A powerful new film from the Leeds Visible Project – Imagine If Bones Could Talk…
The online release follows last week’s premiere event, where survivors, practitioners and partners from across Leeds came together to watch the film for the first time. The launch created a powerful and reflective space, opening up conversations about trauma, support and what needs to change in the city.
The film centres on adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse. It amplifies their stories with honesty and care, giving space to voices that are too often unheard. Through personal accounts, it explores how early trauma can shape a person’s life decades later — affecting physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, confidence, sense of safety and everyday decision-making. The film shows that the impact is not a single moment in the past, but an ongoing reality that people carry with them.
It also highlights the strength, resilience and insight of survivors, and the importance of listening without judgement. By sharing what healing has looked like for them, the film raises vital questions about the role of services, communities and systems. It asks what survivors need from the city of Leeds today: compassion, understanding, trauma-informed support, and spaces where people feel believed, respected and able to rebuild their lives on their own terms.
The goals of the project are to:
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Help survivors feel less alone
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Improve health and wellbeing outcomes
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Spark compassionate conversations about childhood sexual abuse
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Inform how services, systems and communities respond
Watch and use the film
Organisations are encouraged to use the film within team learning, reflective practice sessions or wider staff development. It can help start sensitive conversations, build confidence around trauma-informed approaches, and support colleagues to better understand the lived experience behind the work. If you’d like guidance on how best to use the film in your setting, or to discuss facilitated sessions, you can get in touch with Richard Barber for an informal chat.
Watch the film and learn more here.
