Unsettled (2025)

The images shown above are taken from various pages of the photo zines created by participants as part of the project. Each zine reflects the individual experiences, perspectives and creative voices of its maker. To ensure safety and confidentiality, all contributors remain anonymous.

Unsettled was a participatory arts-based project with West Cornwall Womens Aid (WCWA) which included a series of photography and writing workshops with a small group of women who have fled domestic abuse and rebuilding their lives. 

The workshops provided the participants with the time and space to unlock their creative potential by experimenting with photography and creative writing, enabling them to express their thoughts, feelings and lived experiences while they adjusted to and reconceptualised their lives. As the project developed, the Resettlement Worker who supported the participants in the workshops became an active participant herself.  In her everyday role supporting survivors to relocate across Cornwall she had a unique voice which had an intuitive understanding of the challenges faced by participants, while also maintaining a perspective shaped by her professional role. 

Through a participant-centred approach, knowledge is something that emerges naturally through the process of working together. It’s co-created through dialogue, shared experiences, creativity, and most importantly, trust.  It is about building a relationship with others, by creating a space that becomes safe for everyone to gradually find their voice.  A voice that speaks consciously & intuitively about one’s experiences. It’s an understanding that can only emerge by creating the time and waiting for trust to grow.

The overall aim of the project was to share the stories of women being supported by WCWA whilst going through resettlement, to raise awareness and hopefully bring change, but also through the process of sharing their stories, it became a space for healing for the participants, bringing with it a sense of achievement and empowerment. 

The project culminated in a touring exhibition that opened at The Exchange Gallery, Penzance, as part of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.