ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
Domestic abuse, coercive control and violence against women shape the lives of many of the women we work with, in prison, in the community and in housing and homelessness services. Through film, audio and storytelling, esc films works alongside survivors to make sure their experiences are heard and understood, and that they lead to change.
We work in partnership with specialist organisations, including North Down and Ards Women’s Aid, to create work that raises awareness, challenges stigma and helps frontline professionals respond with empathy and understanding.
Unboxing Women Many women in custody have experienced domestic abuse and trauma long before they enter prison. Through our Unboxing Women programme at Hydebank Wood, women in custody use expressive writing to explore the experiences that shaped their lives, including domestic abuse and coercive control. Their anonymous stories form a powerful audiovisual installation that builds understanding and challenges how women in prison are seen. Explore Unboxing Women
Inspiring Women In partnership with the mental health charity Inspire, we worked with a group of vulnerable women with learning disabilities who had experienced coercive control and domestic abuse. Together they created five short films telling their own stories in their own words, and participants gained ASDAN Expressive Arts Awards. Watch the Inspiring Women films
A Roomful of Doors – Housing and Domestic Abuse: An Immersive Training Course A Roomful of Doors is a virtual reality training film we created for Housing Rights, working with VR film-maker Gavin Peden and a cast of local actors. It was developed through a series of workshops with women who had experienced domestic abuse and presented as homeless, and with Housing Executive and housing staff who shared the issue from their side of the desk.
The film is at the heart of Housing and Domestic Abuse: An Immersive Training Course, delivered by Housing Rights in partnership with North Down and Ards Women’s Aid for anyone working on the frontline in housing and homelessness in Northern Ireland. Trainees are put into the shoes of a woman seeking help with her housing. They hear her thoughts, see things from her perspective and gain real insight into her experience.
The course has been delivered to several hundred frontline staff across the Housing Executive, housing associations and charities, and won the ‘Working in Partnership’ award at the CIH All-Ireland Housing Awards 2025.
Find out more about the course at Housing Rights
Coming in 2027 We are currently working with North Down and Ards Women’s Aid and a group of survivors on a new film and podcast series, launching in 2027.
If you are affected by domestic or sexual abuse, the 24-hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline is free on 0808 802 1414. In an emergency, call 999.
