Don’t Look Away (Domestic Abuse Champions Project)

We are running two Saturdays of creative engagement, together with The Auckland Project, to enable residents in the Gaunless Gateway areas of Cockton Hill, Henknowle, Woodhouse Close/Tindale Crescent, St Helens Auckland and West Auckland to get involved in planning our domestic abuse community champions project: Don't Look Away.

This Gaunless Gateway-supported partnership is led by Changing Relations, and we are keen for residents to have a say in the types of creative engagement, choice of artists and choice of creative facilitators that we plan for this project.

The two planned days of creative engagement will give participants a flavour of the way different artforms can be used to explore tricky themes we often shy away from.

These creative workshops include:

• textiles
• graffiti
• painting
• creative writing

Some of these will take inspiration from our artistic content that collates a range of survivor stories of domestic abuse. You can preview these on our YouTube channel:

• Make Do and Mend film (trailer) https://youtu.be/e2Jo7kQXbYo / 
• Us Too soundscape (clip) https://youtube.com/shorts/lm0tbbCRLSk?feature=share  
• Sometimes it Hurts animation https://youtu.be/0_egKFkh7dg 

As well as two days of art-making, provided by Auckland Project creative facilitators, participants will be invited to share their views on the artforms they think should be included in the Don't Look Away project and what they would be looking for in the artists and creative facilitators who would be commissioned.

Following this, Changing Relations would put a call out to artists to submit applications to be part of the project creative team. The resident-led project steering group would then have the chance to participate in the selection process; looking at the styles and artforms of the artists who apply, considering what each of them propose to do on the project and selecting which proposals are most appealing to the group.

If you would like to get involved, the dates to pop in your diary are:

• Saturday 14^th January 2023 in Mrs M’s, Bishop Auckland Market Place (creative writing and textiles)
• Saturday 21^st January 2023 in No. 42, Bishop Auckland Market Place (graffiti and painting) 

Lunch and hot drinks will be provided by the Auckland Project and the timing of the day will be:

• 10.30-12 for the first creative session
• 12-1 for lunch 
• 1-2.30 for the second creative session
• 2.30-3.30 for a final discussion

If you plan to attend either or both of these sessions, please email [email protected] and provide your name and contact details.

We look forward to meeting you.