Liming with Gran: Breaking down taboos with a game of dominoes

‘Liming with Gran’ is a short film from University of Cambridge and Genomics England, made for a new project called Only Human which seeks to break down the barriers many people face when it comes to discussing genetics and inheritance of disease. A well-known pastime - liming - prompts conversations about inherited conditions via a game of dominoes.

The Only Human project is a proprietary and groundbreaking initiative based on ten years of rigorous, evidence-based research. It seeks new ways to start conversations about genetics that lead with human storytelling instead of technical, scientific language. The project is led by the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public, University of Cambridge. It involves a collaboration between Genomics England and has historical funding from Wellcome Connecting Science.

The film, fronted by published author and gal-dem founder, Liv Little, features the special relationship between grandmother, Jean, 84, who came to the UK from Jamaica in 1960, and her grandson, Tré, 29. ‘Liming with Gran’ spotlights the special bond between these two generations, as they are seen liming by playing a unique game of dominoes, which contain topics of conversation surrounding health and wellbeing – often a taboo subject for older generations.

There are historical, cultural and systemic challenges that many communities have faced in the advancement of medical science and research, especially when it comes to DNA and genetics, and so have withdrawn from discussing and exploring these topics due to the inherent stigma and mistrust created across the generations. In fact, as many as a third of the British public says they rarely or never talk to their family, friends or colleagues about it.

This is especially important in black and minority ethnic communities, where speaking about health and wellbeing can sometimes be taboo, resulting in many shying away from having these all-important discussions.

In the Caribbean community, liming is a cultural social pastime and when coupled with topics of important conversation with friends and family, can inform and help change lives for the better.

Tré said of the campaign: “I aspire to inspire, and I hope there are young kids or elders who watch this and feel like they can approach these topics. I am really close to my grandmother and visit her regularly, so knowing that I can open up and ask these questions is really valuable. I want others to feel comfortable to talk to each other while still loving each other’s company and spending quality time together.”

Jean said of the campaign: “When we talk about the difficult topics that we have shied away from for generations, magic can happen. We can start to not only understand ourselves better, but we can use that to support our future generations to live healthier and happier lives too. Being a part of this project with my grandson was such a special experience, one that I will treasure forever. I hope that this project inspires many more to open up and speak about the taboo topics. These are the conversations that are so worthwhile to have.”

Prof Anna Middleton from the University of Cambridge: “Genetics links us to our relatives, and genetic medicine serves whole families. Scientists and doctors will often talk about genetics using technical, scientific concepts. But even the word ‘genetics’ puts many everyday people off. Using prompts on the domino pieces, Ketchum's game encourages families to talk about inherited traits with no technical language needed. The domino game provides a mechanism to share family knowledge about hereditary conditions. Liming with Gran and the Only Human initiative aims to improve awareness and find new ways to discuss genetics. Making health information relevant, relatable and accessible helps communities and individuals. Genomic Medicine is sweeping across the NHS, and it's time to democratise conversations about genetics so everyone can have a voice about the services on offer”.

Speaking about the campaign, Liv Little said: “These topics and conversations can feel big and scary to many, but we need to be open about our health and wellbeing and be informed of the conditions that could be hereditary to see what preventative measures we can take. We wanted to break down the barriers to good health by showing, not just telling, of the positive and real benefits that come when you open up. From my own experience, when my dad was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, having these conversations felt intense and overwhelming. So, having a discussion in a less formal setting, such as liming, is a beautiful and less daunting way to approach a seemingly scary and perhaps uncomfortable topic.”

‘Liming with Gran’, from creative agency Ketchum in collaboration with the University of Cambridge as part of the Only Human initiative, is a collaboration between the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public, University of Cambridge and Genomics England, which aims to raise awareness of genomics and its role in health, the science around it, build trust and make it accessible.

'Liming with Gran’ will be supported with outdoor advertising in communities with a heavy concentration of those from Caribbean heritage, a bespoke microsite with information about the initiative, and screenings at the Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel.

As part of the campaign, limited edition sets of dominoes featuring the topics of conversation seen in the film have been created to encourage more open conversations to take place while liming. The domino sets will be distributed to key community locations like barber shops, cafes and church groups. A set will also be used by a PHD student in her research for sickle cell within the Caribbean community.

For more information about the campaign and to watch the film visit: https://onlyhuman.world/liming-with-gran/.