Survivors’ Voices: Works of Resilience Written and Read by Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
A live zoom event on January 22 at 7:00 pm, January 23 at 7:00 pm (and possibly 3:00 pm), and January 24th at 7:00 pm, 2021
Project Description
Survivors’ Voices: Works of Resilience Written and Read by Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse was inspired by the courageous and eloquent, yet often silenced, voice of a Survivor poet whom Jackie is blessed to know. This project offers Survivors an opportunity to share their original writing regarding their experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and their paths of healing in a creative, community supported and survivor-led, virtual, weekend event. The audience will be community and family members as well as professionals who work with CSA Survivors. To support Survivors' writing, Donna and Jackie will hold a series of workshops including two for teens. To learn more see below.
The main event will take place over the weekend of January 22nd, 23rd, and 24th 2021, and will consist of one hour, virtual readings on each day. After each performance there will be a facilitated dialogue between the audience and Survivors.
Submission Guidelines
We are finished accecpting submissions.
Thank you for considering a submission to Survivors’ Voices: Works of Resilience Written and Read by Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. We already know that you are courageous and resilient---even if you decide not to submit anything!
Our Goal: Our goal is to support the creative and courageous voices of survivors while educating the community about the issue of childhood sexual abuse. Survivors will read their works of poetry, short fiction, prose or essays, in an innovative, community supported and survivor-led, weekend event.
Our Process: We know that childhood sexual abuse is universal. It cuts through all populations leaving scars in every community. In order to ensure that all Survivors’ voices are heard we will be inviting applicants to share their demographic information including race, LGBTQI, gender, age, person with a disability, and any identities that are important to the applicant.
How to Submit
We are finished accecpting submissions. The submission deadline was November 11, 2020, 8:00 p.m. All submissions will be curated to reflect the above stated goals of Survivors’ Voices---giving voice to the courage and resilience of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This will be a difficult task since every submission is an important voice to be heard! However, given our limited performance time we are not able to choose every submission. Three survivors (Jackie Humphreys, Donna Jenson and Strong Oak Lefebvre) and one ally (Lucinda Kidder) will conduct a blind review of the submissions and curate the final pieces to be read.
Additional Considerations
Some Things to Consider: You may already have a piece or pieces in mind to submit. Perhaps you want to write specifically for this event. The audience will be a combination of survivors, friends and family of survivors, community members, and professionals who work with survivors. What do you want them to know about your journey to this point of sharing your story with us? What would you want them to leave this experience knowing? We are hoping to educate and inform the community about childhood sexual abuse while also being sensitive to not traumatizing audience members. Therefore, we ask that you not include graphic material. We want to provide space for survivors of all identities to share what has been significant, important and healing for them on their journey to wholeness. We will then contact each survivor to inform them of our submission decision.
Additional Considerations (continued)
Theatrical Support from Silverthorne Theater: Each participant selected will have the option of attending a (virtual) workshop with a coach from Silverthorne Theater, to receive guidance and theatrical support for the performance of their piece/s.
The Big Event!: Over the weekend of January 22 at 7:00 pm, January 23 at 7:00 pm (and possibly 3:00 pm), and January 24th at 7:00 pm, 2021, there will be three or four, one-hour virtual performances/readings each consisting of least nine Survivors reading their works of resilience. Jackie will host each event. Readers are asked to attend the full program in which they are a part. After the readings are complete, there will be a positive and supportive dialogue for audience members to ask questions and give feedback to the readers. Readers will be encouraged to share their experience of the performance. Survivors will have the option of answering questions or deferring to Donna, Jackie or Lucinda.
For Posterity: The performances will be recorded and made available to those who can’t be in attendance. It will be accessible through a private YouTube channel and on the Time To Tell website. Survivors will have the option how they are identified (first name only, full name, pseudonym, etc.). We will do our best to provide alternative internet access for anyone with poor or no internet service.
Safety and Support: To create a process that is as safe as possible for the expression of Survivors’ voices, we will use a password protected Zoom link and require audience members to register and the You Tube access will be private. However, we know there is no fail-safe process that can guarantee who will or will not have access to the performances or recordings. Please be sure that you have the supports you need to enable you to feel as safe as possible through this entire process.
We are hopeful about creating an empowered space for survivors to share their unique stories of resilience! We look forward to offering a creative and moving experience to a community of friends, families and providers that deepens their understanding of childhood sexual abuse.
How to Submit: We are finished accecpting submissions. Submissions must be original and written by survivors of childhood sexual abuse (having experienced the abuse directly). Submissions must be typed, double spaced and, when read aloud, no longer than five minutes, which is approximately 600 words. You can submit more than one piece (i.e.: essay, prose, poetry, short fiction). Submissions will not be accepted through any other source. All submissions are due by November 11, 2020, 8:00 pm. An announcement of acceptance will be sent by December 2, 2020
This project is made possible by a generous grant from The Art Angels, a group of donors supporting the arts and social change in Western Massachusetts.