Artwork by Tiffani Dean – Photo by Jody Austin

The mutual support and love demonstrated by survivors of all kinds at the free event Survivor Knights Philadelphia on Saturday, January 21st was truly beautiful. Artists, speakers and poets gathered at the Rotunda on Walnut Street in University City to share their experiences on canvas and onstage.

As people walked around the space taking in the powerful imagery from artists Charlene Lutz (Muse Gallery), Brian Cardoza (The Broken Knee Club and Survivor Knights), Kathleen Mosher (MsMoArt), Mariellen Cressman, Jody Austin aka TruStory (CEO/President The Collective Mic, LLC), and Tiffani Dean aka La Diva Noire (COO/vice-President The Collective Mic, LLC), deep conversations could be heard in every corner about what it means to survive and how survivors can care for one another.

Later in the afternoon the speakers took the stage and filled the room with a hopeful cry for understanding. Inspiring words from Zahra Diallo, Michael Broussard (author and performer of the one man interactive play Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor), Bonnell Williams, Kellie Springer (author of Relentless: A Journey of Forgiveness), Brian Cardoza (author of The Unexpected Victim), Edna J. White (author of Stuff!: Giving the Secret a Voice), Jody Austin, and Tiffani Dean elicited frequent and enthusiastic applause.

As the event wound down people could be heard making plans for the next one, and the next one after that.

Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor would like to thank Survivor Knights founder Brian Cardoza for giving us the opportunity to host this amazing event.

Thanks also go out to the following, for their invaluable assistance: Rotunda Director Gina Renzi, Rotunda Intern Andrew Simpson, audio tech Styx Latte, and volunteer Jennifer Cutler.

If you are interested in hosting a Survivor Knights event in your area, please contact Brian Cardoza at [email protected] or visit www.brokenkneeclub.org or www.facebook.com/SurvivorKnights.

The next Survivor Knights event will be Chasing Immortality on Saturday, January 28th at the New Bern Civic Theatre in New Bern, North Carolina.

On Saturday, January 21st, 2017 at the Rotunda in Philadelphia survivors of all kinds will share their visual art and stories at a free event designed to bring the community together in mutual support. Complete details below.

The event is co-sponsored by the North Carolina based arts community Survivor Knights and Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor.

The Survivor Knights community is the brainchild of survivor and advocate Brian Cardoza, who is also the founder of the Broken Knee Club, a support and advocacy organization working to raise awareness about childhood sexual abuse.

Come out and meet your fellow survivors.

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We are seeking visual artists and speakers for a free event in Philadelphia co-sponsored by the North Carolina based arts community Survivor Knights and Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor.

Survivors of any kind of trauma, abuse, medical condition, or any other life challenge, are invited to display their art and/or to speak at Survivor Knights Philadelphia, Saturday, January 21st, 2017 at the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

To participate, send photos of your art or a recording (audio or video) of your spoken word piece to [email protected]. We will be accepting submissions until December 31st, 2016.

The Survivor Knights community is the brainchild of survivor and advocate Brian Cardoza, who is also the founder of the Broken Knee Club, a support and advocacy organization working to raise awareness about childhood sexual abuse.

We look forward to displaying your art and hearing you speak. Only together can we survive. Your darkest moments may be the light to another.

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Join us for a special FREE PERFORMANCE of Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor plus a free screening of the film To Kill A Kelpie on Sunday, June 26th, 2016 at the Ideal Arts Space in Baltimore, Maryland.

This event is made possible by a partnership between Stop the Silence® and NAASCA, under the Stop the Silence® Art as Advocacy Program.

Please note: some material may not be appropriate for all audiences.

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Last night I had the honor of presenting Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor for the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Penn Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and the Penn Department of Psychiatry. The experience was, in a word, amazing.

This was my first time presenting to a largely academic audience and the feedback was revelatory. I learned so much from the questions and comments of medical professionals and students and their feedback drove a performance that delved even deeper than usual into the issues surrounding childhood sexual abuse.

We talked about the importance of parents letting their children know that they could share anything and that their words would be heard and respected. We talked about the family narrative, about examining the entire picture surrounding an abused child, and taking time to address all of that. We talked about Statutes of Limitations reform, healing as an adult through positive relationships, helping the non survivor community to fully understand the survivor experience … and so much more.

It was without a doubt one of the most productive conversations I have ever witnessed at an Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor performance.

I would like to thank Denise LaMarra, Colleen Quinn, and Janice Radway of Penn’s Standardized Patient Program, along with Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Penn, Benoit Dubé, MD for coordinating all the tiny details that went into making this event happen.

I would also like to thank the Director of Penn’s Center for Youth and Family Trauma Response and Recovery, Steven Berkowitz, MD, Clinical Director of the Penn Department of Psychiatry Center for Couples and Adult Families, Jacqueline Hudak, PhD, and Chair in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cindy Christian, MD, for sitting on the after-show panel. Your wisdom and compassion were truly inspiring.

And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the invaluable support of Rob and Vic from Penn’s A/V department, as well as my own technical director and artistic collaborator, Galen Huggins.

Here’s hoping this is the first of many Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor performances for academic institutions all over the country.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and in observance we will be presenting a free performance of the interactive show Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor on Sunday, April 24th, 2016 at 3pm at the Adrienne Theatre (Playground), 2030 Sansom Street in Philadelphia. Get more info.

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This event is made possible by a partnership between Stop the Silence® and NAASCA, under the Stop the Silence® Arts as Advocacy Program.

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