OUR PROJECTS

Feeling Safe and Free workshops for Young People

The Feeling Safe and Free project is an innovative community-led initiative that creates safe spaces for young people to engage in conversations about challenging but important issues around sex, sexual harassment, consent, coercive control, intimate abuse, and safe relationships. What’s unique about this project is the use of different creative storytelling tools and media for young people to explore issues that are important to them. Project creator and facilitator, Dr Marilyn Metta’s vision is for the project to reach as many young people in marginalised and remote communities around the country as possible.

• 1 in 4 women in Australia have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 15

• 1 in 6 women had experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner since the age of 15

The Line Campaign commissioned by Our Watch found:

• 1 in 3 young people believed that “exerting control over someone is not a form of violence”

• 1 in 6 young people believed that women should know their place

• 1 in 4 young people thought it was normal for men to pressure women in sex

The Feeling Safe and Free project is specially designed to respond to and address these worrying trends by engaging young people in actively challenging these unhealthy attitudes.

For more information on our workshops:

Visual Storytelling Project

In partnership with the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance, WA, our Founder and CEO, Dr Marilyn Metta had the opportunity to spend some time with a group of Bunuba students to create a video storytelling series at the Fitzroy Valley District High School as part of the HumanKIND project. The students shared stories about themselves and about learning their Bunuba language in their school. Marilyn also travelled to the Ardyaloon community where she collaborated with a group of students at the One Arm Point Community School to create a series of short videos of their stories and sharing their Bardi language.

Metis Theatre Project (co-created by Dr Marilyn Metta and Ass. Professor Leah Mercer)

Metis is a new, original theatre work that weaves the ancient mythological story of the Greek Goddess Metis into a contemporary narrative of resistance for women who have experienced and/or been exposed to intimate abuse and domestic violence. Metis uses mythology to offer alternative forms of storytelling that directly engage women who have experienced family & domestic violence from culturally diverse backgrounds, and industry professionals in the domestic violence sector, educators, health and legal sectors, and the arts.

The story of the Goddess Metis

Metis was the first wife of Zeus before he became the king of all gods. Metis was known to possess all the qualities of a great leader, with wisdom, accurate foresight, strength, and a special kind of intelligence. Zeus impregnated her and ingested her in order to possess all her powers. As a result, Zeus was able to exercise sovereignty.

Testimony

“I was struck by the level of connection with the characters which some members of the audience described; they appeared to be profoundly moved by it, recognising at a deep level some of the specific interpersonal dynamics presented to us.”

“I think that this play has the potential to offer both support and hope to those affected by Domestic Violence, and also of great importance to further educate the general public about the insidious and dangerous nature of this scourge, the end product of which can be the end of innocent lives, as we have witnessed repeatedly and close to hand in recent years and months.”

~ Michele, Clinical Psychologist ~

For more information on the Metis theatre project, please contact us.