A Room of Their Own

A Room of Their Own is a new book from Multistory and Magnum photographer, Susan Meiselas, that combines Susan’s photographs, and the testimonies and collages of women living at The Haven Wolverhampton refuge. The content was created through a series of collaborative workshops with Susan and the women during 2015 and 2016. The project was designed to share women’s experiences of domestic abuse and the process of entering refuge alone, to the collective life within, to then becoming resettled in their own home.

The visual narrative emphasises absence in order to protect women’s identities, and progressively their presence becomes more visible with the inclusion of their stories and artwork.

Fundamental to practice at The Haven is the principle that women must make their own decisions, that they alone know the implications of their circumstances, and must take responsibility for the choices that they make. Residents are given the time and space to take stock of their circumstances and plan for the future. The emphasis is on helping and encouraging women to help themselves.

“I was invited by Multistory to photograph in the Black Country in the UK. The moment I entered The Haven, I felt connected to their mission. The terms of our agreement was that there could be no visual identification of the people or locations within The Haven shelter network. However, as we developed a collaborative project with the women who wanted to participate, women gained confidence and allowed themselves to be more revealed.”

- Susan Meiselas

A Room of Their Own was published in 2017 by Multistory. Graphic Design by Ben Weaver Studio.

Partners: The Haven Refuge for Women

Exhibitions: Jeu de Paume-Concorde, Paris, and Tàpies Foundation, Barcelona