Survivors take to stage to share untold stories through art

Taking place on Thursday 10 July, from 3 pm to 7 pm at the University of East London’s (UEL) University Square Stratford campus, Untold 2: Creative Arts for Social Justice // Gendered Violence Activism is a collaboration between researchers at UEL and Broxtowe Women’s Project (BWP) - a Nottinghamshire-based charity and refuge organisation supporting women affected by domestic abuse.

Part of UEL’s Year of Health, the event forms part of a pioneering research project exploring how creative arts can support healing, resilience and social justice, giving women a platform to share their lived experiences and challenge stigma through creative expression.

Audiences can expect a powerful mix of creative expression and critical conversation. Women supported by BWP will share personal stories through original writing and spoken word, developed as part of the project’s workshops. These survivor-led contributions offer space to reflect, connect and honour the realities of domestic abuse - and the strength of those who live through it.

The programme will also feature award-winning photography by Jayne Jackson, a screening of Love by filmmaker, actress and producer Sam Beckinsale, a creative showcase by UEL students, and a panel discussion with UEL researchers, all exploring how art can act as a catalyst for healing, justice and social change.

“This is about more than showcasing artwork,” said Dr Roberta Garrett, senior lecturer in Creative Writing at UEL’s School of Arts and Creative Industries (ACI) and one of the project leads. 

It’s about creating a public space where women’s experiences are heard, and where creativity becomes a vehicle for recognition, recovery and change.”

Untold 2 builds on a successful pilot held last year and is led by UEL researchers Dr Garrett, Dr Naida Redgrave, senior lecturer in digital media and communication at UEL’s ACI and Dr Emma Cunningham, senior lecturer in criminology and criminal justice at UEL’s Royal Docks School of Business and Law, whose research spans the arts, education and criminology.

Dr Redgrave added, “It’s a privilege to work with Broxtowe Women’s Project on something so honest and urgent. These stories deserve to be heard - and this work shows how the arts can help carry them into public consciousness.”

The project also speaks to wider concerns about how women’s experiences are treated in systems of justice, and how creativity can open up new, more humanising ways of listening.

Dr Cunningham said, “Too often, women’s experiences of violence and abuse are minimised or hidden within criminal justice narratives. This project challenges that by putting survivor voices at the forefront, centred not through statistics, but through creativity, agency and truth. It’s a reminder that justice isn’t only found in courts - it’s also in community, visibility and being heard.”

Untold 2 is free and open to all. Thursday, 10 July, from 3 pm to 7 pm. University Square Stratford Campus, University of East London, 1 Salway Road, Stratford, London E15 1NF.

For more details about the event, contact Dr Roberta Garrett r.garrett@uel.ac.uk

Register your place on Eventbrite

Photo by Wylly Suhendra for Unsplash