Consent and safe spaces

Tough subject – we know, but highly relevant. Sexual harassment occurs in many different forms and is experienced by too many people.

This month we aim to explore this sensitive topic in a safe environment. Ameera Patel and Kirsten Harris will be equipping us with a toolkit to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.

The workshop will explore:

1. Awareness
   Is it happening to me?
   How do I identify it?
   What is consent?
   What are my rights?

2. Action
   What can I do?
   Who can I speak to?
   How can I better arm/protect myself?

3. Actualization
   Equity is essential.
   I have the right to dignity

We hope to create an awareness of the frequency of sexual harassment in this workshop. It will allow us to practice saying ‘no’ and remind us that we have the right to react.

The overall aim is to repower both the individual and the team or company, because we can only succeed when we are able to bring our full selves to work. We hope that managers and team leaders will leave with more clarity around acceptable behaviour and how to deal sensitively with sexual harassment as it pertains to having their entire team working optimally. Equity is an essential component in the workplace.

Special note:
This event is for men and women. We know that men get harassed too and this is not an issue that we aim to address and find solutions for in isolation.
Please bring yoga mats / towels, if possible.
Please wear comfortable clothing (pants are preferable to dresses/skirts)

Your facilitators for the evening:

Ameera Patel is in the storytelling business and received recognition for this, being named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 young South Africans in 2016. She is a Naledi award-winning actor as well as a writer, theatre-maker and facilitator residing in Johannesburg. She read for a BA in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town in 2005 and in 2013 she received a distinction for her Masters in Creative Writing at Wits. In 2017 she was honoured with The Premier’s Special Recognition Award for youth excellence and service. Ameera is also passionate about using theatre and skills gained from the arts in other sectors. Her corporate experience includes script writing for corporate theatre, performance, workshop facilitation and vocal training. She has worked for companies including Investec, Standard Bank, ABSA, Deloitte, Livity Africa and RMB among others.

Twitter: @ameerapatel
Facebook: @ Ameera Patel
Instagram: @ameerapat

Kirsten Harris is a theatre maker, director, producer and arts educator based in Johannesburg. She read for a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Drama and Political & International Studies at Rhodes University in Makhanda. She later obtained a Postgraduate qualification in Education through the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2015 Kirsten launched Hijinks Theatre, a collaborative arts incubator aimed at fostering the development and creation of new and original South African Theatre. The company has successfully produced and incubated multiple award-winning shows since its inception. Kirsten is interested in finding ways to use theatrical knowledge and language to work in other sectors. Her corporate experience includes facilitation and training with Rennies Travel and Sony. Kirsten is passionate about storytelling, arts education and our creative economies in South Africa.

Twitter: @Kirst_Mary
Facebook: Kirsten Harris
Instagram: kirstmary

For the new members, some general information about us:

1. We are an organization that aims at creating a safe space and platform to support women. However, we are not an exclusionary space. Men are welcome and we welcome them to join us as we learn about industry standards, trends and skills.

2. As a community we try to provide for ourselves. We have a bring-and-share policy for each event. So, if you are able to, please bring along snacks and drinks to share.