Home Office Funded Arts Project To Support Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse Is Running Creative Events In Leeds

UpFront Survivors, a Home Office funded, three-year programme of creative changemaking to support adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), is presenting a free series of creative workshops and events for adult survivors of child sexual abuse, friends and allies from Wednesday, 20th to Sunday 24th March at East Street Arts in Leeds.

UpFront Survivors is a project initiated and designed by arts activist organisation Viv Gordon Company in partnership with frontline services. The project uses creativity to campaign against stigma, silencing and censorship towards social justice, access and inclusion by, for and with the CSA survivor community.

Viv Gordon, Artistic Director of Viv Gordon Company, explains,
“There are an estimated 11 million adult CSA survivors in the UK, yet we lack representation in the arts sector and wider society. Most have never met another survivor, so do not feel part of a community. Survivors of CSA do not have existing role models or cultural infrastructure like other marginalised communities. Our experiences have been taboo and our voices omitted from diversity and inclusion discourses. The only way to change this is to build a visible, peer-led, and accessible survivor community in partnership with frontline services that can provide effective sustainable support, which is exactly what we are doing with UpFront Survivors. The project is now in its second year, and I am delighted to be strengthening connections with the CSA survivor community in Leads and West Yorkshire - an area known for its radical grassroots responses to sexual violence.”

The programme includes a series of free workshops on visual arts, dance, music appreciation, theatre and creative writing, led by CSA survivors who have taken part in a 4-month training programme aimed at supporting and developing creative leadership within the
CSA survivor community.

The evening programme includes a performance by award-winning comedian and mental health advocate Harriet Dyer, who is presenting her latest show, SKIN, as well as an open mic night hosted by Viv Gordon and Leeds born and bred writer and theatre maker, Jemima Foxtrot.

The events programme is accompanied by An ABC of CSA, an exhibition of illustrations by artist Imogen Harvey-Lewis, commissioned as part of a co-produced project led by Viv Gordon Company involving over 40 CSA survivors to develop a set of alphabet cards to support better conversations about child sexual abuse. Opening times for the exhibition vary each day and can be found on our website (www.vivgordoncompany.co.uk), with late
night viewing and artist Q&A on Thursday, 21st March, 7.30-9pm.
All events are free and will be taking place at East Street Arts, St Mary’s Lane, Leeds LS9 7EH.

UpFront Survivors is a Viv Gordon Company project funded through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) Fund 2022/25 and developed and delivered in partnership with SARSAS (Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support), The Green House and Coventry University.

Leeds event in partnership with Visible Leeds & East Street Arts.
 
LISTINGS

Venue: East Street Arts, St Mary’s Lane, Leeds LS9 7EH
All events are open to both sexes and all gender identities. Age guide: workshops 18+, events 14+ unless otherwise stated. We aim to hold safe(r), accessible spaces for all CSA survivors, friends & allies.

All events are free to attend but pre-booking is required for workshops due to limited capacity. Booking for evening events is preferred, although walk ups are welcome.

For full details and to book visit www.vivgordoncompany.co.uk/programme-leeds.html or follow VivGordonCompany (Facebook), @VivGordonCo (X) or @vivgordonco (Instagram)


Programme

Illustrated Badge Making with Cat
Wed, 20th March, 11am – 1pm
Join Cat for a 2-hour workshop exploring accessible ways into illustration and making our own badges.

Creating a reverse colouring book with Issy
Wed, 20th March, 2pm – 4pm
You are invited to join Issy for a reverse colouring book workshop for all experience levels.

Share your Paradise Tunes or Support Songs with others
Thu, 21st March, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Sharing our vital songs, music and tunes that give us pleasure and support.


Exploring creative movement with Lisa
Thu, 21st March, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
An opportunity to reconnect with your body and gain confidence in moving. Dance is for every body.

ABC of CSA Training with Viv Gordon and Kate McStraw
Thu, 21st March, 4pm - 5.30pm
A training session on using the ABC of CSA cards to support better conversations about child sexual abuse. Open to: Specialist support providers, counsellors, psychotherapists, health and social care professionals.

ABC of CSA Illustration Workshop with Imogen Harvey-Lewis
Thu, 21st March, 6pm - 7pm

Learn how to use simple illustration to articulate emotions in the kind and capable hands of ABC of CSA artist Imogen Harvey-Lewis.


Dandelion painting with Nicola
Fri, 22nd March, 11am – 1pm

Have a go at printing with everyday objects to make your own dandelion canvas.

Shared Voices; Honoured Stories
Fri, 22nd March, 2pm – 4pm

Join Al (The Artist Formerly Known As Michael) in finding and honouring the value in everyday stories using Playback Theatre Techniques.


SKIN (work in progress) Stand-Up Comedy Show
Fri, 22nd March, 7.30pm doors, 8-9pm show

A new show of story based chaos with heart and peculiar from award-winning comedian and mental health advocate Harriet Dyer (Comedy Central, SKY TV, Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza, The Russell Howard Hour and winner of 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Neurodiversity Representation Award).


Mini Gel-Plate Printing with Toni
Sat, 23rd March, 11am – 1pm

A 2-hour mini gel-plate printing workshop in which we'll experiment with fabric paint on oversized cloth napkins.


Writing Imagery with Jemima Foxtrot

Sat, 23rd March, 2pm - 3.30pm
In this workshop, we will explore our survivorship by creating gorgeous and grizzly images both individually and in our small groups.


Open Mic Night hosted by Jemima Foxtrot & Viv Gordon

Sat, 23rd March, 7pm doors, 7.30 - 9.30pm show
Come and support local talent at our supportive, informal open mic night that features the voices of the CSA survivor community.
Everybody is welcome to come, listen to and support the performers. Performing slots are reserved for CSA survivors.
Sunday Social

Sun, 24th March, 11am – 3pm | Age guide 14+
Drop-in event – no booking required
Join us to finish this year's pop-up cultural space in style with tea, cake and some drop-in workshop activities from zebra nail painting to planting seeds.

An ABC of CSA (Art Exhibition) – opening times vary, please see website for details | Age guide 14+
Late night viewing and artist Q&A on Thursday, 21st March, 7.30-9pm
An ABC of CSA is a creative resource to support better conversations about child sexual abuse. In collaboration with over 40 survivors, Viv Gordon Company has co-created a beautiful set of illustrated alphabet cards, illustrated by Artist Imogen Harvey-Lewis, which are being shown as large prints in this exhibition.