Resources
Session 4: The 'Balloon Party' Part 2 - Harassment
This 15-minute activity can be used alongside other activities, particularly Session 3 on these pages, or on its own, to begin conversations around sexual expectations, body image, and harassment, particularly those put upon women in a clubbing context.
Suitable for groups, in person or online.
Materials needed:
- note-taking materials
- whiteboard or other shareable writing material
Online materials needed:
- Pre-prepared padlet to share ideas about consent ready to be shared.
This clip is from Vincent Dance Theatre's Virgin Territory, which, alongside Shut Down, was devised with young performers to examine identity, masculinity, femininity, sex and sexuality, and digital harassment. The pieces in these resources are clips from a longer multi-screen dance theatre film installation: this is to say that some parts tell a story, some ask you to think, and all pieces are designed to evoke emotional responses. Participants should be encouraged to engage with these dynamic pieces on a combination of these levels.
These resources come with a content note, particularly around sexual harassment. If anyone who engages with these materials needs support they can do so via Wellbeing Services here.
This clip uses verbatim text collected during the research period with young people through community workshops.
The intersectional nature of sexual and domestic abuse particularly in relation to women and girls of BIPOC heritage should be considered in connection with this activity (see https://www.sistahspace.org/).
- Watch the above video
- Check-in: The above video contains content that discusses sexual harassment; the session leader should signpost to wellbeing services during the session. Offer a short period to reflect and make sure participants are alright.
- Activity and Discussion: The video showed a young woman speaking about harassment at a club. This was a real testimony that the performer relayed to us. In small groups discuss what you might say to the harassers if you could, or what you would say to the young woman if you could? The session leader can make notes on a whiteboard or shared screen to reflect the discussion.
- Discussion: Have you seen things like this happen before? Feedback to discuss as a group - those who have had bystander training may wish to help lead the discussion.
- Activity and Discussion: The below image is from the #THISDOESNTMEANYES campaign.
Let’s focus on what is a "yes"? What are the right conditions for a "yes"? What might a "yes" sound like or look like? Invite participants to write on a sticky note, or on a padlet, what constitutes consent.
6. Feedback: Session leader reads and responds to some of the responses to the above task. How do these responses play into 'Active Bystander' issues? How can we be 'Active Bystanders'?
7. To prepare for Session 5, the session leader may wish to have students reflect on what the next steps as a community might be to resolve or address some of the issues discussed so far.