By Matthew McKenzie – Carer Activist and Carer Advocate
On 8 September 2026, I had the honour of attending the DUALITY event at King’s College London, held at Bush House.
The event was a research and public/community engagement event connected to the INTERCEPTION study, based in King’s Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, within the School of Global Affairs / Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy.
There was a packed agenda, which I have shown below.
- Registration, refreshments and photo exhibition — Attendees arrived, had refreshments and had an opportunity to look around the community photography exhibition.
- Welcome and introduction to DUALITY — The organisers introduced the event and its focus on ageing, ethnicity, health and experiences of living with multiple long-term conditions.
- Research Panel: Ethnicity, Ageing and Health — Researchers discussed work exploring inequalities and experiences at the intersection of ethnicity, ageing, health and multiple long-term conditions.
- King’s Sport & Wellness energiser — Attendees were invited to take part in accessible seated stretches and movement exercises.
- Human Library — Attendees could “borrow” Living Books for short conversations, hearing personal stories intended to build understanding, foster empathy and challenge assumptions. My Living Book was “The Carer They Didn’t See.”
- Community information booths — Organisations and community representatives provided information and resources. This was also where I supported the Carers UK stall.
- DUALITY Photography Exhibition — Photographs used visual storytelling to explore support, health, ageing and lived experience. My photograph “The Carer They Didn’t See” was included in the exhibition.
- Photography Competition Awards — Winners of the DUALITY Photography Competition were announced, with “The Carer They Didn’t See” selected as one of the winning entries.
- Creative performance — The programme included a creative lived-experience performance exploring identity, Caribbean heritage, racism, family, memory and culture.
- Keeping Fit with Multiple Long-Term Conditions — This discussion brought professional and lived-experience perspectives together to explore chronic conditions, exercise, confidence and wellbeing.
- Dinner and networking — The evening concluded with food and an opportunity for attendees, researchers, community groups and people with lived experience to connect.
This was quite a different event for me. I have attended many conferences, workshops and involvement events over the years as an unpaid carer, carer advocate and speaker. This time, however, I wasn’t simply attending or presenting.
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