Healing, Hope & Community: WeSpeak.ie LIVE project.

26 June 2026

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Healing, Hope & Community: WeSpeak.ie Live 

Survivors Write, Create & Share 

 

  • A survivor-focused exhibition and creative workshop series running across August and September 2026 that supports survivors of sexual violence to share their stories in their own words, in their own time, in their own way, towards an exciting live event at Culture Night 2026. 

This August and September, an empowering new partnership is set to illuminate the voices, creativity, and resilience of sexual violence survivors and their supporters in Ireland. 

WeSpeak.ie (www.wespeak.ie), a digital sanctuary for survivors created by We-Consent - a Dublin Rape Crisis Centre campaign focused on promoting consent culture and supports for survivors. We-Consent is joining forces with the creative organisation Fighting Words (www.fightingwords.ie) to host a transformative, cross-creative workshop series, culminating in a landmark live public exhibition for Culture Night.  

Workshops will be taking place in the heart of Dublin across August and September, and no experience is needed for participants.  

The workshops will culminate in WeSpeak.ie Live, a powerful Culture Night exhibition taking place on 18 September in Dublin City Centre. The exhibition will focus on survivor creativity with two main outputs: 

  • The Gallery - Written, visual, and multimedia works created during the workshops will be displayed throughout the space, with live projections and installations transforming survivor stories into immersive experiences. 
  • The Interactive Wall - In partnership with Fighting Words, visitors will be invited to contribute one-word “Lines of Hope” to a growing community scroll, creating a collective message of solidarity, empathy, and support. 

Chief Executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rachel Morrogh, underlines that “for many survivors, to experience sexual violence is to experience silence.  We know that just 41% of male and 44% of female victims and survivors of sexual violence as adults have ever disclosed this experience to anyone. WeSpeak.ie recognises that an alternative place is needed, offering full anonymity to survivors. This is a space that says: when you are ready, and if you would like to share, there are options beyond silence.” 

The We-Speak platform also offers messages of healing and hope, forging a community built on support and reminding survivors that they are not alone. How a survivor chooses to tell their story also matters deeply in how society understands experiences of sexual violence. 

“Healing to me is reminding myself that, no matter what, I never deserved this and I know the truth. The days I get consumed I remind myself that 8 months ago I was too afraid to leave my house, today and every day I am stronger and will not allow anyone to determine my future.” - A WeSpeak.ie Message of Healing from A Survivor 

Fighting Words (www.fightingwords.ie) are highly experienced facilitators and mentors in creative expression with diverse groups. Attendees will be given the opportunity to explore songwriting, storytelling, songwriting, poetry, memoir and art.  

“No story is the same, but in these workshops, the creativity of participants can help foster feelings of expression, choice, and create a pathway for healing,” says Colm Quearney at Fighting Words.  

WeSpeak.ie Live offers an opportunity to stand in solidarity with survivors, actively challenging the isolation that so often surrounds sexual violence in Ireland. It is an opportunity to nurture an environment of warmth, open listening, and profound change. By supporting survivors as they transform silence into beautiful, creative sharing, we prove that healing is possible, community is strong, and a brighter, more supportive future is something we can build together. 

Share your story and join the 48,895 WeSpeak.ie community users today. Every story matters. 

Find out more by checking the information pack and register your interest for the workshops here.

ENDS 

Notes for editors

  1. Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is a non-governmental, voluntary organisation which has as its mission to prevent the harm and heal the trauma of rape. It offers a suite of services to victims/survivors of sexual violence. It also offers a wide range of training and education to professionals and volunteers.  
  2. 2. We-Consent is a long-term national programme to inform, educate and engage with all members of our society about consent. More information and resources at https://www.we-consent.ie/ 
    3. You can donate towards Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s work on www.drcc.ie/donate 
    4. Other DRCC services and work:  
    o DRCC operates the National 24-hour Helpline 1800 778888 to support anyone affected by sexual violence in any part of the country. A webchat support service is available online at drcc.ie Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm. A Helpline Interpreting Service is available for those who do not speak English - more at https://bit.ly/DRCClang 
    o For those contacting the Helpline who are deaf or hard of hearing, we provide a text service, operating Mon-Fri from 8am to 6:30pm, at 086-8238443 and we also have a webchat service available Monday-Friday, 10am to 5pm, except holidays. 
    o Information on your options after sexual violence is available for free online at any time at www.drcc.ie/fyw in the Finding Your Way after Sexual Violence guide. 
    o DRCC offers counselling & therapy to adult survivors of sexual violence and to older adolescents from 16 years of age with parental/guardian consent. 
    o We provide accompaniment support for the Rotunda Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, to court or to Garda stations to people in Dublin and in surrounding areas, by arrangement.  
    o We have outreach offices at Coolock, Dóchas Women’s Centre, Balbriggan & Tallaght. Access to these services must be arranged via the National Helpline 1800 778888 during working hours, Mon-Fri.  
    5. We ask that when reporting on this topic, journalists should remember that discussions on sexual violence can trigger personal trauma in those receiving the information. Where possible, please make reference to the National 24-hour Helpline 1800 77 88 88 for anyone who may be affected by the discussion. 
  3. Fighting Words' aim is to help children and young people, and adults who did not have this opportunity as children, to discover and harness the power of their own imaginations and creative writing skills. At its core, Fighting Words is also about something much broader and more inclusive. It is about using the creative practice of writing and storytelling to empower and strengthen people – from all backgrounds – to be resilient,creative and successful shapers of their own lives. https://www.fightingwords.ie/  
  4. CSOSexual ViolencePrevalence Survey 2022  statistics available here https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-svsde/sexualviolencesurvey2022disclosureofexperiences/