Illawarra women are sharing their previously untold stories of domestic family and sexual abuse in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of recovery and healing from gendered violence.
The compelling new exhibition Recovery and Healing: Our Voices, Our Stories is the culmination of works developed by women participating in the Women’s Recovery and Healing Arts Project, a transformative creative arts initiative delivered by the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre through its major project the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre.
The exhibition showcases works exploring themes of recovery and healing from gendered violence through the mediums of therapeutic photography, creative writing, and sketch art.
In this exhibition, the voices of participants and their stories of strength, courage, and hope are being told with the aid of award-winning photographer Sylvia Liber, award-winning author Helena Fox, and art therapist Sally Conwell.
Recovery and Healing: Our Voices, Our Stories is a free exhibition at Project Contemporary Artspace, Wollongong.
It opens to the public on Friday, January 24 and runs to Sunday, February 2, 2025. The gallery is open Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and on weekends from 11am to 4pm.
Project participants reflected on their journey throughout the project. This is what they said:
“….I had to accept that this lifelong burden called healing was placed upon me and even though it wasn’t my fault, it is my responsibility to heal. It took me a long time to accept that because it’s not fair; healing is a full-time job.” Gia
“I am grateful that our exhibition will be a way for our friends & family to honour our journey, and for some to better understand what we’ve lived through & are living through still. We have all come such a long way, though we acknowledge the journey of recovery and healing is ongoing. This is why this project is so important and must be made available to other women in the future. Every woman should have the opportunity to feel heard. I have searched for this kind of group for a long time – a place where women support each other and walk together on their healing journeys. The deep listening and respect for everyone shows for each other is truly heartfelt. I am looking forward to seeing where we can take this project in the future and how we can continue to support each other and other women with our advocacy.” Anonymous
“My name is Lorraine and I am an adult survivor of child sexual assault, which I experienced from the ages of five years old to 14 years old. My gesture of being a part of this project highlights my desire to use this platform for my healing and recovery and to support fellow survivors. It is also a call to action, encouraging people from all walks of life to become educated by the facts, straight from the survivors, to be made aware of what may be going on with those around them, both adults and children. It is the responsibility of each one of us to give the safe space they need to speak about their experiences so they can move toward healing and recovering from their trauma. It’s in our hands to listen to, educate and protect our future generations. Let your children know that you are a safe person for them to express themselves openly, meaning that they feel secure, comforted and accepted when they open up their issues with you. This implies that they can trust you deeply and find solace in your presence, knowing that they can be their true selves and be honest without fear of judgment and know that they will be supported and count on you for any help they need.” Lorraine
‘‘Thank you to Emma, the project manager and ‘village leader’ for her beautiful, nurturing support and patience throughout this project. Her guidance has helped me feel stronger, braver, and fully embraced in my authenticity. I can now stand true to myself and move forward with confidence. Recovery from gendered violence is a long and costly journey, and it’s vital for those in power to fully grasp the urgent need to invest in projects like this that walk alongside victim-survivors and support our healing with creative and meaningful ways to continue on our path to recovery.” RayLu
Emma Rodrigues, who is the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre Project Manager for the initiative, said the artworks were developed during a 12-week structured therapeutic project delivered between July and December 2024.
“The project framework is an extension of the 2020 photographic exhibition featuring portraits of domestic and family violence survivors captured by Sylvia in partnership with the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre,” she said. “This project iteration serves to expand on the principles of photography activism previously applied and include photography, creative writing and visual art in a therapeutic context using trauma-informed practice.
“Participants attended the introductory workshop six months ago with open hearts and minds to explore themes of recovery and healing that were significant to them in a safe and supported environment. The village of support participants have created as victim-survivors reclaiming their power and personal narrative through the interconnected processes of photography, creative writing and sketch art has been incredible to bear witness to.”
Recovery and Healing: Our Voices, Our Stories is a free exhibition at Project Contemporary Artspace, Wollongong and will run until Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Follow coverage of this event on the Illawarra Mercury and Region Illawarra.
