Raising our Voice - emerging from the shadows of domestic abuse

Theater of Witness is a form of testimonial performance developed by founder and artistic director Teya, in which the true life stories of those whose voices haven’t been heard in society are performed by the storytellers themselves as a way for audiences to bear witness to significant social issues.

The theater productions are scripted from individual and group interviews as well as a variety of creative process techniques and consist of scripted text, music, movement, imagery and film projection. The productions are created with the performers who themselves have directly experienced the issues being explored. Theater of Witness invites audiences to put a face and heart to societal issues of suffering and to celebrate the power of the human spirit to grow and transform. Theater of Witness is a form of peace building and inspiration.

Based on an original, live Theater of Witness production, this video breaks the silence that often shrouds domestic abuse. It does so by weaving the stories of eight performers, who come from different countries, cultures and backgrounds but share the common experience of having been victims, perpetrators or witnesses of domestic abuse, into a collective cry for understanding, action and healing.The film serves as a powerful catalyst for dialogue about abuse, violence, trauma, survival, resiliency, recovery, and individual/collective responsibility.The production was designed to educate communities about domestic violence and underscore the reality that there is hope for healing and transformation.