Sarah Everard was walking home from a friend in London when she was kidnapped and murdered in March 2021. A couple of days later, it was revealed that the perpetrator was a policeman. The murder shook all of England and started a discussion about women’s (un)safety in the public sphere. Historically, women have been asked what they wore when they were raped, how much they had to drink, and why they were walking home alone at night. Sarah Everard did everything “right”. She was walking near the streetlights, spoke to a friend on the phone, and wore jeans and a hoodie. This was the ultimate proof: It doesn’t matter what we wear or how we behave. It is never the victim’s fault.

Take Back the Streets portray women, non-binary people, and trans people in places they feel unsafe. Some of them have chosen places where they’ve been harassed, while others have chosen spots where they feel discomfort for other reasons. The series aims to start a conversation among the audience: To question victim blaming and how we can politically improve the safety for marginalised people in the public sphere. The project is also an opportunity for the people involved to take back places associated with fear. It is a project protesting for a better future.