Women’s Aid, a UK charity focused on eradicating domestic abuse, has launched a new campaign titled The Monster Who Came for Tea. Through this initiative, the organization seeks to pressure the government to review funding allocated to services supporting victims of domestic violence. The core of the campaign is a short film that blends live action with animation to tell a moving and critical story.
A story that exposes a harsh reality
The short film, directed by Guy Manwaring and produced by Merman Branded, narrates the experience of a mother and her daughter suffering domestic abuse. The story is presented from the girl's perspective, whose "monster" is not a mythical creature, but her own father, underscoring the harshness of abuse reality. The story aims to raise awareness about this serious social problem and motivate society to demand urgent changes.
With narration by Anne-Marie Duff and a soundtrack created by Stuart Hancock, the animation was developed in collaboration with Passion Pictures and Tulips & Chimneys. This production is part of the work of House 337, the creative agency that brought the campaign to life.
Women’s Aid’s message
Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women’s Aid, has expressed the importance of the campaign by stating that countless women and children live in fear every day, and this must change. The organization is requesting the government to take urgent measures to ensure adequate funding for essential services for domestic abuse victims. As part of the campaign, an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been launched, calling for these services to be prioritized in the next spending review.
Distribution and awareness actions
The short film will be distributed on social media and screened in cinemas, including Pearl & Dean theaters across the UK. Additionally, the campaign will feature activations in public spaces, designed to emulate the launch of a classic book, amplifying the campaign's central message.
Josh Green, creative director of House 337, has highlighted the power of creativity to illuminate critical issues, noting that with this reinterpretation of a children's book, the campaign seeks to provoke a lasting emotional response that drives society and politicians to act.
Education and prevention in schools
In addition to the public campaign, Women’s Aid has created educational materials to teach children and young people how to identify signs of unhealthy relationships. These resources are being implemented in partner schools within the PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education) curriculum, and their availability is expected to expand to more educational centers throughout the year.
The organization invites the public to join this fight by signing the open letter and supporting change through concrete actions. As a symbolic reminder, a copy of the book that inspired the campaign will be sent to Downing Street.
An urgent call to action
The short film The Monster Who Came for Tea is not just an audiovisual work, but a powerful tool to raise awareness and mobilize society in the fight against domestic abuse. Women’s Aid hopes this campaign will drive concrete changes and underscore the need for adequate support for victims of domestic violence.