Project Details
Description
The Co-Creating Spaces of Change (COSC) project set out to support DVA survivors by offering creative engagement opportunities within a supportive university environment. After consultation sessions with survivors in refuge and support staff, USW researchers from diverse fields — including criminology, health and social care, and creative arts — came together with colleagues who volunteered their expertise to deliver taster sessions. This interdisciplinary team worked toward a common goal: to support survivors in refuge by creating connections, opportunities for empowerment, and exploring pathways into education.
Over a 14-week pilot phase, COSC provided 14 women with weekly workshops designed to improve wellbeing and foster new skills. Hosted on USW campuses and co-designed with the women, sessions included creative activities such as photography, yoga, and collage poetry as well as sessions on homicide investigation and creative writing.
The workshops proved to be a safe space where participants could temporarily experience some relief from refuge, engage with others, and explore new skills.
This pilot phase demonstrated the transformative impact of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex social issues like DVA.
The combination of creative expression and wellbeing-focused activities had measurable positive effects. The Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) revealed that participants’ wellbeing scores increased from 39.4 to 45.8 on average.
The impact extended beyond individual participants. As the refuge manager observed, “When people come back who are lighter and enthused, it shifts the whole dynamic of the refuge.” By promoting a sense of hope, the project helped create a more positive and supportive refuge environment.
Over a 14-week pilot phase, COSC provided 14 women with weekly workshops designed to improve wellbeing and foster new skills. Hosted on USW campuses and co-designed with the women, sessions included creative activities such as photography, yoga, and collage poetry as well as sessions on homicide investigation and creative writing.
The workshops proved to be a safe space where participants could temporarily experience some relief from refuge, engage with others, and explore new skills.
This pilot phase demonstrated the transformative impact of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex social issues like DVA.
The combination of creative expression and wellbeing-focused activities had measurable positive effects. The Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) revealed that participants’ wellbeing scores increased from 39.4 to 45.8 on average.
The impact extended beyond individual participants. As the refuge manager observed, “When people come back who are lighter and enthused, it shifts the whole dynamic of the refuge.” By promoting a sense of hope, the project helped create a more positive and supportive refuge environment.
Status | Active |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 1/01/24 → … |
Links | https://www.iwa.wales/agenda/2024/11/spaces-for-change-for-survivors-of-domestic-violence-and-abuse/ |