Event highlights domestic abuse
‘EMOTIONALLY exhausting’, ‘thought provoking’, ‘gripping’ and ‘powerful’ – some of the words used to describe a performance in Lochaber created to address gender inequality and domestic abuse.
Hosted by Lochaber Women’s Aid (LWA) at the railway club on October 25, Nel Whiting from Scottish Women’s Aid and play-write Naomi Breeze touched on these sensitive issues.
After a few words from Loraine Revitt of LWA, Nel discussed how domestic abuse may not necessarily involve violence, and that the way we look at it or frame the issue can effect the success of services put in place to help.
Nel, who also lectures police officers and social workers on the subject, introduced the topic of ‘coercive control’ where a person’s freedom to go about their every day life is limited in an abusive and often degrading manner.
She also shared aspects of her own ‘survival story’ to the 80-strong crowd of mostly women.
Naomi then took to the stage to perform a one-woman show named Kaleidoscope, a compilation of harrowing ordeals experienced by various women Naomi has spoken to during her research.
After the play, LWA asked the audience to write down their thoughts on it to help gauge how effective the play had been.
Anita Maclean said the group was overwhelmed by the attendance and the response. As part of their efforts to support women and families who are victims of domestic abuse, the group recently launched a new website which she said has already received a boost since the event took place.
Lorraine Revitt, added: ‘ The website went live a week ago and we have already noticed an increase in the number of visits to the new website since the performance of Kaleidoscope.’