Research Semantics

The Semantic Study

 

Semantic

As a collective of survivor researchers, we each bring our own lived experiences of violence, abuse, and trauma to the table. Our project aims to delve into the language individuals choose to articulate their experiences. This includes a range of terms such as ‘survivor’, ‘victim’, ‘victim-survivor’, ‘wounded’, among others, as well as the decision by some to eschew labels entirely. We are equally invested in understanding how the words we use intertwine with our identities, the nature of our relationships, and the paths we take towards healing.

Our research involves interviewing individuals who incorporate their personal experiences of violence, abuse, and trauma into their scholarly, artistic, or activist work. Our goal is to explore how their language aligns with their identity and healing process. To validate our interpretations, we’ll hold an optional focus group. Participants will receive £25 as a gesture of appreciation for both the interview and the focus group. Download the flyer and information sheet for more details.

Semantic a research project that looks at the language of lived experienced activists

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Getting Involved is as Easy as 123. Let’s Get Started!

1

Register Your Interest

2

Choose An Interviewer

two people in cool interview at littleRo.org

3

Get Interviewed

Meet The Team

Dr Angela Sweeney

Angie Sweeney

Language: English

My name is Angela Sweeney (she/her) and I’m a middle-aged, cisgender female working at King’s College London. I experienced multiple forms of disadvantage and abuse up to my early 20s. I have been a researcher for 23 years now, and my research interests include support and healing following trauma, parenting in the context of violence and trauma, and lived experience and survivor-controlled approaches to research. I’m an English-speaker and am generally available for interview on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Fridays between 10am and 6pm. I am based at Denmark Hill and the Strand. Although I prefer online interviews, I can travel to Surrey, south London and central London for interviews.

Dr Angela Sweeney

Laura E. Fischer

Languages: English, French

Hey, I’m Laura! I was raised in a Swiss-American-Jordanian-Palestinian-Mexican household in Switzerland and have called London my home since 2012.

I founded Traumascapes to create a space for people with lived experience to come together to rewrite the narrative of trauma on our own terms and constructively disrupt violent structures so that we may create new horizons that foster healing, safety, freedom, and joy. By background, I’m an artist, researcher, and activist. My art and activism practice explores the reclaiming of the sociocultural narrative of trauma and my research focuses on the embodied experience of trauma and body-based approaches to healing.

I’m keen for the SEMANTIC project to explore the complexity of interconnections between language and identity so that we can unearth both the deeply problematic issues with terminology being imposed upon us as well as the emancipatory possibilities of (re)defining language on our own terms (literally) – and all the nuances in between. I’m also very interested in non-verbal embodied languages.

I can hold interviews in English and French, either online or from the Traumascapes office which has plants, art materials, and big windows.

Dr Angela Sweeney

Leila Sibai

Languages: English, French, Arabic

My name is Leila (she/they). I’m Syrian and Swiss, and speak French, levantine Arabic, and English fluenty, and will happily conduct interviews in any of those languages.

Professionally, I am first and foremost a researcher but love to dip my toes in all sorts of fields, especially when it comes to research methods or outputs. I am currently doing a PhD at the Centre for Research Architecture on the performative aspects of how people express political subjectivites in public space or liminal spaces under authoritarian regimes (in Syria). As part of my PhD, I have been looking into interviewing practices, walking practices, voicing/listening practices, and performative practices and their relationships to perception, sense-making, communication, and resistance processes. I generally just love to think about indirect ways of reclaiming/disrupting/occupying public spaces or power systems, and practices of community and care in their ever-changing forms.

I worked for a number of years in the development of case-file for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria, where my family is from, and co-founded a quasi-horizontal women-led community-led organisation to support efforts for gender-sensitive transformative justice (Huquqyat). I also worked in physics for about a minute!

I can conduct interviews at the Traumascapes office in Hoxton or any other location that may be more appropriate to you. My schedule varies every week but I am generally most free on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Dr Angela Sweeney

Roz Etwaria

Languages: English, Patois

Hey, I’m Roz! I’m thrilled to be part of the SEMANTIC project, where we delve into the language used by those who have experienced abuse and trauma. As a Black woman with Indo-African heritage, I discover immense richness in
expression — sometimes hidden, sometimes boldly spoken — that may or may not conform to standard British English.

My linguistic palette extends beyond the ordinary. I’m fluent in British English, but my heart dances to the rhythms of Caribbean Patois, which I infuse with a delightful Guyanese twist. And let’s not forget Ebonics,
the soulful language of African American communities.

Now, let’s talk hats.
1. Culture Catalyst: By day, I supercharge organisations, infusing them with the mindsets, skills, and behaviours needed to ignite cultural change.
2. Little Ro.org Guardian: But wait, there’s more! As the project holder at Little Ro.org, we extend a lifeline — Help, Hope, Healing, and Heard — to
survivors of sexual violence, abuse, and trauma. Our mission? Amplify
the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Traumascapes and Survivors Voices are my allies in this transformative journey. Together, we’re architects of change, reshaping experiences of
trauma and dismantling social injustices. My research interests can be
summed up in this question: How do we weave a more wholesome society?

And guess what? I’m not just a wordsmith; I’m a wanderer, too! Whether it’s a cosy café, a windswept cliff, or a bustling hub in Battersea, I’m ready to travel and connect. Let’s chat — over coffee, tea, or even a
slice of adventure in a place that is appropriate and works for us. I work out of Battersea, which has wonderful transport links.

Dr Angela Sweeney

Sullivan Holderbach

Languages: English, Portuguese

My name is Sullivan. I am French-American, of Hong Kongese origin, and have lived in France, Japan, Brazil, Belgium, and the UK (Birmingham & London). I speak English, French, and Portuguese fluently.

Professionally, I am a survivor artist and researcher at Traumascapes. My research interests include inter-species modalities for trauma healing, the intersection of trauma and mental health, the integration of lived experience into research, and creative approaches to disseminating research findings. Through my art practice, I explore a range of topics spanning from intergenerational trauma to silly animals through animation, painting, music, and more.

I am happy to interview entirely in English or Portuguese, I am also happy to interview francophones speaking to me in French if I can instead respond in English, using French when needed.

I operate predominantly from the Traumascapes office in Hoxton (London) where we can hold interviews, but I am also happy interviewing in other appropriate locations. Equally, I am available to interview on most weekdays (though Tuesdays are trickier).

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