Community singalong and art installation highlight sexual abuse awareness in Barnstaple

A community event in Barnstaple will highlight sexual and domestic abuse as part of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (2–8 February).

For Her, We Sing Louder Than Silence takes place on Saturday 31 January at Barnstaple Pannier Market. 

The event is the culmination of Flourishing Women, a project led by women in North Devon with lived experience of sexual and domestic violence, delivered by Flourishing Barnstaple in partnership with Surviving Abuse North Devon (SAND).

The event aims to raise awareness of sexual and domestic violence, promote local support services, and provide a message of solidarity for survivors.

A community singalong will begin at midday, with songs selected by project participants and performed by local band Soul Endeavour. Lyrics will be provided, so people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take part.

The event will also coincide with the opening of an art installation at Barnstaple Pannier Market, celebrating female resilience and community while highlighting sexual and domestic abuse.

The installation will remain on display for two weeks.

Michelle Nicholson-Sanz, Flourishing Barnstaple’s Community Engagement Coordinator and project lead for Flourishing Women, said: “This event was shaped by courageous women with lived experience to celebrate female strength and ensure that survivors know they are not alone.

“When sexual and domestic abuse remains unspoken, it can increase feelings of isolation and helplessness, even though survivors are never at fault for what happened to them. By gathering as a community, we raise awareness, celebrate strength, and offer solidarity.”

Flourishing Barnstaple, a North Devon Council initiative, organised the event and installation to support cultural activity in the town. 

Funding is provided by the Cultural Development Fund, administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.