The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing trauma rehabilitation services to survivors of war trauma and other gross human rights violations while advancing human rights worldwide. CVT delivers rehabilitation services, strengthens the capacity of civil society organizations and service providers, conducts research, and advocates for the prevention of torture. Since 2016, CVT has operated in Iraq, providing trauma healing services, capacity development for Iraqi NGOs and clinical providers, and advocacy and research.
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) has developed an approach called Therapeutic Documentation (TD) through its work with survivors of human rights violations in Syria, Uganda, and Iraq. TD integrates trauma-informed, survivor-centered principles into documentation processes by supporting rights holders in documenting their experiences in ways that promote both healing and justice-related goals.
Through TD, survivors who have participated in rehabilitation and/or resilience programming are supported in engaging with civil society organizations working on documentation, advocacy, research, memorialization, truth-telling, and awareness initiatives. Survivors may also choose to document their experiences through creative and artistic forms of expression. Documentation always remains voluntary, survivor-led, and guided by informed consent.
As part of this work, CVT seeks to strengthen its Creative Documentation Workshop (CDW) by expanding it from primarily individual artistic expression into collaborative documentation experiences that foster collective memory, shared narratives, and community reflection while maintaining survivor safety and agency.
Scope of Work
In collaboration with the CVT team and its implementing partner, the artist will review CVT’s existing Creative Documentation Workshop and contribute artistic expertise to strengthen the workshop methodology. The consultant will support the integration of collaborative artistic approaches that facilitate collective documentation, storytelling, and memorialization while remaining aligned with Therapeutic Documentation principles and trauma-informed, survivor-centered practice.
Responsibilities
Preparation (2–3 days)
- Review CVT’s Therapeutic Documentation approach and the existing Creative Documentation Workshop (CDW) curriculum.
- Participate in orientation meetings with the CVT team and implementing partner to understand the project objectives, participants context, and expected outcomes.
- Participate in a training session on trauma-informed and survivor-centered facilitation provided by the CVT team.
- Review previous examples (where appropriate) and propose artistic approaches that support collective documentation while respecting participant choice and emotional safety.
- Adapt workshop activities, artistic methods, and facilitation exercises in collaboration with CVT.
Workshop Implementation (2 days)
- Co-facilitate a two-day Creative Documentation Workshop alongside the CVT team.
- Support participants in exploring individual and collective experiences through creative expression using visual arts and other agreed artistic media.
- Facilitate collaborative artistic activities that help participants collectively represent shared experiences, themes, memories, or events while ensuring participation remains voluntary and survivor-led.
- Collaborate closely with CVT facilitators to ensure trauma-informed facilitation throughout the workshop.
Post-Workshop (5 days)
- Refine and finalize the collaborative artwork developed during the workshop while preserving participants’ intended messages and artistic contributions through reviews with CVT and rights holders.
- Participate in debrief meetings with CVT to reflect on the workshop process and lessons learned.
Reporting (2 days)
- Submit finalized artwork in agreed formats.
- Submit a brief narrative report describing:
- Artistic methodology used;
- Workshop process;
- Participant engagement;
- Recommendations for future Creative Documentation Workshops;
- Suggestions for strengthening the integration of art within Therapeutic Documentation.
Deliverables
The consultant will provide:
- Review of the existing Creative Documentation Workshop with written recommendations.
- Adapted artistic methodology for collective documentation activities.
- Co-facilitation of one two-day Creative Documentation Workshop.
- One finalized collaborative artwork (or agreed artistic outputs) developed through the workshop.
- Brief facilitation/report (3–5 pages) documenting:
- Workshop process;
- Artistic approach;
- Reflections and lessons learned;
- Recommendations for future implementation.
- Participation in final debrief and feedback meeting with CVT.
Requirements and qualifications:
The artist should possess the following qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience as a visual artist or creative practitioner with expertise in documentation, storytelling, memorialization, and/or human rights-related artistic work.
- Experience facilitating participatory workshops and working with groups, with strong facilitation and communication skills.
- Previous experience working with diverse communities in the Ninewa Plains or similar contexts, with the ability to work respectfully across different cultural, ethnic, and religious groups.
- Excellent facilitation and communication skills in Arabic. Shabaki language is preferred.
- A foundational understanding of trauma, trauma-informed language, and survivor-centered approaches, or willingness to participate in CVT’s orientation prior to implementation.
- Interest in supporting survivors of human rights violations through creative and participatory approaches.
- Availability to dedicate time for preparation, workshop implementation during August and early September follow-up, and finalization before Sep 20th.
- Willingness and ability to travel within Iraq, including to the Ninewa Plains and Kurdistan Region of Iraq as required.
- Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including mental health professionals, resilience trainers, and civil society partners.
- Demonstrated commitment to ethical engagement, confidentiality, and respect for survivor agency when working with sensitive personal narratives and human rights documentation.
Background
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing trauma rehabilitation services to survivors of war and other gross human rights violations, as well as working to promote human rights globally. The Center provides rehabilitation services, builds the capacity of civil society organizations and service providers, conducts research, and advocates for the prevention of torture. Since 2016, CVT has been working in Iraq, providing trauma recovery services, building the capacity of Iraqi NGOs and clinical service providers, and conducting advocacy and research activities.
Through its work with survivors of human rights abuses in Syria, Uganda, and Iraq, the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVT) has developed an approach called Therapeutic Documentation (TD). This approach integrates trauma-informed and survivor-centered principles into documentation processes, supporting rights holders in documenting their experiences in ways that contribute to both recovery and justice.
Through therapeutic documentation, survivors who have previously participated in rehabilitation and/or resilience programs are supported in engaging with civil society organizations working in documentation, advocacy, research, commemoration, truth-seeking, and awareness-raising initiatives. Survivors can also choose to document their experiences through creative and artistic forms of expression. The documentation process remains voluntary, survivor-led, and guided by the principle of informed consent at all stages.
As part of this work, the Center for Victims of Torture seeks to develop the Creative Documentation Workshop (CDW) by expanding its scope from focusing primarily on individual artistic expression to participatory documentation experiences that promote collective memory, shared narratives, and community reflection, while preserving the safety of survivors and their right to choose and control the process.
Scope of work
In collaboration with the Torture Victims Center team and the implementing partner, the artist will review the Center’s existing creative documentation workshop and contribute their artistic expertise to developing the workshop’s methodology. The consultant will also work to support the integration of participatory artistic approaches that contribute to collective documentation, storytelling, and commemoration, ensuring their alignment with therapeutic documentation principles and trauma-informed, survivor-centered practices.
Responsibilities
Preparation (2–3 days)
- Review of the therapeutic documentation approach of the Torture Victims Center and the current methodology of the creative documentation workshop.
- Participate in introductory meetings with the center’s team and the implementing partner to understand the project’s objectives, the context of the participants, and the expected outcomes.
- Participate in a training session presented by the center’s team on trauma-informed and survivor-centered facilitation.
- Reviewing previous examples, where appropriate, and proposing technical methods that support collective documentation while respecting the participants’ choices and psychological well-being.
- Adapting workshop activities, techniques, and facilitation exercises in collaboration with the center’s team.
Workshop implementation (two days)
- Participating in facilitating a two-day creative documentation workshop alongside the Torture Victims Center team.
- Supporting participants in exploring their individual and collective experiences through creative expression using visual arts and other agreed artistic media.
- Facilitating participatory art activities that help participants collectively express shared experiences, themes, memories, or events, while ensuring that participation remains voluntary and survivor-led.
- Close cooperation with facilitators from the Torture Victims Centre to ensure the application of a trauma-informed facilitation approach throughout the workshop.
Post-workshop (5 days)
- Developing and completing the collective artwork produced during the workshop, while preserving the messages that the participants wanted to convey and their artistic contributions, through review with the Center for Victims of Torture and Rights Holders.
- Participating in lessons learned meetings with the center’s team to reflect on the workshop’s progress and the lessons learned from it.
Report preparation (two days)
- Delivering the final artwork in the agreed-upon formats.
- Provide a brief narrative report describing:
- The technical methodology used;
- Workshop procedure;
- Participation and interaction of participants;
- Recommendations for future creative documentation workshops;
- Suggestions for promoting the integration of art within the therapeutic documentation approach.
Required outputs
The consultant will provide the following:
- Review the current creative documentation workshop and provide written recommendations for its improvement.
- A modified technical methodology for collective documentation activities.
- Participating in facilitating one two-day creative documentation workshop.
- One final collective artwork, or other agreed-upon artistic outputs, is developed through the workshop.
- A brief facilitation and workshop report of 3–5 pages, including:
- Workshop procedure;
- The technical approach used;
- Reflections and lessons learned;
- Recommendations for future implementation.
- Participating in a concluding meeting with the Torture Victims Center to draw lessons and provide feedback.
Requirements and qualifications
The artist should possess the following qualifications:
- Proven experience as a visual artist or creative practitioner, with experience in documentation, storytelling, commemoration, and/or human rights-related artwork.
- Experience in facilitating participatory workshops and working with groups, with strong facilitation and communication skills.
- Previous experience working with diverse communities in the Nineveh Plain or similar contexts, and the ability to work respectfully with different cultural, ethnic, and religious groups.
- Excellent skills in facilitation and communication in Arabic, and knowledge of network linguistics is also important.
- A basic understanding of trauma, trauma-informed language, and a survivor-centered approach, or a willingness to participate in the introductory training that the Torture Victims Center will provide prior to implementation.
- A focus on supporting survivors of human rights abuses through creative and participatory approaches.
- Dedicate the necessary time to preparation, conduct the workshop during August and the beginning of September, follow up until September 20, and complete the final outputs during August and September 2026.
- Willingness and ability to travel within Iraq, including the Nineveh Plain and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as needed.
- The ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including mental health professionals, resilience coaches, and civil society partners.
- A proven commitment to the principles of ethical engagement, confidentiality, and respect for survivors’ will and right to make decisions when dealing with sensitive personal narratives and documenting human rights abuses.
How to apply
Interested applicants are requested to submit their CV, cover letter, samples of artwork, examples of previous work with groups, links to social media accounts, websites, online portfolios or galleries showcasing their work, and a cover letter to Iraq_HR@CVT.ORG by August 20th. The cover letter should briefly describe their relevant experience, proposed approach to delivering the assignment, and their proposed professional fee (either a lump-sum fee for the assignment or a daily work/training rate). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Interested applicants should send the following:
- the biography;
- Cover letter;
- Examples of artworks;
- Examples of previous work with groups;
- Links to social media accounts, websites, digital portfolios, or galleries showcasing their work;
Applications should be sent to (Iraq_HR@CVT.ORG) before the end of August 20, 2026.
The cover letter should include a brief description of the relevant experience, the proposed approach to carrying out the task, and the proposed professional fees, either as a lump sum for carrying out the task or as a daily wage for training/work.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.