I am an anthropologist of childhood and youth, specialising in visual participatory methodologies that can elicit and amplify young voices.

For the past 12 years, I have been conducting ethnographic fieldwork with children & youth in Peruvian Amazonia, examining how they are driving radical socioeconomic change and shaping their society's future. The main findings from this research are the subject of my forthcoming monograph, “Children of the Rainforest” (Rutgers University Press).

I am currently leading two research projects based on co-production of animated films with young people:

“Waves of Change” (funded by the AHRC-UKRI and the Cabot Institute) 

This project engages young people-both in Cornish coastal communities and urban areas in Bristol-in climate change research, inspiring them to take positive climate action. Through co-production of animated films, we are eliciting young people's views of the environment and the future in times of climate emergency, and helping share their stories with the public, policymakers and the media. The project is co-led by Professor Daniela Schmidt (Earth Sciences, UoB) and Sophie Marsh (animation director).

“Animating the Future” (funded by the British Academy)

This project uses co-production of animation to explore the current lives and imagined futures of young migrants in Amazonian Peru, tackling the challenges they face to obtain the adulthoods they desire. The research is being carried out by a team of Indigenous students, academic researchers and Amazonian artists in Peru, with a view to support them to publish and disseminate their work in academia and beyond.

I have founded the Ethnographic Animation Research Group at the Bristol. If you want to explore the use of animation in your research and join the group, get in touch!

Social media

https://twitter.com/Camiushu

https://www.instagram.com/ethno_animation/

https://twitter.com/EthnoAnimation

Supervision

I am interested in supervising postgraduate students interested in childhood and youth, Amazonia, and the use of participatory methods, especially drawing and animation.