The Handprint Project

Trigger Warning: This blog post discusses sensitive topics, including assault and abuse.

When I was between years at uni, I found myself in a bit of a rut. Without a project to dive into, I was stuck in a cycle of working and coming home, feeling weirdly restless. I love working towards something, so I decided to create a photography project. I knew I wanted it to be impactful and shed light on a subject that's often brushed aside too easily. So the next step was to research...

During my research, I stumbled upon "The I'm Tired Project" (check it out [here]). It's an incredible initiative by Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans, using photography, the human body, and written words to highlight the lasting impact of everyday micro-aggressions, assumptions, and stereotypes. They share photos of what participants are most tired of, displayed across their bare backs, creating a powerful space for people to share their stories.

Inspired by this, I launched my own project, "The Handprint Project." This paired my photography with anonymous stories of assault and abuse that people shared with me. My images featured hands painted with white paint, leaving handprints on various parts of people's bodies. The symbolism was clear: these stories leave a mark on a person, sticking with them for years, regardless of the type of abuse.

People could share their stories anonymously through a survey or message me directly, with the assurance that everything would remain confidential.

To this day, it's one of my favourite projects. The positive feedback was overwhelming. People appreciated the opportunity to vent and unburden themselves in a safe, anonymous space. I would love to bring it back someday because these conversations are so important—they need to keep happening.

Below are some of my photos and stories that were sent in.

‘A couple years ago I was at a festival, I was drunk and it was a security guard at the festival, he carried on when I said no. And I only got out of it when his radio went off or something. I genuinely dunno what would’ve happened otherwise’ ‘ The touch I remember the most is where he put my hand on him’

'I remember the second time in maga my friend and I were stood outside of McDonald’s in maga and I think she was looking at a gate or something like she was on the floor and I was trying to help her and this lad came out of nowhere and literally put his hand on my bum and squeezed it'

'It wasn't too bad it just made me uncomfortable but it was at our new house party and all my parent's friends where round. I was 11/12 at the time and I was running through the kitchen to the hall and my dad's friend slapped my butt and then smiled at me I'd never met him before'

'It happens to often to all my friends cos they’re skinny and they’ve normally got their legs and boobs out and obviously boys see that as an ‘easy target’ but it’s never really happened to me until October last year, it was on ‘Halloween night out’. Someone grabbed my arse in a night club and when I pulled away and told him to ‘fuck off’ he said ‘Come on I know you like it’ I ended up going home early cos I felt so uncomfortable and so exposed? Halloween’s my favourite time of the year and Halloween weekend where we all go out and get drunk is my favourite night out of the year but this will definitely taint how I think and feel about it now"

'I was 12/13. I came home from school 10 minutes late because one of my teachers noticed a bruise on my arm and wanted to ask about it. ( I obviously said nothing and said I had a fight with my sister) so my mam said I wasn't allowed any tea and was send to go out coz she didn't wanna look at me. Before I left I stole a fiver from her purse to go get some food. I sneaked back in and tried to eat the food in my room. She heard me and followed me upstairs. Took my can of pop and poured it on my face and threw it at me. Then took my food and and stood on it. As she was walking out I screamed that I hated her and she slapped me. Grabbed me and threw me down the stairs. I just got up and ran outside. At which point I went to my Nannas and never went back'

'I was in a really mentally abusive relationship for just over three years, it started out ok but the longer it went on the worse it got. I was accused of cheating constantly, ended up being cut off from friends and family and ended up thinking I was utterly fucking worthless. Over ten years later I still get bouts of recycling all the things that were said and just kinda spiral downward and cut myself off emotionally, hit with the extra bonus of self-loathing because I'm too ashamed to talk to my wonderful new partner about it. From this abusive relationship, I still struggle to meet new people out of a professional environment because work was the only relatively safe place from an endless onslaught of abuse'

'Basically, i got into a relationship when i was 14 and he was really controlling at first, wouldn’t let me post what I wanted on social media etc. eventually he started to wear me down by calling me names and towards the end I had realised that throughout the relationship he had been raping me while i slept - sometimes filming it, I never had the courage to tell the police or my family as my friends didn’t believe me and now I live with PTSD and a panic disorder. his life didn’t change at all'

'When I was about 8 or 9 me and my sister were watching tv with my dad. He was watching the football and wouldn’t stop shouting at the tv. When me and my sister pointed out that they couldn’t hear him he flipped on us he hit my sister and then pinned me up against the wall by my neck. I was really struggling to breath and he wouldn’t stop shouting in my face. My sister tried her hardest to stop him and eventually my mum got him of me. My dad was abusive to the whole family for the first 9 years of my life I have a mentally ill sister and an incredibly strong mum. To anyone who’s suffering with abuse it gets so much better then you could ever imagine and it just takes time. There’s always someone out there who’s going through or has been through a similar experience to yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk'

'I was young and at home with my parents. My mam was making my dads tea and she made him Mince and tatties. He then came into the kitchen and slammed the tray down out of her hands and shouted that thats not what he wanted. He went to the living room and sat down. Mam then followed him back into the living room with the tray full of food and smushed it into him before she went back into the kitchen. My dad then followed her back into the kitchen to then beat her up in the corner.

'I went on a night out and was having fun. We were in a group and I turned and a boy who I didn't know smacked my ass and commented about it. I felt like I just had to let it go because it wasn't seen as a serious form of assault, but it made me conscious of what I was wearing and mad. It hurt as well because he did it so hard. It annoys me that on nights out people think it is acceptable to do this, I'm glad I was strong enough to tell him off, but still felt I needed to let it go'

'A couple years ago I was a part of a well known group, we used to meet every week. The ages varied and I became one of the oldest. There was a boy not too much younger than me who used to always push my against the wall and touch me and grab my bum. I was way too scared to say anything.. I confided in one of my friends and they just shrugged it off because they didn't think he'd do that. After I told him to stop, he got very cold with me. He was later involved with the police for doing the same thing to other girls and trying to do other things with them against their will'

'I was 4 the earliest memory I have of being sexually abused by my “dad” then the psychological abuse came. I was made to feel like it was all my fault and I deserved all of the pain and emotional pain I went through, then the psychical abuse came I lived with this for years before I finally stood up and took back all the power. The thing that hurts the most that this man was ment to be the man that would protect me from the world but turned out I needed protected from him!'

'My mams boyfriend hid his phone in the bathroom and filmed me in the bath. I was 12. He tried to message me constantly really creepy stuff like “what are you wearing? I saw your knickers on the line. They’re sexy.” I was just a kid and I didn’t know how to react to these advances by a grown man so I just hid and ignored them until I couldn’t anymore'

'I was 16 at the time, my mind is fuzzy as it is hard to comprehend sometimes. I was out of control and didn’t care for my future. I was drinking, doing drugs, missing school; this was all supported by the 27 year old man I was ‘with’ at the time. We had sex before but one night he gave me a muscle relaxer drug and I took it with wine which made me weak and unable to move. That night I said no but he didn’t seem to hear me because he continued anyway. At the time I didn’t think of it as sexual assault. I thought he ‘loved’ me. Once I realised the toxicity of it all, it made trusting sexual experiences extremely difficult and I haven’t had sex in 2 years because of that trauma. Recovery is possible but it is a long road that gets shorter with a great support system. Love yourself and know your worth'

'I was walking back through Newcastle town around a year and a bit ago, it was probably 6:30pm but town was really quiet, when I turned a corner at the bottom of Northumberland street and two homeless men were there, they kept following me and asking me to go over to them, I kept walking faster and saying no until one of them stopped and called me a “dirty slut” and he “wouldn’t touch me anyways”, at this point I ran to the bus stop where a couple people were sat, because I was so scared, I was 5 months pregnant at the time and still think about it nearly every day. Although nothing happened and I guess I was lucky that they gave up'

'I was 11 and I was "friends" with a girl I thought was my best friend. And in the playground she would call me a bitch, dickhead etc but if I turned around a said anything like that to her she would hit me. I would come home covered in bruises all the time'

'From year 7 till year 10 I was bullied by a couple girls who where in my "friend group" they would leave me out of things, I wouldnt be be invited to sit with them at lunch, They would spread things to my other friends in the group which would eventually come back to me and a lot more. They made me hate being in school. I would pretend to be sick so I could stay at home and not have to face them another day. I would get in from school and go straight to bed and cry myself to sleep to do it all again the next day'

'I was in year 11 at school and I was having a laugh with my friend after the lesson someone who was being a arse all lesson decided to pin me to the wall by the throat then throw me to the floor and punch my head'