Making the Invisible, Visible: ‘Do You See Me’ using co-production to make a short LGB film

This paper examines how co-production was used to create a short film ‘Do You See Me’ about older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) victim-survivors’ ‘lived experiences’ of domestic abuse.   It shares findings from a series of co-produced activities across England and Wales involving LGBTQ+ partners and older victim-survivors that created new knowledge about DA in later life through the medium of film. It shows how, over the 41-month period, there was
a shared aim to ensure victim-survivors, and other groups involved in the co-production had a sense of ownership in this endeavour. Thus, the collaborative spaces became ‘safe settings’ to voice ideas, enable appropriate capacity building and subsequent knowledge exchange. This work produced a nuanced meta – narrative helping to make visible the often invisible experiences of LGB victim-survivors’ perceptions of perpetrator behaviours.  The paper concludes by highlighting challenges when engaging in co-production with diverse stakeholders.