youth, Space and Time (Brill, 2016), Muslim Youth in the Diaspora (Routledge, 2019) and Young People and the Far Right (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).

LIAM Liam Magee is a digital media scholar working currently on topics of automation and AI, disability, migration and urbanism. He is Principal Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, and an Associate Investigator with the Automated Decision Making + Society Centre of Excellence. He is especially interested in how technical systems interpret forms of human subjectivity and culture.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies for their funding and support of the Objects for Everyday Resilience Project. Thanks also to the Alfred Deakin Institute’s Mobilities, Diversity and Multiculturalism Stream for providing a supplementary grant for our research exhibition.

Objects for Everyday Resilience received ethics clearance from Deakin University in November 2021, project ID: 2021-275.

Thanks also to those who participated in the exhibition either by submitting objects or attending in-person. Your contributions and attendance have transformed our vision into shared conversation, experiences and understandings of everyday resilience in lockdown.

We want to particularly acknowledge Hiruni Walimunige for her commitment to supervising the gallery space at Deakin Downtown, welcoming others and caring for it as if it was her home. The team is truly grateful for your efforts.