An artist-led community arts project exploring memory, resilience and healing through creative practice.

Supported by the Culture Mile BID Community Fund, Reclaiming Stories is a unique trauma-informed arts project created by WE RESTART in collaboration with internationally acclaimed artist Sujata Setia. 

Through a series of one-to-one creative conversations and small group workshops, the project invites women to explore personal experiences, identity and resilience through artistic expression. Rather than asking participants to "tell their story", Reclaiming Stories creates a safe, supportive environment where memories, emotions and reflections can gradually take shape through photography, paper folding, conversation and collaborative art-making.

Some experiences remain with us long after childhood. They shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we move through the world. Reclaiming Stories is a trauma-informed community arts project for adult women of all backgrounds who have experienced abuse, trauma or adversity during childhood.

Through a series of one-to-one creative conversations and small group workshops, participants will explore memory, identity and resilience through photography, paper folding, conversation and collaborative art-making. Rather than asking women to recount their experiences, the project creates a safe, supportive environment where thoughts, emotions and memories can gradually find expression through creativity.

No previous artistic experience is required. What matters is a willingness to explore, reflect and create at your own pace. This is not therapy. It is a professionally facilitated, trauma-informed arts programme where participants remain in control of what they choose to share and how their experiences are represented. Every participant decides what their story looks like.

The completed artworks will be exhibited during Women's History Month 2027, celebrating creativity, resilience and the strength that emerges when stories are reclaimed through art.

Sujata Setia is an internationally award-winning visual artist whose work explores memory, identity, migration, mental health, gender-based violence and intergenerational trauma.

For more than a decade, her practice has challenged conventional portraiture by combining photography with sculptural interventions, creating deeply moving works that give visual form to experiences that are often difficult to articulate.

Her work has been exhibited internationally and recognised through numerous prestigious awards, including the Wellcome Photography Prize. She has collaborated extensively with survivors of domestic abuse and marginalised communities, developing an artistic practice that places listening, trust and co-creation at its centre.

Reclaiming Stories builds upon years of research and participatory practice, creating a space where artistic excellence and compassionate engagement come together.

Rather than creating work about participants, Sujata creates work with them, ensuring every participant remains an active collaborator throughout the creative journey.

Art has the ability to express what words sometimes cannot.

Creative processes such as photography, making, folding, assembling and storytelling allow thoughts and emotions to emerge gradually, without pressure or expectation.

Within Reclaiming Stories, creativity becomes a language for reflection, helping participants reconnect with their own strengths while discovering new ways of seeing themselves and their experiences. Every artwork becomes a testament not only to individual journeys, but also to resilience, hope and transformation.

We are currently inviting expressions of interest from adult women of all backgrounds who have experienced abuse, trauma or adversity during childhood.

Participation includes:

• Three one-to-one creative dialogue sessions with internationally acclaimed artist Sujata Setia
• Three small group creative workshops
• The collaborative creation of an original artwork
• Participation in a public exhibition during Women's History Month 2027
• A thank-you gift voucher in recognition of your time and commitment

No previous artistic experience is necessary.

Before deciding whether to take part, you will have the opportunity to have an informal conversation with Sujata to ask questions, learn more about the project and decide whether it feels right for you.