Manifesto
Lon-art Creative presents Sheroes–Revoluciones 2.0, a project designed to draw attention to violence against women* and girls (VAWG). Along with our community of artists, specialists in VAWG, activists and change-makers we would like to contribute to the biggest challenge in women’s herstory: the end of all gender-based violence, often silenced and invisible, albeit with devastating consequences.
– Two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales alone. (Office for National Statistics (2019) Homicide in England and Wales: year ending March 2018 (average taken over 10 years))
– Among women aged 18-24, 97% said they had been sexually harassed, while 80% of women of all ages said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. (UN Women UK Survey, 2021)
– In the year ending March 2019, 1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse. (Office for National Statistics (2019) Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales: year ending March 2019)
– 91% of women currently experiencing domestic abuse said that the Covid-19 pandemic had negatively impacted in at least one way. (Women’s Aid, August 2020)
– Refuge reported a 700% increase in calls to its helpline in a single day, while a separate helpline for perpetrators of domestic abuse seeking help to change their behaviour received 25% more calls after the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. (The Guardian)
– 55,259 rapes reported last year; but only 2,102 prosecutions and 1,439 convictions. (EVAW, November 2020)
– By September 2020, the UK’s Revenge Porn helpline had received 2,050 reports of revenge porn – the equivalent of nine reports every day and a 22% rise on the 1,685 reports it received in 2019 in total. (Revenge Porn Helpline & The Guardian)
– Nearly a quarter (23%) of the women surveyed by Amnesty International across eight countries said they had experienced online abuse or harassment at least once – including 21% of women polled in the UK. 27% of the women surveyed in the UK had experienced threats of physical or sexual violence. (Amnesty International, November 2017).
– One in two young women have experienced controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship. (Refuge and Avon’s ‘Define the Line’ study (2017))
– 41% of UK girls aged 14 to 17 in an intimate relationship experienced some form of sexual violence from their partner. (University of Central Lancashire (2015) Written submission from the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm)
– 42.9% of women of colour said they believed they would be in more debt as a result of the pandemic (Fawcett Society, 2020)
– The proportion of women reporting that they have been experiencing at least one severe underlying mental health problem increased from 11% to 27% (compared to a rise from 7% to 18% in men). (The Guardian, June 2020)
– 57% of working mums believe that managing childcare during Covid-19 has damaged their career prospects. (Pregnant Then Screwed, June 2020)
– In the current Covid-19 times, 77% of the 3,200,000 workers in ‘high risk’ roles are women. Over a million of these workers are paid below 60% median wages. 98% are women. (Women’s Budget Group & Fawcett Society, April 2020)
– Gender pay gaps reporting for 2019/20 was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. (UK Government, March 2020)
In this second edition of Sheroes-Revoluciones, originally launched in 2019, we will be featuring over 15 women artists from our Sheroes community in a unique online exhibition, addressing gender-based violence through art by women, panel talks and workshops to empower us all.
Through the project we will:
-reflect upon different kinds of violence and their visual representations
-deepen and broaden our understanding of what gender-based violence is
-give a voice to victims and survivors
-offer a platform to amplify the voices of women artists
As an organisation, we are experts in visual literacy. Thus, Sheroes aims to challenge women’s representations, re-think our visual history and include women’s voices in contemporary imagery. Sheroes is an activist art project led by powerful women artists and designed for society as a whole.
Our sheroic mission is to use the power of the arts by providing a visual platform for people to join uncomfortable but important conversations. Our events create a safe space for everybody to get involved and be part of the solution.
About Sheroes-Revoluciones
The Sheroes–Revoluciones first edition, was first launched on November 22-24, 2019 and included 30 women artists, performances, workshops and an 8-week Trauma-Informed Resiliency Programme for service users and staff at Solace Women’s Aid.
The exhibition was divided into three categories: domestic violence, invisible violence and activism, in the hope of encouraging conversations that transcended the taboos and shame surrounding violence. These categories attempted to unveil depictions of women’s experiences that can become sites of abuse such as race, motherhood, the menopause and abortion rights.
Over 700 people joined us in celebrating the revolutions that are contributing to positive changes around the world and giving us all hope to keep up the fight.
SHEROES’ ARTIVISM
The Revoluciones art is 100% activist art. We want to contribute to maintaining the momentum of women’s social movements by expanding our programme throughout the year, beyond Women’s History Month.
We use art as a way to communicate and engage with our audience.
Art that shows violence, suffering and vulnerability might be disturbing and unpleasant but these raw images are paramount to push institutions to take further action.
The artworks exhibited here will make you reflect upon a virus that seems to survive throughout history. We want to show to our audience that art is a magnificent tool to start uncomfortable conversations about the issues that really matter.
It is high time we integrated and normalised conversations around women’s issues or else we will never solve them. What kind of conversations could take place if these artworks were exhibited at your office, university, or community centre?
Artivism helps victims break their silence, speak up and search for help. At the same time, it opens the eyes of abusers who might think what they do is normal and are oblivious to the fact that their actions and words are abusive. Plus, it encourages allies to help give visibility to the plethora of forms of violence women are victims of day in, day out.
If you agree with us and want to join our movement, get in touch.
Sheroes-Revoluciones is like a necessary crescendo. The coming together of art and activism for conversations around gender violence that are vital and can ultimately lead to change. A platform that really does challenge the status quo and allow for the visibility of herstories that are far too often brushed under the carpet. I decided to be part of it because it provided a safe space to really unpack the ways in which the landscape of the female form and women’s rights changed from region to region according to male perception and desire and social expectations and practices. Sheroes is a refreshing and exciting way to critically explore identities and participating in a recent event has really opened my mind to new ideas. A platform that must be supported.
Rahima Begum, Sheroes Panelist. Artist, Creative Consultant and Activist
Sheroes Revoluciones 2.0 in numbers
15 artists
10 panelists
2,300 online visitors
1 online workshop for the general public
3 online panel talks
‘These events are always brilliant, inspirational, thought-provoking, and much needed in the current climate!’
Anonymous feedback
‘I love it. It’s so important to bring in different forms of communication, particularly around triggering issues
which can be hard to talk or write about. Art is healing.’
Anonymous feedback
ABOUT US
Sheroes is a collaborative project that highlights hidden herstories through the arts.
If you want to support the sheroes cause, please donate. All the money raised will go to running more Sheroes events.
Powered by Lon-art. Funded by Arts Council England.. Copyright © Lon-art.org 2019. All rights reserved