New project gives HIV positive people the chance to share their stories and experiences of living with HIV without needing to publicly disclose their status.
The project will be launched on World Health Day, Monday, April 7 2014, 5.30-6.30pm, Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton, BN1 1GE.
Speaking Volumes will be on display at the Jubilee Library for two months until June 7, 2014 and the stories will also be available online.
Speaking Volumes is a flexible and responsive storytelling project, designed to give marginalised people a voice, and allow the public to hear the stories of the disenfranchised – with the aim of increasing understanding and reducing stigma.
Working with HIV positive people living in Sussex to record their stories, the Speaking Volumes ‘living books’ will be on display in the Jubilee Library for two months, before moving to other venues, enabling as many people as possible to engage with the material. The recordings will also be permanently available on the Speaking Volumes website.
“It feels like we have been waiting for the chance to share our story for years” said: Lily Rose, a Project participant.
The project not only helps to dispel stigma, it also provides a supportive space for people with similar issues to meet. As marginalised people are often isolated, a crucial element of the project is the development of support networks, which have already burgeoned.
Angelina Namiba, a Project Participant, said: “Having HIV does not stop you from being a mum, does not stop you from having a relationship and does not stop you from working. All you need to do is get the right treatment, care and support and you can live as healthy a life as anyone else. Don’t let HIV define who you are. Take control.”
Speaking Volumes is special because it is not only a community oral-history or storytelling project, it is also a work of art. The presentation of the sound recordings in the Jubilee Library will be visually arresting and intriguing and will draw people in to engage with the project and listen to the stories.
Speaking Volumes is produced in association with Pink Fringe. www.pinkfringe.org.uk
For more information, CLICK HERE:
Or EMAIL: alice@speakingvolumesproject.org
What: Speaking Volumes Project – ‘Let the books do the talking’
Where: Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton, BN1 1GE.
When: April 7 to June 7
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