Voices of Survivors Project Virtual Photovoice Exhibit

Come attend a virtual walk-through of the Voices of Survivors Project Photo Exhibit and participate in a Q and A with the author. All attendees will receive a copy of the newly released photo book “From the Voices of Domestic Sex Trafficking Survivors: Photographic Expressions of Complex Trauma and Posttraumatic Growth” by Dr. Heather Evans. All ticket proceeds will go towards two organizations working with survivors of sex trafficking. Be prepared for a moving experience of learning more about the experiences of trafficking survivors through their own photography.

The Voices of Survivors Project is a platform for survivors of human sex trafficking or other forms of violence to express their lived experiences as survivors through photography.

The Voices of Survivors Project came from a dissertation study conducted to directly highlight the voices of survivors and their expressed experiences, especially after separation from the trafficker.

Seven women participated in this Photovoice study, six providing eligible photos. They were instructed to take or gather as many pictures as they wanted over 30 days, with the only limitation of no identifying information, such as faces. The prompt given was to take pictures and share a caption that expresses their experiences as a survivor.

The participants then participated in a focus group to together discuss the shared themes and messages of their pictures. Finally, they were asked how they wanted to share these photos with others. They collectively expressed they wanted a national and global reach to learn through their photo journey.

Thus, the Voices of Survivors Project became a transportable exhibit, accompanying photo book, and social media, the fruit of their feedback and their willingness to share their experiences through these photographs. The exhibit contains the submitted photos of each participant, who also chose their identifying name or number displayed throughout the study.

Visit www.voicesofsurvivorsproject.com to learn more.

“There is hope and that it is possible to see beauty even in the midst of the horrific things that have happened. If we can see beauty, then we can communicate beauty because pictures are a form of communication. Then if we communicate beauty, that creates hope and hope then gives us the ability to take another step into the future.” -Grace, Voices of Survivors Project participant