General

In July 2023, colleagues, friends, and students of Professor Joanna Bourke (PI of the SHaME Project) came together to mark Joanna's retirement from Birkbeck, University of London. SHaME's Allison McKibban shares about the evening, which included a panel discussion of her work, an interview, and a video tribute.

SHaME Director Ruth Beecher sits down with Principal Investigator Joanna Bourke to reflect on changing understandings, societal developments, and new perspectives between two of her groundbreaking works on sexual violence: Rape (2007) and Disgrace (2022).

SHaME's Charlie Jeffries and Avni Patel chat with Thomas Andrew Faulker and Kalpana Viswnath to explore the role of design in preventing sexual harm in public and private spaces. Does it exist? If so where?

SHaME's George Severs interviews author and activist Tanaka Mhishi about his powerful book 'Sons and Others: On Loving Male Survivors' following its launch late last year.

On 24 September, Ecoar!, the second Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seeking to empower survivors in their healing, and to provide a call to action for urgent changes to professional practice and policy around abuse, the festival aimed to create a space to share perspectives and build ongoing collaborations. The SHaME delegation to Rio reflect on their experience.

On World AIDS Day (December 1st), Dr George Severs reflects on some of the early HIV responses of forensic medics working with rape survivors.

Curator Fiona Rogers discusses the work of artist Laia Abril in the context of how gendered violence and rape appear in the canon and spaces of art history. An exhibition of Abril's work is on display at the Copeland Gallery from 10-27th November 2022.

On 24th September, the Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence will take place in its second year in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. Called Ecoar! Festival, the one day festival will be created and presented by Redes da Maré, in partnership with SHaME and the WOW Foundation.

On October 7th 2022, SHaME celebrated the release of Professor Joanna Bourke's new book, Disgrace: Global Reflections on Sexual Violence, published by Reaktion Books. Joanna was joined by Jude Kelly CBE, Marai Larasi, Dr Rhea Sookdeosingh, and Maisha Sumah in a conversation between artists, activists and academics on boundary-crossing global approaches to creating a rape free world.

SHaME was honoured to host the official book launch of author, activist, survivor and academic Winnie M Li’s second novel, ‘Complicit’ (Orion). Winnie was joined in conversation by Prof Joanna Bourke and guests Marai Larasi, Prof Liz Kelly, Rowena Chiu, and Dr Katherine Angel.

Amongst the many risks and uncertainties brought on by an act of sexual violence is the threat of sexually transmitted infection. What are the barriers to such post-rape health care and advice? In this blog, SHaME Postdoctoral Fellow Dr George Severs reflects on a policy roundtable which considered these questions in relation to HIV.

Last week, the SHaME team was thrilled to hear that the 'Shameless! Festivals of Activism Against Sexual Violence' had won the award for Public Empowerment at Birkbeck's Public Engagement Award ceremony.

SHaME Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Rhian Keyse discusses the recent U.S. Supreme Court leaked draft opinion, its ahistorical logic, and its implications for abortion rights in the U.S.

SHaME Public Engagement Coordinators Dr Rhea Sookdeosingh and Allison McKibban introduce (Un)Silenced, a series in collaboration with History Workshop Online, which explores how sexual violence relates to various societal institutions.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: A Lost Opportunity By Ruth Beecher and Joanna Bourke   The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), whose...

SHaME reflects on the death of bell hooks. We think about hooks’ legacy and influence on our own work.

'Words from an "Unideal" Victim' by Mary Morgan   Are you an ideal victim?   In allegations of sexual assault, there exists an “ideal victim.”...

SHaME is pleased to present a Call for Proposals for filmmakers to create films linked to the themes of medical or psychiatry aspects of sexual violence.