We are UpFront Survivors
Child sexual abuse survivor artists and activists, front line sexual violence services and researchers supporting the CSA survivor community to be upfront - to speak out and step into cultural leadership.
Child sexual abuse survivor artists and activists, front line sexual violence services and researchers supporting the CSA survivor community to be upfront - to speak out and step into cultural leadership.
The project:
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UpFront Survivors is about our community leading cultural change through creating visible survivor-led community spaces and experiences. We are doing this in partnership with frontline services and researchers to work towards effective, holistic, sustainable support.
CSA survivors lack cultural representation as our experiences are hidden and taboo. We live with ongoing silencing and censorship, and many of us are not able to safely self-identify or speak out about our experiences.
Most of us have never met another survivor, so do not feel part of a community. We want to connect with each other and take up space. Now in its second year, UpFront Survivors delivered a five-day CSA survivor led programme from 20th to 24th March 2024 at East Street Arts in Leeds. Scroll down or click here for a more detailed reflection and photos of the Leeds event. |
Viv Gordon speaking at the launch of UpFrontSurvivors 2024. Photo: JMA Photography
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UpFront Survivors has four interacting strands:
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1) Finding the Words – creative workshops designed and delivered by CSA survivor artists for CSA survivors. Previous workshops have been led by Clare Shaw, Jemima Foxtrot and Viv Gordon, among others. |
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2) National Creative Social Change Network – a space for adult CSA survivor artists, activists and changemakers to work towards a shared creative campaign, Zebra Day CSA on 31st January 2025. 17:00 - 19:00 BST | every third Wednesday | Online | next meeting: Wed, 18th December. |
Upcoming meetings: |
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3) Creative Leaders Training – training and mentoring for emerging CSA survivor creatives. Trainees are supported to take their next steps into cultural leadership. The first, South West based cohort of emerging Creative Leaders completed their training in 2023. |
In 2024, our Leeds and surrounding areas cohort completed their training in March and delivered a programme of amazing creative workshops from badge making to dance at this year's pop-up cultural space in Leeds. Here's what some of the first cohort had to say about the programme: |
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"Week by week, the tools and skills demonstrated, together with the team and the experienced, safe approach they adopted allowed me to thoroughly embrace the course. This gave me the courage, conviction and self belief to take the leap, trust my heart and follow my intuitive career plans." - Former trainee
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"This is the most accepting, genuinely safe space I have ever been in. I tic and dissociate and so I normally only manage small amount of times in groups - I worry I'm too much! The group held everyone in such a way that I am so much happier just being me." - Former trainee
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4) Pop-up Cultural Spaces – a series of co-created and co-produced community spaces for CSA survivors and allies to gather, be creative and make change. Our most recent pop-up event took place from 20th to 24th March 2024 in Leeds. |
The first pop-up cultural space for our community coincided with the launch of the ABC of CSA project in Exeter in February 2023, followed by the launch of the UpFront Survivors project at The People’s Republic of Stokes Croft CIC in Bristol in March that year. In March 2024 we created our third Pop-up space at East Street Arts in Leeds (see below). |
Pop-Up Cultural Space at East Street Arts, Leeds
20th - 24th March 2024
Following an invitation by Visible Leeds, our third pop-up space took us to West Yorkshire. Accompanied by the exhibition of An ABC of CSA, the event included eight workshops beautifully run by Creative Leaders Trainees, teaching skills from printing to creative movement and theatre. Three more workshops were run by regular collaborators, Imogen Harvey-Lewis and Jemima Foxtrot, and by members of Viv Gordon Company.
Award-winning comedy genius Harriet Dyer returned to preview her brand-new show, SKIN, and in our Open Mic Night, expertly hosted by Jemima Foxtrot, 14 performers presented a varied programme from spoken work, poetry and song to contemporary dance - many for the very first time! The event ended with a relaxed Sunday Social with tea, cake and activities like badge-making and zebra nail painting.
We had a wonderful time - thank you, Leeds!
Click here to read Viv's reflection blog.
Award-winning comedy genius Harriet Dyer returned to preview her brand-new show, SKIN, and in our Open Mic Night, expertly hosted by Jemima Foxtrot, 14 performers presented a varied programme from spoken work, poetry and song to contemporary dance - many for the very first time! The event ended with a relaxed Sunday Social with tea, cake and activities like badge-making and zebra nail painting.
We had a wonderful time - thank you, Leeds!
Click here to read Viv's reflection blog.
"[N]ot only do we need services to meet survivors where they are … we also need to talk to the community, we need to empower the community, we need to make space for the community to come together and learn from one another, support one another and empower one another and that is the future - and I’m glad the future’s here in Leeds tonight!"
(Richard Barber, Visible Leeds)
(Richard Barber, Visible Leeds)
Photos by JMA Photography and Viv Gordon Company
Previous pop-up spaces
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UpFront Survivors is funded through the Home Office Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) Fund 2022/25.
Developed and delivered in partnership with
Developed and delivered in partnership with
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Leeds event in partnership with Visible Leeds & East Street Arts. With thanks to ARCH Teesside, Imara and Rape Crisis England & Wales.
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