GUELPH – The community is invited to join Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis on May 30 from 10am to 1:30pm at the Red Pavilion at Riverside Park (709 Woolwich St.) for an exhibit of local art by survivors of sexual violence.
May is Sexual Violence Prevention Month, which aims to raise awareness about rising rates of sexual violence in Canada and to champion those who have survived violence.
In Canada, rates of reported level-one sexual assault have increased 51 per cent from 2013 to 2023, while rates of reported level-two sexual assault (involving a weapon or bodily harm) have gone up 77%.
This is a critical moment to voice support for survivors and to recognize their resilience and strength in the face of systems that often retraumatize them, officials state in a press release.
The event, Celebrations of Survivorship, will feature local survivor art, poetry readings, movement and arts-based activities, as well as information tables with local organizations that support people who have experienced sexual violence.
This event is in partnership with the Art Gallery of Guelph, the Grove Hubs, Guelph CHC, the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED), Guelph General Hospital, Out on the Shelf, SHORE, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC), Student Wellness at the University of Guelph and Victim Services.
Financial support is generously provided by the Canadian Federation of University Women and Global Currency Services.
For more information follow gwwic on social media or visit gwwomenincrisis.org/events.
