To think this is grooming in plain sight

Many years ago I was at a toy party for kids lol not adults. A lady was talking about how she had informed her 6yr old about sex as she thought it was her place and not schools. All of a sudden this little boy started kissing this little girl between her legs. I’m not sure who was more shocked at what he was doing his mum or any of us. It’s always stuck in my head that party. So no I don’t think a show like that needs to be shown. My lads were taught by school and when young we lived in Germany and nude bathing is quite common over there and the first time I saw someone I nearly rode my bike into a lake lol

Good grief! Where did a six year old get that idea from?

Yes that’s what me and my friend said after we left the party we were in so much shock.

I love how any critism of their sick show is apparently seen as

^violent and threatening'

Safeguarding is everybody's business the government tells us - except not if you're the Arts Council, the National Lottery, theatres, local authorities who sponsor porn soaked theatre performances aimed at 5 years olds.
Why is it impossible for them to say NO to these groups. Leave children out of your sex / porn obsessions.

I don't know what's more shocking, the fact that these delusuonal woke sickos are targeting children, or the fact that NSPCC aren't doing more.

Organisation such as NSPCC should be non political. They should be above worrying whether they will offend anyone.^

Child safety should come first
Every time.

I've received a very positive response from a Child Protection Officer at CEOP confirming that they've had a significant number of reports about it and will be investigating. I checked the theatre company's website last night and although a lot of the content originally on there has been taken down, they still have a "glossary of terms" and the definition of BDSM is still there should any 5 year old child be curious.

This uproar has a powerful whiff of tabloid papers and populist wannabes stirring up public indignation, as they are wont to do. When I see them I like to dig around a bit to see what's going on. I haven't seen the show so I can't make a fully informed comment. But I can pick up some hints.

Firstly, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol isn't some fly-by-night fringe theatre, it's a community-based arts space created by George Ferguson in one of Bristol's old tobacco bond warehouse as part of the regeneration of the run-down south side of the city. George Ferguson is the former independent elected Mayor of Bristol, a one-time Merchant Venturer and a generally respected figure around the city so I can't see him overseeing the presentation of smut. Actually I have seen 5-year-olds attending a production at the Tobacco Factory once: it was a very orthodox staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. You can imagine the thinking, it's got fairies in it so the kids'll enjoy it. The kids were bored to tears and getting fractious.

Secondly, in the small print of the show's website it says it was created in collaboration with the School of Sexuality Education, whose own website declares its aim to be to "[...] support schools to provide age-appropriate, inclusive, trauma-informed relationships and sex education programmes.". As I said, I don't know for sure without seeing the show but I get the strong feeling that it isn't about grooming and sexualising children, it's about stripping away all the furtiveness and shame that we've all been brought up to associate sex with. It's the furtiveness and shame that the child abuser trades on. If the show is saying, there's nothing dirty about your body, it's all right for you to explore it when you're on your own but it's not all right for Uncle Kevin to touch you especially if he says "let this be our special secret" then I'm fine with it". Anything that stops child abusers getting away with it, as they do all too often because they rely on the child's shame, is fine by me.

So talk of bdsm, squirting, and so on are helpful in what way?

I think the majority didn't necessarily want to see this show cancelled - just the age changed from 5 upwards to, perhaps 16 upwards.

MissAdventure

So talk of bdsm, squirting, and so on are helpful in what way?

In what sense is it unhelpful? Are you imagining bdsm activities in the playground? Always picking up on the most salacious possibilities! What's not helpful about being open about sex instead of making it a dirty secret? Should we still slap children and tell them they are dirty if they touch themselves?

LadyHonoriaDedlock

This uproar has a powerful whiff of tabloid papers and populist wannabes stirring up public indignation, as they are wont to do. When I see them I like to dig around a bit to see what's going on. I haven't seen the show so I can't make a fully informed comment. But I can pick up some hints.

Firstly, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol isn't some fly-by-night fringe theatre, it's a community-based arts space created by George Ferguson in one of Bristol's old tobacco bond warehouse as part of the regeneration of the run-down south side of the city. George Ferguson is the former independent elected Mayor of Bristol, a one-time Merchant Venturer and a generally respected figure around the city so I can't see him overseeing the presentation of smut. Actually I have seen 5-year-olds attending a production at the Tobacco Factory once: it was a very orthodox staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. You can imagine the thinking, it's got fairies in it so the kids'll enjoy it. The kids were bored to tears and getting fractious.

Secondly, in the small print of the show's website it says it was created in collaboration with the School of Sexuality Education, whose own website declares its aim to be to "[...] support schools to provide age-appropriate, inclusive, trauma-informed relationships and sex education programmes.". As I said, I don't know for sure without seeing the show but I get the strong feeling that it isn't about grooming and sexualising children, it's about stripping away all the furtiveness and shame that we've all been brought up to associate sex with. It's the furtiveness and shame that the child abuser trades on. If the show is saying, there's nothing dirty about your body, it's all right for you to explore it when you're on your own but it's not all right for Uncle Kevin to touch you especially if he says "let this be our special secret" then I'm fine with it". Anything that stops child abusers getting away with it, as they do all too often because they rely on the child's shame, is fine by me.

Rubbish.
They've taken down most of the dubious material on their site
Such as encouraging children to Google 'animals that masterbate"

There’s open and there’s appropriate. Not always one and the same. I didn’t see anything appropriate in the publicity material for this ‘show’.

Oldwoman70

I think the majority didn't necessarily want to see this show cancelled - just the age changed from 5 upwards to, perhaps 16 upwards.

The majority most certainly did want to see this show cancelled

So much of your last 2 posts is easy to attack.
I feel you are just stirring up trouble.
Or maybe in being unfair and you just havent read the previous posts LadyHonoria?

Who has said anything about slapping children for touching themselves.
There is a middle ground, which doesnt include exposing children to terms that they have no concept of.

In = I'm

Lady,
Here's the link again, if you would like to get some opinions. It most certainly isn't only the tabloids that have expressed deep concern over this so called show.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4533741-To-update-about-The-Family-Sex-Show

Firstly, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol isn't some fly-by-night fringe theatre, it's a community-based arts space

As they are only one of the proposed venues for the show, and not the theatre company itself, I'm perplexed as to why you've singled them out. This production was due to tour around several towns and cities, some of which I'm sure have had previous productions that were suitable, or not suitable, for children from 5 upwards. They've all been cancelled. Nor am I clear as to what relevance it has that, once upon a time, a theatre had a Shakespearean play on and some kids went to see it and fidgeted throughout. What's that all about?

Should we still slap children and tell them they are dirty if they touch themselves?

What are you on about? Slapping children? Dirty touching? What on earth were you thinking when you posted this?

You may feel quite comfortable with the tone and content of this show but fortunately, thousands of parents, guardians and grandparents did not. Neither did the CEOP who have already instigated an enquiry. But if you're happy to take your children or grandchildren, I'm sure that you can apply for tickets as part of their "Specially Invited Audience." Have fun.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4533410-The-Family-Sex-Show-to-continue-despite-widespread-outrage

uh-oh....

As Victor Meldrew would say, I don’t BELIEVE it. I’m horrified.

LadyHonoriaDedlock

Firstly, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol isn't some fly-by-night fringe theatre, it's a community-based arts space created by George Ferguson in one of Bristol's old tobacco bond warehouse as part of the regeneration of the run-down south side of the city

That's taken from their blurb.

Just because George Ferguson created this doesn't mean that all productions there are admirable or that any of George's ideas were good.
George of the red trousers - I used to warn DH if he wore red trousers people might think he was George Ferguson.

And, as its name suggests, it is the old W D and H O Wills Tobacco Factory site (where some members of the family used to work). Not everything produced there proved to be good for you either.

It's all a bit like Jimmy Savile's credentials, isnt it?
Not that I'm for one minute suggesting anyone is up to his games.

"Invited audience"??? Someone with an appreciation for music perhaps? With lyrics like these?

I’m more than horrified if such a thing is possible. What sane person would take a child to this ‘show’?

Oh, a good old family sing-song.
How very inclusive to see grandad waxing lyrical about his cock.