Unseen
Monday 4th March 2024
Listen to Unseen Audio Drama below:
Extant presents Unseen, a gripping new audio drama that examines the subtle and insidious effect of domestic abuse on the blind and visually impaired community, using empathy, hope and candour to raise awareness of this important subject.
Through the stories of two visually impaired protagonists, Unseen illuminates the unique ways that domestic abuse impacts on blind and VI people in their homes and intimate relationships, from love-bombing to gaslighting, care to coercive control. Where do we turn when the ones who are supposed to love and care for us are the very people we’re most afraid of?
The work is a creative response to the Unseen Report by the Vision Foundation, which highlighted the inaccessibility of domestic abuse services to visually impaired people, despite the fact that disabled people are nearly three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than non-disabled people.
Content warning: This audio drama contains themes of domestic abuse, violence, trauma and strong language.
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If you would like to view a copy of the script of Unseen please click on Unseen Online Script.
Unseen Creative Team
Director: Ben Wilson
Sound Designer: Ian Rattray
Devising Team: Anna Clarkson, Esther Irving, Georgie Wyatt, Tafsila Khan, Tam Gilbert
Script Editor and Workshop Lead: Louise Hall
Workshop Consultant: Martia Bevan
Assistant Workshop Lead: Helena Ascough
Creative Producer: Louisa Sanfey for Extant
Assistant Producer: Tam Gilbert
Sound Technician: Han Sayles
Sound Mentor: Adam McCready
Access Workers: Phoebe Moore, Becky Newman, Chikodi Nwaiwu, Hannah Quigley
Research Group: Karina Jones, Alice Christina-Corrigan, Anita Barzey, Lily An, Robin Paley Yorke
Maria Oshodi, Artistic Director, Extant:
“Extant is proud to continue its trend of dramatizing report outcomes with this new important piece, funded and originally commissioned by the Vision Foundation. Even though the new government ‘Flee Fund’ released to help those experiencing domestic violence is welcomed, for many disabled people in this situation, a host of other factors makes escape more difficult. However, we hope that Unseen will uncover this and have great impact, as other recent dramatisations of social injustices such as the Post Office scandal have had on the population.”
Cast List:
Voice of the Report: Maisie Greenwood
Zoe (Helpline worker): Lily An
Lucy: Georgie Wyatt
Joli: Anita Barzey
Faye: Michelle Felix
Hayley: Maisie Greenwood
Nurse: Aqua Ephraim
Mary: Maria Oshodi
Sandra (Refuge worker): Lily An
Policeman: Steven George
Additional voices by the cast and Tahira Malik
Ben Wilson, Trainee Artistic Director, Extant and Director of Unseen:
“The team behind the Unseen Report did an amazing job highlighting this incredibly important issue that affects so many VI people. Extant always want to tell nuanced stories of VI people and help to champion and challenge issues. Issues vital to the VI community. We’ve put together an incredibly talented team of VI people to bring this audio drama to life. Each one of them has poured their heart and soul into making sure we are honouring the stories of the victims and survivors who contributed to the Unseen Report. The learnings of the report need to be shouted far and wide, and we hope our audio drama can be part of that mission.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in Unseen, you can contact the following organisations via their websites and phone numbers below:
Mental Health:
Samaritans Tel: 116 123 (Lines open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free for landlines and mobile phones.)
Mind Tel: 0300 123 3393 (Lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays). Calls charged at the standard rates.)
Shout Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258
Domestic Abuse:
Refuge Tel: 0808 2000 247
National Helplines:
Northern Ireland Tel: 0808 802 1414
Scotland Tel: 0800 027 1234
Wales Tel: 0808 8010 800
Men’s Advice Line Tel: 0808 8010327
Galop LGBT+ Tel: 0800 999 5428
Survivors UK Chat via SMS Text: 020 3322 1860
Women’s Aid Email: [email protected]
With thanks to the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Vision Foundation, Arts Council England, Refuge, SafeLives, Rising Sun, Care First, Camden People’s Theatre, RNIB and Jane Sellers.