Elisa Edmondson was sexually assaulted twice and decided to create a documentary called Chapter 42 to raise awareness about sexual violence in the northeast of England. She shares her experiences being assaulted and going to court to press charges. The documentary will educate people about sexual violence laws and statistics while also creating solidarity for victims. Elisa needs help organizing fundraising events in May to establish Chapter 42 as a company and contribute to the documentary's budget. She proposes holding one-on-one meetings and group meetings to discuss event ideas like a coffee morning, movie night, art exhibition, and fundraising gig to involve others in the project.
2. This is a matter that affects a lot of people on a personal level. I thought I
should give you a bit of information about myself and my own experience,
so you can understand the motive behind this project. There is no
pressure in reading it as I understand it is a difficult subject, but I thought
I should at least give you a background and a reason why I am doing this.
Who am I?
My name is Elisa Edmondson, and I am studying a Graphic Design course
at Newcastle College, this year is the final year of my bachelor degree.
I was sexually assaulted for the first time when I was 18 at a party;
because I was under the influence of alcohol and wasn’t able to defend
myself, I felt guilty and ashamed afterwards and it took me years to
accept what had happened, let alone do anything about it.
The second time it happened was at a music venue in the Newcastle City
Centre. This time I decided that I wouldn’t let the person get away with it
and ran after him. Thanks to the help of the staff and the people who were
there, the police managed to arrest him on that night and I decided to
press charges against him.
Nearly a year forward after that night, I and my two friends who were at
the gig had to stand in court against that man. It was the scariest and the
most intense experience of my life but having my two friends by my side,
accompanied by my loved ones to support us made it easier.
I’ll never forget the feeling of solidarity we all felt that day, and when that
person was found guilty, I decided that I would take a stand against this
atrocious behaviour and forward my efforts into taking a stand against it.
I would like to recreate the feeling of solidarity and unity that I felt that
day, and I would like as many people as possible to be a part of it.
(TW: Sexual Violence)
3. Chapter 42, also known as the Sexual Offenses Act, is the 42nd act to be
produced in Parliament in 2003 and is the name of the documentary I will
be making next year to raise awareness on sexual violence in the North
East. Its main purpose is to educate society and individuals by providing
accurate information and statistics about the law and encourage victims
to seek justice while also creating a feeling of solidarity for them.
Because the documentary needs to be recognized on an industry level,
this will implicate a lot of funding and required skills that I cannot provide
only by myself. The first step we need to make is to spread the word out
and raise fundings to get the project started.
What is Chapter 42?
In May, we are going to organise an event week (or event day, depending
on the timescale and how realistic and achievable our goal is) to spread
the word around about Chapter 42 and raise awareness on sexual
violence and how it affects so many of us every day. The money we will be
raising will first pay off the legal steps needed to establish Chapter 42 as
a Limited Company, then contribute to the documentary’s budget.
However, the event’s purpose is not to only raise money but also to
spread the word and to get people involved in this project so that
hopefully next year you would want to participate in the making of the
documentary.
This is where I need your
help
4. First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for wanting to take part in
this. The response from it so far has been amazing and I’m excited to work
with you all and to create something that we can all be proud of.
I would like to know every one of you on a personal level and find out
what made you want to participate and what you would like to bring to
this project. I was initially thinking to organise a pop-up event where I
could have a one on one chat with everyone individually, then secondly
organise a group meeting where we can all get together and brainstorm
ideas.
I understand that people might have obligations or might not live in
Newcastle, and there is no issue if you can’t make it to these meetings; we
can arrange something else through messages or phone calls to discuss it.
I will come up with a date and a location in the next few days and will let
you know what the plan is going to be. What I am thinking so far is to
choose a city centre-based location for accessibility like a cafe, and let
individuals choose a 30min window so you can come in and have a chat
with me on that day. Then I’ll organise a group meeting a few days later,
also at a city centre-based location.
The first step
These are a few ideas on what activities and workshops that could take
place at the event. I’ve added next to them the skills and help required so
you can get a rough idea of what is needed and what you would like, and
feel comfortable to help with.
These are my ideas so far. By all means, if you have any more ideas or
suggestions, please feel free to let me know.
Ideas so far
5. Coffee morning location, cakes and treats,
beverages
Movie night Location, projector, screen
Exhibition Location, artworks, beverages,
advertisement, merchandise
created by local artists
Fundraising gig Location, bands/ musicians,
advertisement, merchandise
created by local artists
Arts & Crafts Location, arts and crafts equipment
These activities don’t have to be done separately, some of them can also
be done on the same day!
I will soon get in touch to let you know the date and location of the upco-
ming one-on-one meeting. In the meantime, you can contact me directly
on my private instagram or Chapter 42, or contact me via email at
elisaedmondson1401@gmail.com.
@ elisaedmondson
@ c42documentary
https://www.facebook.com/c42documentary/
