One Story At A Time 

About

Content warning: this exhibition contains references to sexual violence

Through the lens of award-winning photographer Jillian Edelstein, Everyone’s Invited brings survivor voices to the forefront, challenging our perceptions of what it means to survive sexual violence.

With more than forty years of experience documenting people, communities and defining moments in contemporary history, Edelstein is internationally recognised for her ability to confront difficult truths through photography. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair and Vogue, and has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, The Photographers’ Gallery and the Royal Academy. Her acclaimed book, Truth and Lies, documenting South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, cemented her reputation for giving human stories a lasting presence. The National Portrait Gallery has acquired more than one hundred of her portraits for its permanent collection.

“Working with Everyone’s Invited, as well as the survivors has been a special honour. I am so grateful to everyone who gave me their trust and collaborated with me to make these portraits. It is a collaboration, always. The survivors and the team gave their help and support in an unquestioning and beautiful process. Thank you so much.” – Jillian Edelstein

Created in collaboration with Everyone’s Invited, the UK charity dedicated to exposing and eradicating rape culture, One Story at a Time brings together Edelstein’s intimate portraiture and the lived experiences of survivors.

Visitors are invited to discover the places, experiences and people that offer survivors moments of safety, catharsis, empowerment and hope. By confronting the shame and stigma that sustain rape culture, One Story at a Time asks us to reconsider not only what we see, but how we listen, respond and work together towards change.

The exhibition grew from the 53,000 accounts of sexual harassment and violence shared on Everyone’s Invited’s safe space. Together, these stories expose the deeply ingrained expectation of the “perfect victim”: a cultural and legal stereotype that dictates how survivors are expected to look, behave and respond to trauma in order to be believed.

One Story at a Time challenges this stereotype, revealing a simple but powerful truth: sexual violence can affect anyone. Through each portrait, Edelstein explores what safety means to the individual, celebrating the resilience, joy and humanity of those whose experiences are too often reduced to a single story.

Extending the conversation beyond photography, three youth artists – Caroline Lacoma, Sabina Silver and Husam – bring their own perspectives to the exhibition through film, textiles and painting. Their contributions introduce new voices and generational perspectives, creating a powerful, multidisciplinary space where personal testimony meets collective reflection.

Everyone’s Invited hopes this exhibition will encourage you to see survivors differently. Whether you are a survivor or encountering these conversations for the first time, we hope you leave feeling empowered to question the attitudes and beliefs that shape our understanding of sexual violence – and inspired to help build a culture rooted in empathy, accountability and change.

Supported by Akhilanda Foundation.