‘Jess’: a film by UYA and LWA

For the last few weeks, our over 16s group has been working closely with the charity Living Without Abuse (LWA), developing a filmed piece to raise awareness for domestic abuse in relationships between young people.

Directed by our artistic director Kieran and with guidance from LWA, the aim of the film is to help highlight the reality of domestic abuse in young people. We were shocked to learn that women aged 20-24 are the most likely group to experience domestic abuse and that 12.6% of girls and 6.6% of boys aged 16-19 reported having experienced some form of domestic abuse in their lives. The piece is fictional and devised by the actors themselves who have developed scenes based on our conversations with LWA and their first-hand experience working with young people who have experienced abuse.

LWA delivers services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for domestic and sexual abuse, and we were honoured to be invited to work in collaboration with them on this project. Upon completion, the film will be shared on social media to reach as many people as possible.

LWA Helpline – 0808 80 200 28 (Mon to Sat. 8am to 8pm)

The Helpline is available for anyone wishing to access support from LWA or the wider UAVA services. The helpline can also provide advice and support to friends and family members.

https://lwa.org.uk/