My experience of TicFest

Posted Wed 10th Oct 2018 at 10:00
by Camilla Babbage

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PhD student, Camilla Babbage, joined the TicFest North event in September to gain further insight into the day to day lives of young people and families living with TS. Camilla is carrying out research at the University of Nottingham to develop a tool that will help young people with TS feel better in their daily lives.

In many ways, I think the day my supervisors suggested I went to TicFest was maybe similar to the feelings a young person has when they're told they're going to TicFest, with thoughts in my head like "what if noone likes me?" and "what if noone talks to me?", but instead of saying those thoughts the words that actually came out were "Yes, that sounds great!" and there I was, signed up to my first TicFest…

The reason I have supervisors is because I am doing research with the University of Nottingham and Tourettes Action. I am looking into how to use technology to develop a tool, like an app or a website, that would help young people with tourettes to feel better in day to day life. This means it's really important that I know what the day to day lives are like for young people and their families, an insight that TicFest would hopefully help to give me.

Despite that all sounding like I maybe know what I'm doing, I was still very nervous when I arrived, especially as I stumbled into the same people three times before finding the right room! But then I looked over the hall and could see the famous green T-shirts being worn by the lovely Emma and Pippa, and TicFest volunteer Ella. Once suited and booted in my own green T-shirt and a fancy lanyard (which now hangs at my desk at work), I went out to join in the fun activities!

The selection of activities was brilliant! I watched people trampolining and throwing a ball in a game I'm still not sure what the aim was (and watch one of the Dads break the tree swing), I got to Bear Grylls and light a fire (and tell off a Mum cheating with a lighter!). Later, I joined another Mum turning her child into a cloud-bashing-whipping-super hero with bin bags and cellotape and I watched one of the boys win the race with a home-made Tupperware robot. I even built up the courage to swing from the trees on a zip-wire! All in one weekend!

I met some amazing advocates, both younger and older, who were using their Tourettes and experiences to help others. There were so many different examples of this, from a father talking to his son, a mother teaching other teachers, a girl explaining to her friends. I also met a boy who showed me pictures of him talking to an audience, a family who were about to present to a school, a group of friends listening and supporting to other friends. Within a few days, I saw the huge amount of inspirational people at TicFest who were supporting each other over the one thing they had in common, tics. It was brilliant to be there, and if someone were to ask if I'd go again next year, I'd be saying "Yes, that sounds great!".

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