They’ll be raising their voices at the Chapel Hill Public Library tonight, when survivors of sexual violence will unite with the general public for the center’s annual “Shout Out! Against Sexual Violence” event, which features survivor artwork, including paintings, collages, spoken word and more.
Joey Honeycutt, crisis response coordinator at the rape crisis center, said the night’s theme will explore victimization and survivorship. The program includes eight scheduled performances followed by an open mic.
Honeycutt said the main purpose of the event is to allow survivors a safe place to tell their stories and share their experiences in a world that doesn’t often engage in such dialogue.
“It’s not something that a lot of folks in the general public are comfortable hearing about,” she said. “It’s really important to us to designate this event as a safe space for survivors to come and share their stories and know that they’re going to be believed, validated and supported.”
Ellie Beck — a UNC senior majoring in peace, war and defense — said she thinks “Shout Out!” will be a unifying event for the public, offering the chance to understand the survivors.
“I think it’s good to understand the feelings provoked in people when they’ve been through something like (they have),” she said. “I have a couple friends who — their experiences with that kind of thing have really opened my eyes to how to be more thoughtful of people.”
Alexandra Lowrie, a 2012 UNC alumna, said she thinks art is a healthy way for survivors to express their emotions.
As a survivor of sexual violence, Lowrie said it’s important for survivors and members of the general public to know that there is no “normal” way to feel.
