Residents are encouraged to catch a glimpse of The Washing Line Project, our unique domestic abuse art installation, as it continues to spark conversations across our community libraries.

Unveiled earlier this year in Barnsley Market, this installation has been popping up all over our borough to shine a light on often overlooked domestic abuse statistics.

Over the last few months, The Washing Line Project has been proudly displayed at The Glass Works, the Library @ the Lightbox, Worsbrough Library, Darfield Summer Gala, Hoyland Library, Wombwell Library and Cudworth Library.

If you haven’t seen The Washing Line Project for yourself yet, don’t worry. Throughout November and December, the installation will be continuing to travel between our local libraries:

• Royston Library from Friday 1 to Friday 15 November.
• Roundhouse Library from Friday 15 to Friday 29 November.
• Penistone Library from Friday 29 November to Friday 13 December
• Library @ the Lightbox from Friday 13 December until the end of the year.

We’re particularly excited to bring this unique art installation back to our town centre in December and highlight the local support that’s available from our commissioned providers.

Made up of T-shirts adorned with motivational quotes and personal stories, this limited-time display has proven to be a powerful way of shining a light on the profound effects of abuse.

Over the summer, we worked closely with local people, including domestic abuse survivors and their loved ones, and our commissioned providers to create The Washing Line Project.

The 132 personalised T-shirts featured in the display represent the number of individual domestic abuse cases reported to the Police every week in Barnsley.

After The Washing Line Project leaves the Library @ the Lightbox, we will be moving the display to Barnsley Archives, preserving the voices of our resilient communities and survivors.

Councillor Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: “We’re committed to tackling and preventing domestic abuse in Barnsley, working with our partners to make sure anyone affected by abuse gets the right support for them.

“It’s great to see The Washing Line Project welcoming visitors across Barnsley and bringing conversations about domestic abuse support to the heart of our communities. What stays with you when looking through this display is the personal stories from local survivors, and I want to thank them for working with us and bravely speaking about their experiences.

“If you haven’t already, please pop down to see the display when it comes to your local library or back to the town centre and learn more about the brilliant support we have in Barnsley.”

In Barnsley, we work closely with our partners to tackle and prevent domestic abuse, making sure we have the right mix of support available for our diverse communities. By visiting The Washing Line Project, you can learn more about our four commissioned support providers:

• IDAS provides a wide range of support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, including support groups and accommodation. Find out more by visiting their website or call 03000 110 110 if you need support.
• Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Services (BSARCS) are here to help anyone who has experienced sexual harm. You can find out more about the support they offer on their new website or by calling 01226 320140.
• GROW runs our recently launched ‘Hear Her Voice’ service to support domestic abuse survivors. This service is focused on helping more people to recover from the trauma of abuse and start rebuilding their lives. You can find out more on their website.
• Cranstoun’s ‘Inspire to Change’ programme helps to challenge perpetrators of domestic abuse to take responsibility for their behaviour and learn from their actions. You can learn more about ‘Inspire to Change’ on Cranstoun’s website.