SHAME ENDS HERE
Multi-Disciplinary Exhibition Addresses Sexual Violence in York and North Yorkshire
WHEN: Sunday 1 February 2026, 2-8pm
WHERE: York City Screen Basement Bar, 13-17 Coney Street, York YO1 9QL
FREE ENTRY but cash donations for Survive welcomed.
An innovative art installation uses police data and personal testimonies to reveal the scale and impact of rape and sexual assault in York and North Yorkshire.
The government recognises that sexual violence is at ‘epidemic’ levels in Britain. Shame Ends Here challenges the myths around the subject to encourage understanding, support healing and enable prevention.
Tackling difficult social issues through research-based collaboration, the York-based group Make Your Mark, led by artist Lucy Churchill, represents a new model for community-engaged art.
THE INSTALLATION: The single-day event features:
- The 1,436 incidents reported to North Yorkshire Police during one year (October 2023-September 2024) are represented in a striking map-based artwork
- A hand-made ‘Book of Testimonies’ with survivors’ contributions
- A short evocative film featuring survivors’ personal reflections
- A pamphlet of data and additional information for visitors to take
- Follow-up online Q&A – Sunday 8 February, 6pm
The project began in May 2025 with a community mapping event at Thin Ice Press, York; members of the public stamped each sex-based crime reported over one year on an Ordnance Survey of North Yorkshire. Lucy Churchill then invited survivors to share their stories. The response on social media was overwhelming: many survivors expressed gratitude for finally being heard, and their testimonies form the heart of the installation.
The project builds on the art-activism of the American feminist Suzanne Lacy whose work “Three Weeks in May – Speaking Out On Rape, A Political Art Piece” resulted in changes to Californian legislation in 1977.
CONTENT WARNING:
The exhibition contains references to sexual violence and survivor testimonies that may be distressing. Support information from Survive will be available on-site.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS & PARTNERS:
Lucy Churchill creates artwork prompted by her own MeToo experience to inspire others to speak out, seek support and find solace through creativity. Crediting the charity Survive with turning her life around, she uses her art to encourage greater public openness about sexual abuse and spotlight the charity’s work rebuilding lives beyond shame and despair.
A recent Arts Council Development Grant enabled Churchill to branch out from her solo practice and establish Make Your Mark, an interdisciplinary collaborative group in York working on socially motivated, research-based art projects.
The project Shame Ends Here was created to highlight the need for victim support in York and North Yorkshire and to honour the charity Survive for their 35 years of support.
Ms Mags Godderidge, CEO of Survive, says: “Rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse is rarely spoken about despite its prevalence and the long-term, sometimes lifelong harm that it causes. We are so grateful to Lucy for shining a spotlight on this difficult subject matter and reminding everyone that behind each police report, is a person. We know many survivors don’t report what happened to them to the police – making this artwork even more impactful as it only shows the tip of the iceberg. As a society, we must do more to show kindness, care and compassion to survivors and ensure that all survivors have access to the support they need to heal, rebuild and thrive”.
