RAW ROAR: A Root-Level Revolution in Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse
Roar to Rise: The revolution starts at the roots—For survivors, advocates, educators & policymakers. Heal CSA through art, science & truth.
Date and time
Location
The Africa Centre
66 Great Suffolk Street London SE1 0BL United KingdomLineup
Agenda
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Doors Open
Toyin Okunuga
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM
Somatic Grounding + Breathwork
3:20 PM - 3:50 PM
The Science of CSA & Healing
Toyin
3:50 PM - 4:15 PM
Survivor Voices Performance
Toyin
4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
RAW ROAR Workbook + Art Reveal
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
Advocacy & Policy Panel
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Closing Circle + Sacred Silence
The Collective
6:30 PM - 6:50 PM
Mingling & Connection Space
Toyin
Good to know
Highlights
- 4 hours
- Ages 16+
- In person
- Paid venue parking
- Doors at 14:45
Refund Policy
About this event
Join us for RAW ROAR – a powerful, immersive healing event designed for survivors, supporters, and changemakers. Through music, movement, storytelling, and expressive arts, we will reclaim our voices and reimagine our future. Whether you're a trauma survivor, a mental wellness advocate, or someone who believes in the power of creativity to heal, this event will move you deeply.
RAW ROAR will feature inspiring speakers, trauma-informed facilitators, live performances, art installations, and the unveiling of the RAW ROAR recovery workbook. This is more than an event — it’s a movement.
The Science Behind RAW ROAR:
- Trauma lives in the body and the brain. Research shows that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) causes neurobiological disruption—reducing hippocampus volume, altering amygdala and prefrontal cortex function, and dysregulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis (PMC9138975).
- These neurological effects contribute to adult struggles with PTSD, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, brain fog, digestive issues, unexplained surgeries, and relationship dysfunction.
- Traumatic memory is often stored nonverbally, in the body’s sensory and motor systems (Verywell Mind). Verbal therapy alone may not access these somatic imprints.
- Somatic healing and expressive arts—like painting, music, movement, and writing—have been shown to promote neuroplasticity and re-integrate fractured identity states (ResearchGate).
- The gut-brain axis is affected by early trauma. Disruptions to vagal tone and gut microbiota are linked to trauma-induced anxiety, inflammation, and mood disorders (Frontiers in Psychology). Practices that restore safety through breath, art, and somatic regulation also improve digestion, mood, and immunity.
Why This Matters:
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience CSA before the age of 18 (NSPCC).
- Over 3 million adults in the UK alone live with the long-term impact of childhood sexual trauma.
- Prevention—not just cure—is the most sustainable strategy.
Toyin’s Story:Toyin Okunuga is a CSA survivor turned thriver. Her healing journey inspired the creation of:
- Hush to Roar – Her memoir (available on Amazon) -
- Roar Through Art CIC – Her community organisation -
- Healing T.I.P.P.S. – Her somatic, art-based inner peace school (Toyin’s Inner Peace Pathway School)
- The RAW ROAR movement – a heart-led global initiative for healing through creativity
She believes that healing is not only possible—it’s vital, and most powerfully accessed through safe, creative, embodied spaces.
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