So… why make a podcast about abuse?
When I was a junior in college, my partner ripped my sweater while it was still on my body and screamed obscenities in my face. I didn’t know how to talk about it because no one told me what abuse was. Now— I’m ready to talk about it.
Sydney Bauer, Host/Producer
Why now?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people experiencing relationship abuse have found themselves trapped with their abusers night and day. Locally, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received a 2,000% increase in text messages compared to the same month in 2019. According to the UN, worldwide reported cases of domestic abuse have risen by 20% since the start of the pandemic, leading the UN to declare the rise in domestic abuse as a concurrent “shadow pandemic.” In this nightmare scenario, not only are people unable to physically get away from their abusers, but they are also isolated from their friends, families, and support networks while most of the traditional avenues of institutional support have been shuttered or forced online.
Our Team
Sydney Bauer
Host/Producer
My name is Sydney and I'm a survivor of relationship abuse. I am ALSO a Chicagoland area native and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I currently work full-time as the Membership and Partnership Coordinator for the Network of Executive Women, a nonprofit that works to advance women in the workplace. Outside of that position, I also freelance as a documentary filmmaker, focusing on impact campaigns and in 2018, I was a Member of the Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps. I am an avid reader and podcast listener and can frequently be found at a concert venue.
Andrea Raby
Producer/Editor
My name is Andrea and I’m a documentary filmmaker and producer based in Chicago, IL. After graduating with a degree in journalism, I began my producing commercial content for brands like Huggies and Modelo. Following this, I jumped into producing and directing documentary content, working as an associate producer on Director Ruth Leitman’s repro-rights docu-series No One Asked You and producer of experimental documentary short A Galaxy Sits in the Cracks. My first documentary short Undue Burdens began it’s festival run in 2020.
Adam Joel
Producer/Contributer
My name is Adam! I am an impact-driven filmmaker and a professional improv comedian. I'm also a survivor of relationship abuse, and it feels great to open up about it. I co-founded Aggressively Compassionate, a studio that makes videos for nonprofits and other good causes. I'm also an Impact Manager for Kindling Group, where I've booked over 1,200 screenings for their early childhood education film, No Small Matter. Currently, I'm writing and directing a short film called The Last Drop, about the early signs of abuse we don't typically see in movies.