10095742An ABC of CSA: development and business growth of CSA survivor-led toolkitClosedInvestment AcceleratorInnovate UKViv Gordon Company (VGC) is the leading UK child sexual abuse (CSA) survivor-led arts and social justice organisation. Our work is a creative campaign to increase voice, visibility, community & leadership by, for and with CSA survivors aged 14+, celebrating the resourcefulness and creativity in our community. We are proud to deliver a raft of creative and performance projects including a 3-year national survivor-led cross-sector partnership programme UpFront Survivors funded by the Home Office SVSCSA fund. The company is co-led by Executive Producer, Kate McStraw, who is the lead applicant for this award. **"An ABC of CSA: finding the words to talk about child sexual abuse"** is a creative resource to support better conversations about child sexual abuse. It comes in the shape of a beautiful set of 26 alphabet cards_._ The cards have been developed in collaboration with over 40 CSA survivors from diverse background, in partnership with South-West specialist sexual violence services, led by Viv Gordon and illustrated by Imogen Harvey-Lewis. The cards are accompanied by a toolkit and training resource. CSA survivors come from all demographics, but our experiences are hidden and taboo, despite it being an experience shared by an estimated 1 in 6 adults in the UK. Due to stigma and silencing, many survivors lack the words to speak up about their abuse and services lack confidence to skillfully manage challenging conversations, further marginalising some of the most vulnerable members of society. The ABC seeks to address this problem. By providing a framework to share experiences using visual and written prompts, the ABC of CSA aims to support conversations around CSA experiences, and develop language for individuals, for front-line health & social care services and within wider society. "Our core belief as an organisation is that surviving child sexual abuse is a creative act. ... When we come together and validate each other as credible, believable knowers, victims, survivors and witnesses of not only abuse, but also of cultural oppression, discrimination and exclusion, then everything changes." - Viv Gordon, Artistic Director of Viv Gordon Company. The award will be used to build staff skills, understand the market potential and commercialisation of The ABC of CSA and grow the business. "This is genuinely prevention work; this coming from survivors is so much more powerful than anything else you will ever see in this space." Claire Bloor, CEO, SARSAS (Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Services)