Rising Free - made by survivors, for survivors

Rising Free is a deeply powerful, moving and inspiring anthology of creative writing and storytelling by survivors of sexual violence who have accessed our support at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC). Their contributions in Rising Free are intended to share strength and voice with other survivors.

In September last year, a group of seven survivors first met at ERCC, and over the following nine months they worked incredibly hard to courageously give voice to their trauma, survival, healing, anger, and passion and activism for change. The compassion, empathy, generosity, wisdom and solidarity group members have shared with each other has been deeply humbling and moving.

Storytelling has an important role in our work. Our history and ethos as a centre and women’s and survivors’ movements is rooted in acts of coming together and telling our stories, speaking out and reclaiming our voices, narratives and power, whether it be through providing safe, respectful therapeutic spaces for survivors to tell their stories in their own words and at their own pace, or through activist campaigns calling for justice, change and an end to sexual violence and gender inequality.

We are founded as a service and movement on the need to provide a space for survivors’ stories to be held and heard. Survivors tell us being able to tell their story, to speak their truth, whether through words, music, art, whatever means feels authentic and safe for each survivor, helps lessen the shame, stigma and sense of aloneness they have carried, and often felt silenced by, perhaps for many years. Rising Free was born from these reflections, to honour the power of survivor stories in creating change, both individually and societally.

On 24 June we launched Rising Free, at a very special event which also marked the end of a year of events marking our 40th anniversary. We were deeply honoured to be joined by the courageous and inspirational authors of Rising Free, who read from some of their work and spoke about the need for change. We were also delighted to be joined by Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland and tireless campaigner and advocate for survivors’ rights, who spoke about the power of survivors’ voices to influence change and survivor-led activism for improved justice and support for survivors.

A special mention is much needed for current and former ERCC staff members Nadine Aisha Jassat, who led the group creative writing workshops and the development and design of Rising Free, and Leona Jack and Jenni, who co-facilitated and supported the group. In this time group members not only wrote a book, no mean feat itself, but also spoken at a number of events, here at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, at the Scottish Parliament and in meetings with councillors and elected representatives. One of the group has formed a national movement, Speak Out Survivors, with other survivors across Scotland, to campaign for improved services and justice for survivors.

The power of survivors coming together, building connection, speaking out and standing together in solidarity can never be underestimated. Social movements are formed of it. Change happens because of it.

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Rising Free is available by donation from Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, if you would like a copy please email info@ercc.scot