Dear Artists, friends and colleagues

We would like your assistance to promote our Online Poster/Visual Media Competition, designed to support Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM).

A prize of $500 will be awarded by the Competition Panel to the Poster/Visual Media which best expresses the theme:

‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced...It's not who I am.’
Art is a powerful medium that can both bear witness and support personal and social change. This competition provides an avenue for artists, art students, art educators, art therapists, anyone, to use their creativity to express and explore this complex issue. We welcome entries from anywhere in the world.

Rationale for this theme

Living Well is a service that specifically works with men who have experienced childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault, as well as their partners, friends and family (see www.livingwell.org.au). The statement ‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced... It is not who I am’ was made by a man attending the Living Well Service. It has been chosen as the competition theme for the way that it both acknowledges a man's experience of sexual abuse and his commitment to living a life defined by him.

Research tell us that 1 in 6 men will experience childhood sexual abuse and that on average they will take 22 years to tell someone about it, 10 years longer than women. When men do come forward, they often talk of their being limited public awareness or supportive accounts that speak to their experience.

In our work with men who have been subjected to sexual abuse our challenge is to find ways to both acknowledge the profound horror, pain and difficulties produced by sexual assault, whilst simultaneously noticing and supporting a person’s struggles, ways of managing, holding on to hope, engaging with and commitment to living a full life. At Living Well, we see our work as inspiring, hopeful, transformative, life supporting work that acknowledges that people's lives are multi-storied. We are looking to reward and promote the poster/visual media that navigates this complex terrain and best addresses the identified theme ‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced…It is not who I am.’

Visual Media can raise awareness and become inspirational
k


Submissions to be received by the 3rd of October 2011. Winners to be announced on the 26th of October 2011

A Prize of AU$500 will be awarded by the Competition Panel. A Prize of AU$250 will be awarded to the People's Choice

For more information on the Competition and how to enter please go to http://www.livingwell.org.au/Multimedia/OnlinePosterVisualMediaCompetition.aspx

How you can help. In order to assist us in promoting this event, as well as increasing awareness and support for those who have experienced sexual violence, we ask that you let as many people as you can know about the competition, be it by email;, word of mouth, on Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, or some other means. Please check us out at www.livingwell.org.au, forward this email or post the attached flyer.

At Living Well we welcome enquiries and opportunities to work with individuals and organisations to reduce the influence of sexual abuse in men's lives and those of their friends and family. Please contact us if you are interested in partnering on this project or joining us in this life supporting work.

Looking forward to hearing from you and wishing you all the best

Gary


Dr Gary Foster



Manager

Spiritus Sexual Assault Services

living Well www.livingwell.org.au



9/1220 Sandgate Road, Nundah, Q 4012

Email gfoster@spiritus.org.au

Phone 61 (0)7 3435 4300

Mobile 0439 731 115

Fax 61 (0)7 3256 7466

I hope this gets more attention! I just ran across it.

Couldn't be a pretty healing thing to participate in? I'm speaking to all survivors here, not just self described "artists".

Print some posters out of the call for entries and post them where artists can find them. (As I will).

Thanks Ken,
Nice to read this and know that by these efforts men will see the results and seek support.
There were times in my history when l was jealous of women being able to form, maintain and expand services for female and children survivors. I never had a place to go, well it was more than that, it was a victim mentality that also kept me quiet.
Change victim mentality and we win half the battle.
Parents and awareness programs are doing that now.
Even my Mom who has her grandchildren over for extended periods says she is guarded, unlike when she raised us kids forty years ago. And my family lives in ultra rural California Sierras. My Mom freaked when l downloaded the registered offenders in her town of Tuolumne; 16. Then l posted copies on the two town bulleten boards.
Many of the tight knit community recognized up to four offenders when l showed the listings to friends. The cashier at the market knew six.
This community has vigilantism, The Clampers, but why does society have to accept these lowlifes?
What is the ratio of sex offenders in society. We got 1 n 6 and 1 n 4 for victims but l sometimes wonder when l'm in WalMart how many predator/offenders are in the general public. My guess is 5%, factoring in multiple victims per offender.
Anyway its feels good to know there is a huge crusade going on and men can find the best they deserve.
Doug

Post Script: Thank You so much Malesurvivor for the first name/username basis, without that l would never know the men here or connect the way we do.

I received an update of the address. It is:

http://www.livingwell.org.au/Multimedia/OnlinePosterVisualMediaCompetition.aspx