Creative Project: Speak Out!

The E-Zine: A Survivor-led creative online publication focused on providing an expressive space for survivors to share creative work, advice and wisdom.

The Speak Out newsletter was first printed in 1990 when Survivors’ Network was set up by a group of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. There are over 100 issues of Speak Out in our archive!

Speak Out was a way of keeping our supporters updated about our work, as well as a vital space for survivors of sexual violence, abuse and harassment to express themselves and their experiences through articles, letters, poetry, artwork and more.

We have revived this amazing project with a brand new format of Speak Out, transforming it into an online zine solely dedicated to showcasing the poetry, artwork, and messages of love, support, and solidarity of survivors in our community.

We work closely alongside survivor-contributors at every stage of the creation of each issue to ensure Speak Out is and will always be a creative space created for and by survivors.

Subscribe here to receive Speak Out! in your inbox each quarter.

How can I get involved? toggle accordion content

We are constantly on the lookout for survivors who wish to contribute works or want to get involved in the creative editing process.

You may be an artist or a poet, a writer or a photographer or you may want to contribute something out of the box; a knitting pattern or a recipe. You may simply want to contribute a message of love to fellow survivors, we are welcoming anything that fits within the parameters of digital copy.

We are also looking for anyone with zine-making (or similar) experience to volunteer their creative skills in putting together an issue of the e-zine.

If you are interested in getting involved please contact sara@survivorsnetwork.org.uk.

What can I contribute?toggle accordion content

Submissions can be created in whatever artform preferred

- Poetry
- Artwork/illustration
- Photography
- Short-form writing of up to 500 words long
- Recipes
- Knitting Patterns
- Anything that can be printed.
- We also welcome messages for other survivors for inclusion, whether or not they’re attached to another piece of work.

Remember: This is a publication created by survivors, for survivors. Bear in mind your responsibility to the reader’s wellbeing, while being true to yourself and what you create. Trigger warnings will be used to allow readers to make their own decisions on what is safe to read.

What we’ll ask for with your submissiontoggle accordion content

Your name or preferred pseudonym (whatever name you want attached to your work)
Any trigger-warnings you think are appropriate for your submission
A message to other survivors (if you feel comfortable including this)
Contact information if you’d like to be invited to the next contributor meeting, to be held at the Brighton office after issue release.
Whether you would be willing to record yourself reading your work (if it’s written) or mind someone else reading it for a recording to include with an accessible version of the e-zine.

What are the themes of each issue?toggle accordion content

The themes of each issue can be used as loosely or closely as you wish. They are a vague guide that ensures the flow of the publication.

Each theme reflects one of our values here at Survivors’ Network, they include…

Empowerment
Collaboration
Compassion
Bravery

How do I send my submission?toggle accordion content

Use this form or email submissions to sara@survivorsnetwork.org.uk.

What happens after I have submitted?toggle accordion content

If you have provided your contact information, we will be in touch if we feel there is anything we have to follow up on. We will also send you the issue once completed, and be in touch about the next contributor meeting, deadline and theme for the next issue. You can ask to be removed from this list at any time.