At Saatchi Gallery, a survivor-led exhibition challenges the ‘perfect victim’ stereotype through photography, art and stories of life beyond sexual violence
Everyone’s Invited, and award-winning photographer Jillian Edelstein bring a powerful survivor-led exhibition to London, celebrating identity, creativity and life beyond sexual violence.
From 19-23 November 2026, Everyone’s Invited will present One Story at a Time, a survivor-led exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery.
Created in collaboration with internationally acclaimed photographer Jillian Edelstein, the exhibition brings together portraits of survivors and figures from across art, culture and public life, challenging society’s assumptions about what a survivor should look like. At its heart is a powerful message: there is no such thing as a ‘perfect victim’.
Challenging the ‘Perfect Victim’ Stereotype
The exhibition grew from 53,000 accounts of sexual harassment and violence shared through Everyone’s Invited, highlighting the deeply ingrained expectations placed upon survivors.
Too often, people who experience sexual violence face scrutiny over how they behave, respond to trauma or choose to move forward. These expectations can extend into the criminal justice system, where assumptions about how a victim should act can influence perceptions of credibility.
One Story at a Time challenges these stereotypes, reminding audiences that sexual violence can affect anyone, regardless of their background, identity or circumstances. Through each portrait, Edelstein explores what safety means to the individual, celebrating the resilience, joy and humanity of people whose experiences are too often reduced to a single story.
Photography, Art and Survivor Voices
With more than 40 years of experience documenting people and defining moments in contemporary history, Jillian Edelstein is internationally recognised for capturing powerful human stories.
Her work has appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, with more than 100 of her portraits acquired by the National Portrait Gallery. Alongside her photography, three young artists - Caroline Lacoma, Sabina Silver and Husam - will contribute work spanning film, textiles and painting.
Together, their contributions create a space where personal testimony meets artistic expression, bringing new voices and generational perspectives into conversations about sexual violence.
Six Years of Challenging Rape Culture
Everyone’s Invited has spent the past six years working to expose and prevent rape culture through education, research and advocacy. More than 56,000 survivors have shared their experiences with the charity, while its education programmes have reached over 90,000 students across the UK.
One Story at a Time builds on this work, taking survivor voices beyond testimony and into a public cultural space. The exhibition aims to encourage visitors to question the attitudes and beliefs that shape how society understands sexual violence, and to consider their own role in creating a culture rooted in empathy, accountability and change.
A Community Evening for Survivors
On Friday 20 November, Everyone’s Invited will also host a free community evening at Saatchi Gallery, created with and for survivors. Running from 6:30pm to 9:00pm, the evening will include live performances, workshops, creative activities and opportunities to explore the exhibition.
Attendees are welcome to participate at their own pace, bring someone they trust or simply spend time in the space. A quiet area will be available, alongside support from the Everyone’s Invited team. There is no expectation to share personal experiences.
Beyond a Single Story
At Make Yourself Heard, we recognise how easily survivors can become defined by what happened to them, particularly when their experiences enter public conversations about justice, accountability and institutional failure.
The ‘perfect victim’ is not simply a harmful social stereotype. It can shape how survivors are questioned, judged and believed. Challenging these assumptions is about more than representation. It is about recognising the impact they can have on someone’s experience of seeking support and justice. But it is equally important to recognise survivors beyond their experiences.
Survivors are artists, professionals, friends, campaigners, creators and individuals with ambitions, relationships and lives that extend far beyond trauma. Survivors should not have to fit a stereotype to be believed, nor should they have to remain defined by what happened to them.
One Story at a Time is an opportunity to recognise the whole person behind every experience, and to challenge the assumptions that too often prevent society from doing the same.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition: 19–23 November 2026
Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY
Survivor community evening: Friday 20 November, 6:30pm–9:00pm
Community evening tickets: Free, advance booking requested
Book your free place at the community evening
Everyone’s Invited presents the exhibition in collaboration with Jillian Edelstein, with support from the Akhilanda Foundation.
