Bloomsbury Festival 2020 took place from Friday 16 – Sunday 25 October with a programme of digital, live and socially distanced events. The Festival theme of Vision acted as a catalyst to a wide spectrum of events and the 2020 programme turned Bloomsbury inside out, making visible the parts and people rarely seen.
SHaME researchers were very pleased to support Bloomsbury Festival’s work and we presented two events at the 2020 Festival. Responding to the themes of ‘visions of the future’ and ‘invisibility/visibility’, our events prompted important conversations about the future of responses to sexual violence.
These events refer to sexual violence and child sexual abuse and may cause distress for some viewers. We created Safeguarding Statements for both events and we encourage you to consult them. Consent: What’s missing from the conversation? Safeguarding Statement and The Betrayed Girls Safeguarding Statement.
Podcast Listening Party
Consent: What’s missing from the conversation?
On Tuesday 20 October 2020, SHaME postdoctoral researcher Dr Stephanie Wright and PhD Candidate Emma Yapp presented Podcast Listening Party – Consent: What’s missing from the conversation? Joined by Dr Tanya Serisier (Birkbeck School of Law), author and activist Winnie M Li (London School of Economics), and black feminist and global health masters student Sarah Lasoye, the panel led an online audience in listening to a curated playlist of podcast excerpts, followed by a discussion on ‘consent’ – how it’s been viewed in the past, how we think about it now, and the future of consent in a post-#metoo world. In many cases, consent has been misinterpreted and manipulated by individuals and communities alike – this conversation looked at what’s missing from the conversation and what the future of consent might look like.
A diverse audience of viewers from across the globe came together online to take part in this conversation and you can watch a recording of it below:
‘The Betrayed Girls’ Film Screening and Panel Discussion
On Wednesday 21 October 2020, our postdoctoral researcher Dr Ruth Beecher presented ‘The Betrayed Girls’ – Film Screening & Panel Discussion. Led by a panel including Ruth, consultant community paediatrician Dr Deborah Hodes, director working with young people’s services Bose Onaboye, historian Dr Sarah Marks, and the film’s acclaimed director Henry Singer, the event brought together academics, activists and practitioners to explore visions of a future in which we can better respond to what children disclose about sexual abuse.
A diverse audience of viewers from across the globe came together online to watch ‘The Betrayed Girls’ before returning for a panel discussion and audience Q&A over Zoom. You can watch a recording of the event below:
As a research group SHaME are committed to confronting and dismantling the shame and other harms surrounding sexual violence and using our research to contribute to the fight to end sexual violence.
We hope these events have inspired you to learn more or take action, and we hope you continue to join us in these important conversations on how we can all help to forge a rape-free world.
FIND OUT MORE:
Bloomsbury Festival celebrates contemporary Bloomsbury; a hotbed of creativity and pioneering development which has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country. Through connection and production Bloomsbury Festival amplifies creative development and engagement in the community and provides opportunities for practitioners of all genres to enrich their creative practice. You can find out more about Bloomsbury Festival 2021, including this year’s theme and how to make a submission on their website.
CREDITS:
‘The Betrayed Girls’ documentary was presented with the kind permission of the director, Henry Singer.
Excerpts from the following podcasts were featured in Consent: What’s missing from the conversation?:
- Sexing History: Against Our Will
- Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations: Chanel Miller: Know My Name
- Radiolab: In The No
- Obsessed With…: I May Destroy You