The Art of Survival

This will be more than a story looking at the emotional effects of trauma – this is a story of art as a powerful political tool that can't take away the past but can reinstate the power and personhood of people who have suffered sexual abuse.
The intention is to bring the conversation about abuse, about those who experience abuse, and their triumph through art, into a much more public context. The idea of combining artists’ stories, animation, and scientific commentary, is to create an engaging and accessible argument that while children’s protection and children’s rights have long been a topic of contention, governments have often overlooked the impact of the Statute of Limitations. Such laws require legal action to be taken within a short period after the offence, often before the child reaches adulthood. This means that in most cases the opportunity for legal redress whether criminal or civil is denied. The film aims to bring this issue of social justice to the public domain.

There is clearly a hunger for change with respect to sexual abuse. One need look no further than the #metoo movement to see this. Some truly courageous people are stepping forward to try to affect change. The film will take this conversation to a global audience. We intend to use this platform to pull the curtain back on this horrific epidemic, and showcase the work that is being done by brave artists to start a conversation, to raise awareness, and to effect real change on a global scale.

The success of the documentary will be measured by the amount we are able to contribute to raising awareness and affecting real change at the highest levels. If James Rhodes can take the issue to the top of the Spanish Government, we can use that platform and take this to the rest of the world.

This will be more than a story looking at the emotional effects of trauma – this is a story of art as a powerful political tool that can't take away the past but can reinstate the power and personhood of people who have suffered sexual abuse.

As became clear in the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, most survivors have hidden their traumatic experience from family and friends. For a long time child sexual abuse was a taboo subject and this was exacerbated by the fact that usually such abuse is performed by someone known to and trusted by the child or the family, a person in a position of power in relation to the child.

We are currently seeking international partnerships for this project.

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