Restless - how it began
Restless is an arts activism project about community, visibility and voice for survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA). At the heart of the project, walking and coastal landscapes offer imagery revealing survivor experiences of exposure, navigating challenging territory and occupying the edges. The sea provides a central metaphor of the power of continuous collective action to make change.
|
Restless combines walking with creative research, spoken word, music, combined arts and participatory actions for survivors and allies online and in the landscape.
This page charts the story of the Restless project from the beginnings until 2022.
Our vision for Restless is for it to become a big, bold live music and outdoor spectacle, co-created with child sex abuse survivors. We want to use punky, anarchic art to shout it from the clifftops, that thing that most people can't talk about, and we have already begun by creating a punk band and a cycle of punk songs! Find about more on our Restless main project page. |
|
Our Restless Journey 2020 -22
2022 - International Collaboration
|
In 2022 we were selected for a British Council Unlimited Micro Award to collaborate with Turkish CSA survivor, writer and activist Meliha Yildiz on taking our Restless project beyond the UK.
Meliha and Viv tested a model of remote collaboration over a three-day creative research walk, meeting online to plan creative prompts and share cultural practices. The project finished with Viv reading Meliha's words at the Reclaim the Night 2022 event in Cornwall. This project was funded by a British Council Unlimited Micro Award, supporting connections between UK and international disabled artists. |
2021 - Restless Goes Punk
In May 2021, Viv walked just over 100 miles from Starcross to Plymouth on the South Devon Coast Path. Along the way she wrote poems and songs that would be used as inspiration for the Restless song cycle. In 2022 followed another writing residency.
We explored various music styles during this time and decided on punk as an authentic format to represent Viv’s voice going forward. Key artistic collaborators have been Quinta and Thomas Johnson, who have co-composed the music for Restless to Viv's lyrics, and perform live at gigs and sharings. During the 2021 residency, Viv also held community days with groups in Devon, together with Devon Rape Crisis, Sunflower Project, MoMENtum and Women's Centre Cornwall. Viv wrote and recorded video blogs each day too, which she shared on Viv Gordon Co social media.
|
Restless writing residency, 2022. Photo: Luke Gosling @point.and.aim
|
2020 - She walks ...
|
We launched She walks… a new music track and animation exploring the unknown territory of surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse on the 25th November 2020 (to coincide with the first day of the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence). Inspired by walking coastal landscapes, the short digital artwork shares survivor experiences of feeling far away, navigating difficult journeys and living on the edges of society. She walks... was inspired by a poem Viv wrote whilst walking along the South West Coast Path on Portland in 2018.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The intention is to give greater voice and visibility to the 11 million adult survivors of CSA in the UK. The end result is starkly beautiful and haunting. It does not flinch away from uncomfortable truths but looks to the sea for inspiration to keep going. The sea represents a positive, restless force which has the power to change the landscape over time.
|
She walks... Credits
Artistic Director: Viv Gordon Lyrics and Vocals: Viv Gordon and JPDL Backing Vocals : Quinta Music and Production: Quinta Drums: Alex Thomas Vocal Engineering: Sam Fryer Mixing: TJ Allen Mastering: Shawn Joseph Animator: Lou Sumray Project Producer: Kate McStraw |
2020 - #MyLineInTheSand
|
|
Our aim with this campaign, launched during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was to overcome the isolation that many survivors experience by building a community of survivors and allies where we can feel welcome, accepted and know that our voices are heard.
We invited survivors and allies to draw a line under the silencing of survivors of childhood sexual abuse by writing words of community, connection and belonging and then post it on social media using the hashtag #MyLineInTheSand. |
Restless is supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England
with additional support from 101 Outdoor Arts, British Council Unlimited Micro Award, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Strike a Light, Devon Community Foundation and Morley Radio.
with additional support from 101 Outdoor Arts, British Council Unlimited Micro Award, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Strike a Light, Devon Community Foundation and Morley Radio.
|
|
|
|
|
|