The Story Behind Low
In 2021, our team convened a group of people with lived experience  of diabetes and homelessness (co-researchers), to create the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy Committee (CDAC) with the objective of working together to co-design a community-based participatory program of research. 

After undertaking a priority setting activity to answer the question, “What would make it easier for people who are experiencing homelessness to manage their diabetes?” , the co-researchers decided that their research project would target diabetes awareness and stigma (Tariq et al., 2023). The co-researchers decided to use two arts-based methods to learn more about diabetes stigma and build awareness of the challenges to managing diabetes while experiencing homelessness.
In 2022, the co-researchers decided to use forum theatre to depict their experiences of stigma when residing in emergency housing shelters and to explore possible solutions. Forum theatre is a theatrical approach that encourages exploration of social issues to highlight acts of oppression, such as stigma, and encourages audience members (referred to as spect-actors) to suggest possible social interventions. Spect-actors included shelter staff, researchers, health-care professionals, and members of the public. Stigmatizing experiences in emergency shelters identified through script development involved the public, shelter staff, other shelter clients, and health-care workers and led to feelings of guilt, blame, and neglect.

Through the theatrical depiction of these events, possible interventions identified by 9 spect-actors included questioning the lack of glucometers in shelters, offering alternative food to individuals with diabetes to better suit their dietary needs, and questioning the lack of insulin access in shelters (Reed et al., 2023)
The CDAC partnered with a local professional film production company, Pluto Pictures, to create a thought-provoking and meaningful film. To add authenticity to real life, we also worked closely with staff from the Drop-In Center.

Over ten months, co-researchers, shelter staff, medical experts, research staff, and filmmakers participated in ten group discussions to refine specific themes about diabetes and homelessness to include in the script, provided oversight to inform the portrayal of homelessness and medical scenes during filming, and provide suggestions regarding the video and sound cut.
Since October 2023, the CDAC has shared the film across five Canadian provinces through 35 screening events with >2000 audiences at emergency shelters, healthcare facilities, community theatres, and research symposia, always with CDAC members present at each screening to share their stories and answer questions about the film's making and their own lived experiences.

The impact of these screenings has ranged from members of the public making monetary donations to their local shelters to organizations incorporating their learnings from the film into their vision and mission statements. Community health centers and shelters who have viewed the film have championed community fundraising events and organizational learning days, all to spread the film’s message, increase awareness, and make positive change.

​Other organizations who have hosted screenings are reconsidering their internal policies and practices in order to better address the needs of those with diabetes. We have been able to incorporate Low into the curricula at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta’s medical schools, and the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing.