Bosses at theatres in Bristol and Bath have defended a decision to stage a controversial educational show which aims to teach young children about sex.
The Family Sex Show, which will feature real-life nudity on stage, is scheduled to be staged at The Egg theatre in Bath later this month and at the Tobacco Factory Theatre next month, with a sex education workshop for families ahead of the production, later this month.
But both theatres have been the target of a social media campaign about the production, along with a campaign against the production going viral on the internet forum Mumsnet.
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An online petition launched on Friday calling for the show to be ‘scrapped’ has already gathered 24,000 signatures, but the Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol, and The Egg theatre in Bath said they were backing the show.
The description of the show itself on the Tobacco Factory Theatre website said it is a ‘fun and silly performance about the painfully awkward subject of sex, exploring names and functions, boundaries, consent, pleasure, queerness, sex, gender and relationships.’
“Using real life bodies, personal stories, songs and movement, The Family Sex Show puts the good stuff at the forefront of conversation and imagines a future where there is no shame, but a celebration of difference, equality and liberation,” a spokesperson for the show said. They added that theatre company ‘ThisEgg’ had made the show in consultation with the School of Sexuality Education, and audiences would be sent a document detailing everything that takes place on stage before they attend. Every child attending - and the show is said to be suitable for children aged five and up - has to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
“ThisEgg have created The Family Sex Show to open up conversations around relationships. It is being created with input and guidance from education and safeguarding specialists. The nakedness in the show is not of a sexualised nature,” they added.
The show itself opens at the end of April for three performances at the egg - which is part of the Theatre Royal - in Bath. Those shows have already sold out.
It opens on May 5 at the Tobacco Factory Theatre, with an evening performance that Thursday, two more on Friday and Saturday and a Sunday morning showing at 11am. Before that, however, the Tobacco Factory is hosting two preliminary events. On April 26, there is a ‘workshop for families’, entitled ‘How We Talk About Sex’. And on the eve of the opening night, there is a panel discussion at the Tobacco Factory called ‘Sex, Bodies and Rights for All’.
Those behind the production said they created the show ‘as a response to Relationship and Sex Education in the UK, to ‘create an alternative, offline, honest and human theatre show that is offering intersectional, feminist, non-binary, anti-racist and sex-positive take on RSE.
They added that they want to ‘open conversations across multi-generational audiences’, and to ‘give space to ask the questions no-one feels brave enough to’, ‘give audiences agency to find out more’, and to ‘use pleasure as a vehicle for consent - knowing why we might say yes, so we know when to say no’.
In the show’s ‘frequently asked questions’, the producers address the young age the show is suitable for - they say children as young as five can go. “Sexual development and behaviour in children starts from birth. It’s important that children are supported in their exploratory development, safely and comfortably.’
“We are hoping the show offers an alternative to porn. We can’t (and no one else can, no matter what locks you put on your devices) control how or when young people get access to porn. It’s normally as fast as the fastest in the class. A recent article by the BBC suggests that children as young as 11 are learning about sex from porn. We want to equip young people with a wider critical toolkit which they can then apply to life,” they added.
But the show has received a backlash, with a Daily Mail article, a large number of tweets and the condemnation of mums on Mumsnet. As well as the themes of the show and the potentially young age of the audience, the nakedness on stage has provoked an outcry.
“There is nakedness, yes,” the show’s producers said. “At one point in the show, everyone on stage takes their clothes off to the level they feel comfortable to. For some people, that’s taking off all of their clothes and being completely naked. For other people, that means taking off bottoms but leaving underwear on, for others it’s not taking anything off at all. This moment lasts approximately five minutes.
“We want to have honest and upfront conversations about bodies. A lot of what we see of bodies - if we do - is on a screen. We think it’s important to try to begin to change the politics of bodies. We hope that by seeing real-life bodies on stage we can begin to realise that they are just bodies. That said, it is always important that when you do get naked yourself, you are somewhere safe, and in private.”
The petition against the show calls for it to be ‘scrapped’, and was posted on the ‘Citizen Go’ website anonymously, along with a link to an article about the show in The Guardian, and another in the Daily Mail.
The petitioner called it ‘sexually explicit’. “Children should not be de-sensitised to the sight of naked adult bodies or introduced to topics surrounding adult pleasure which this production promotes and celebrates,” they said.
“The show even comes with a content warning but is at the same time aiming to attract families and children. The advertising for the show mentions that performers will take off as many clothes as they are comfortable with, but not once is there any suggestion or reflection of the feelings of their young audience.
“This is nothing more than a blatant and extremely concerning attempt to sexualise children prematurely and is abusive,” the petition claimed.
“The show aims to break down children’s natural boundaries and expose them to content they are not sufficiently mature enough to handle. There is no difference between taking children to The Family Sex Show and taking them to a seedy peep show or strip club.
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The petition points out that the show is funded by the Arts Council. “It is a disgrace that taxpayers’ money has been spent on a production that scandalises and harms children and potentially places them at risk,” they added.
The petition ends with a call for people to demand that theatres planning on hosting the production drop those plans, but the Tobacco Factory Theatre defended the production.
Both theatres involved in Bristol and Bath and the Norwich-based ThisEgg theatre company, issued a joint statement in the face of the backlash. They told Bristol Live: “The Family Sex Show is a theatre show which opens up conversations around relationships. The show is being created with input and guidance from educational and safeguarding specialists.
“It is with an enormous sense of responsibility, compassion and caution towards young people and their parents that we consider this an important piece of theatre,” they added.
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