KATRINA BRANDON
By KATRINA BRANDON
“WE arrived as strangers. Each carrying a silent load. I don’t think any of us knew what to expect,” said a victim-survivor, who is sharing with many others their journies through family, and domestic violence through art. From November 25 to December 10, the Latrobe Regional Gallery (LRG) and Anglicare Victoria are sharing a piece in response to the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year’s theme is ‘UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls’. The display is a globe surrounded by hands representing those around the world who are victim-survivors of family and domestic violence. On average, an Australian woman is killed by a man that they know every 10 days, and according to Karen Ryder, an art therapist with Anglicare, that statistic can get even worse. “We all deserve to be safe, equal, and respected,” Ms Ryder said. “The globe represents the whole world, and we are a small part of that world. I have highlighted Australia on the globe in the exhibit. The globe and the hands raised towards the centrally placed globe represent the global unification of activism to end violence against women and children.” Those affected can be anyone, such as your neighbour, co-worker, sister, aunt, and even your children’s friends. Ms Ryder said that the best thing for you to do if you want to support someone, is to listen to them and to be aware that there is family and domestic violence all around the world. “If people wish to help someone they think may be experiencing family violence, it starts with being supportive, listening, and not casting judgement,” Ms Ryder said. “People often don’t realise the small things that make up family violence or domestic violence, whether it might be controlling finances or the obvious things of being controlling physically or violently; there’s the way that people may speak to each other or put others down. There are different types of abuse, and they are not always physical. Abuse is a pattern of behaviour to gain power and control.” The exhibit highlights the issue, raising awareness that it is a global problem and shares visual representations from victim-survivors. Art is often used in therapy quite a bit for different reasons. “People often do art or expressive therapy in their own way by colouring in, listening to music, dancing, cooking or gardening. It’s therapeutic art rather than specific art therapy … more mindfulness by being aware of what you are creating, spending time to reflect, being calm and engaging in some self-care time,” Ms Ryder said. “The art allows the attention to not necessarily be on someone but with the hands directed to the creation.” The Latrobe Regional Gallery is showing ‘UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls’ until this Sunday (December 10). For more information on family and domestic violence, go to respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/
