The CCG Picture-Book - Episode 2 - '2013'

The CCG Picture-Book - Episode 2 - '2013'

Jun, 20 2020


Welcome to episode 2 of ‘The CCG Picture-book – 2012 -2020’. This week I’ll be turning my attention to the year 2013.

Not long after the inception of the CCG came a global campaign founded by Eve Ensler. It was designed to end rape and sexual violence against women. In 2012 ‘1 Billion Rising’ was born. The ‘billion’ refers to the UN statistic that one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, or about one billion. The campaign expands each year.

The CCG organised one annual showcase each year at UCLAN with the 2013 event scheduled for an hour usually around lunchtime taking place on February 14th (Valentines Day).

In this year alone the rally was held in more than 190 countries. The one-day event was held after a call for one billion women around the world to join together to dance in a show of collective strength.

Back in 2013 statistics showed that in Preston alone over 4,000 women and girls aged between 16-59 have suffered from domestic violence.

‘Break the Chain’ became the empowering anthem for women, men and youths to congregate together and fight back this alarming statistic. They were encouraged to dance peacefully in a variety of locations, these included:-

  • Court houses
  • Police stations
  • Government offices
  • School administration buildings
  • Work places
  • Sites of environmental injustice
  • Military courts
  • Embassies
  • Places of worship
  • Homes

Or simply public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe.

The Preston event has brought as many people as possible to UCLAN’s Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre to dance and stand together in solidarity on the same day as people from 206 other countries around the world.

The UCLAN based event is organised each year by Honorary Fellow and Community Engagement Ambassador Russell Hogarth and dancing professional Phil Kaila. Russell co-ordinates the time, location and attendees and Phil guides the volunteers throughout the dance number.

Each year the campaign grows and has a different message to imprint on the minds and hearts of those with their head in the sand. This year (2020) it focused on ‘Raise the Vibration- Rise for Revolution’ in a collective bid to make public knowledge of the brutality to women and girls around the world.

Speaking ahead of the 2014 event, Eve Ensler, founder of V-Day and One Billion Rising had these defining words of  determination that summarises the annual campaign,

“One Billion Rising for Justice is a call to survivors and their allies to break the silence – politically, outrageously, artistically– through art, dance, marches, ritual, song, spoken word, testimonies, and other ways that best express their outrage, their need, their desire, and their joy.”

Quite simply the event is orchestrated in five key ways:-

  • Action
  • Art
  • Connection
  • Imagination
  • Love

Since 2013, the annual campaign has gone from strength to strength. It continues to amaze and inspire people from all walks of life who, through the movement of dance congregate together and share their passion for changing the status quo regarding the treatment of women and girls.

See you all in 2021.

^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger