Research involving people with lived experience of multiple disadvantages is becoming increasingly highlighted as not only necessary to understand social inequalities and issues arising from them, but also an effective way of creating change, raising awareness and increasing empathy (Honey et al, 2020). In March 2020, when the UK went into its first national lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Expert Citizens were three months into a coproduced research programme with Staffordshire University, exploring how community organisations and university partners can work effectively together to develop sustainable structures for participatory, place-based research. The immediate and total move from face-to-face, participatory meetings to remote engagement with the project was a challenge for staff and community researchers alike. However, through flexibility, creativity and compassion, Expert Citizens were able to build strong relationships with their fellow community researchers and express their voices in ways that had a lasting impact on the organisations and people involved. This chapter offers a critical reflection on the experience of Expert Citizens in the project, Keep Talking, reflecting on the importance of participatory approaches and creative activities in breaking down barriers and developing voice. The learning from how the organisations worked together to find a socially distanced and ethical response to supporting community researchers, and the approaches used to include a considerable proportion of digitally excluded participants, are discussed.