A PRODUCTION telling the real life stories of three County Durham women who have suffered and survived the trauma of domestic abuse is set to be performed this weekend.

Make Do and Mend uses a verbatim format to reflect on childhood, motherhood and marriage and remind the audience they are all responsible for helping to bring domestic abuse to an end.

The Women’s Voices Project, managed by Changing Relations, was set up in 2014 after the successful Durham Women Rising events in 2013, to give a voice to local women and challenge the prevalence of violence perpetrated against them.

It has since organised and delivered several creative events aimed at empowering women through participatory arts and enabling women survivors of domestic abuse across County Durham to shape a performance representative of their experiences.

Women we have worked with have described how important it was to feel that they “were being listened to.”

The performance has also trialled with a drama-based workshop as a training tool for health professionals and housing officers.

The project has been funded by Big Lottery’s Awards for All programme, County Durham Community Foundation and Arts Council England as well as supported by women and staff of Stanley’s Just For Women Centre.

All performances will begin at 7.30pm and be held at the Alphabetti Theatre, in Newcastle tomorrow; The Witham, in Barnard Castle, on October 5, The Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, on October 6; Civic Hall, in Stanley on October 13 and Bishop Auckland Town Hall on October 14.

For tickets and more information visit thewomensvoiceproject.com