Safety Soap Box ñ Sharing our True Colours  

Over a ten month period in 2000 & 2001, Maggie OíNeill and Rosie Campbell conducted consultation research on prostitution in Walsall with a wide range of Walsallís community, commissioned by Walsall South Health Action Zone. The community arts project Safety Soap Box was commissioned to complement the research work.

The Safety Soap Box workshops led by artist Kate Green aimed to engage the local community and provide a platform for discussion and expression. Three distinct groups were targeted; local residents, young residents within the red light district, and women working in the sex industry. During open discussion, participants reflected on their feelings and transformed thoughts into expressive artworks using a digital camera and a computer.

Such an emotive issue as prostitution evokes an enormous array of opinions and attitudes, most of which are unheard and invisible. The social silence surrounding this issue has been confronted through this project and the spectrum of experiences, thoughts and feelings expressed through these striking digital artworks.

Many thanks to Walsall South HAZ, Rosie, Maggie, Walsall Community Arts Team, Walsall Youth Arts, Addaction, Walsall Street Teams, SAFE, staff at Hope Street Centre and Sandwell House, residents, and sex workers and all those who took the time to take part and share their views.