Fractured Landscapes And How We Heal is the new work that examines the impact of violence against women and girls and how we heal from trauma. The work is an immersive exhibition of sound, image and text by Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora, combined with research from workshops with women in refuge from four different towns and cities across England.
There will be a major exhibition of the work at The New Art Gallery Walsall from 27 March – 21 June 2026, and the work will tour to Open Eye Gallery, a partner organisation of the project, in autumn 2026. This work has been supported by Arts Council England Project Grant, building on Dhaliwal-Boora’s DYCP funded work Healing from Trauma (2023). Open Eye Gallery is proud to be one of the project partners on this programme, and have been supporting North West artist Audrey Albert to lead workshops in collaboration with women from the Chrysalis Centre in St. Helens, Merseyside.
Liz Wewiora, Open Eye Gallery’s Head of social practice, said: “Open Eye Gallery is delighted to be working with Audrey Albert on the North West strand of this programme. She has brought such an energy, passion and sensitivity to working with the women’s group at Chrysalis in St. Helens. We’ve been so impressed by the work the women have been exploring and producing with Audrey over the past couple of months. A huge thank you to Chrysalis and the women who have come on this journey.
“Working on the project as part of a larger national initiative has also helped us feel part of a bigger moment, to focus on the voices and needs of women experiencing DV, not from a place of negativity or taboo, but from a place of healing. We are excited to see the work come together for the group show in Walsall next Spring, and honoured to tour it back to Open Eye Gallery later that year.”
Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora, socially engaged photographer, said: “I’ve been so happy to be able to work with Audrey and Open Eye Gallery on this project, with their extensive experience in socially engaged practice and working with vulnerable groups. Audrey’s passion, care and sensitivity with working with the women at Chrysalis has been instrumental in creating unique artworks that speak volumes of the lived experiences of the women. Audrey has been able to draw out outcomes that touch on the hopes of the women for the future, that are powerful and poignant. I’m excited now to develop the curation of these artworks by the Chrysalis group with work from participants from partner organisations across the country, alongside my newly created art work, for the exhibition at The New Art Gallery Walsall and Open Eye Gallery in 2026, and accompanying publication.”
Audrey Albert, visual artist and creative facilitator, said: “I spent over a month delivering sessions at Chrysalis once a week, working with a big group of 10 to sometimes 20 women. The space we created together was a space of warmth and joy. I felt very welcome from the beginning and really wish I could spend more time with the group. We had conversations about new beginnings (which is also the name of one of the pieces collectively made by the group), what grounds us, what keeps us moving and where do we find the beauty in the ordinary. It was a privilege and an honour to see the photographic stories unfold, the confidence grow and the sheer happiness when an idea or a personal story became a piece of art. I am very excited to see all these stories unfold, come together and interact with each other at the exhibition next year.”
The workshops took place between March and May 2025, and focused on the needs of women in refuge, exploring healing through art and giving voice to their experiences.
Audrey Albert is a Mauritian-Chagossian visual artist and creative facilitator. Based in Manchester, Audrey’s research-led practice enables her to consider and investigate themes of mixed identity, collective memory and forced displacement.
These workshops form part of a national programme of socially engaged residencies, taking place with various partners and artists:
- Katy Saddler, with support from Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora, will host a series of workshops with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid.
- Open Eye Gallery and Audrey Albert will host a series of workshops with Chrysalis in Merseyside.
- Photo Fringe and Lynn Weddle will host a series of workshops with Safe Sussex in Worthing.
- Peter Marlow Foundation and Lynda Laird will host a series of workshops with Oasis in Gravesend and Dungeness.
The work made by participants during the workshops and reflection from the artist leads will contribute towards the exhibition and publication in 2026 and Open Eye Gallery are delighted to tour the work, presenting a selection of works on our photography stands display (atrium exhibition) in autumn 2026.
Image: Workshop by Audrey Albert, documentation by Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora