Sophie Colclough

Flyblown

by Sophie Colclough

Sophie's project is a brave personal investigation into the cathartic process of healing from trauma. Spanning a range of multimedia forms, Sophie's work included a poetic performance; a collection of 'memory objects,' found text poetry, blackout poetry, and audio material. By turns unsettling and uplifting, the work engages with elements of trauma including dissociation and abuse; and forms of healing that include ritual, catharsis, faith and creative expression.

In Sophie's words,

Flyblown is a project that touches on some of the most hidden parts of my life. It engages with the themes of trauma and catharsis in a way that seeks to find a voice for the things that feel unspeakable.

A large part of the inspiration for my poetry is the way it feels to fall in love with an abusive partner.. In order to express this, I chose the motifs of roses, fire and weddings seek to subvert traditional ideals of love, showing how twisted an abusive relationship can be.

Something that I learned in therapy was the importance of using language to express your experience in a concrete way. In creating ‘Flyblown’ I wanted to do just that. Working on the project was a valuable experience for me personally as it allowed me to work through the trauma in a concrete way, and I hope interacting with it will help others to move on in their own journey of recovery too.