Isabel Davies-Jones
As most students are aware, the attitudes towards sex at Durham University are problematic.
With the leaked group chat of ‘posh lads’ competing to sleep with the poorest girl at university in 2020, and the recent spiking incidences followed by the university’s victim-blaming response, it is clear that there is a lot to be done to challenge these harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours.
I am now in my third year, and I have noticed that things have gotten worse – or, at least, the people around me have become more aware of how bad it is. In Durham, my friends have experienced being groped, catcalled, spiked, and stalked. There is a general sense of fear when walking home alone that I don’t remember being as potent at the beginning of my university experience. It is heart-breaking and wrong that I can confidently say that every one of my female friends has had some kind of negative experience with these harmful attitudes and behaviours surrounding sex.
Of course, Durham is not unique: these problems can occur everywhere and to anyone.
The tragic murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, a former Durham student, was a turning point. She was walking home in Clapham, London, an area I know and always thought of as a family-friendly place, when she was kidnapped. Tragically, this is only one of many similar cases. However, it hit close to home for many and sparked enough media attention to cause a wider conversation about the problem of violence against women. Since then, much attention has been drawn to the anti-rape and sexual harassment organisation Everyone’s Invited founded by Soma Sara, which has received over 54,000 testimonies of experiences with rape culture to date.
Despite this, a lot stays the same. We must keep trying and keep talking and learning about the harmful misconceptions surrounding sex. For most, sex education at school missed a lot. It didn’t tell us about any LGBTQ+ experiences, it didn’t mention pleasure, and it certainly didn’t teach us about how nuanced the concepts of relationships, intimacy, and consent really are.
Changing Relations wants student voices. If you want change, apply for the Student Social Action Group for the Let’s Talk About Sex project. Changing Relations is an organisation which uses arts to educate and break down barriers around harmful social attitudes.
As well as providing a platform where you can enact social change, being part of the group develops skills in marketing, event planning, leadership, and project management, so if you are interested in pursuing any related career paths, the Student Social Action Group would be valuable to your CV.
Joining the group will involve collaborating with the Northern School of Art and Bishop Auckland College and based on the meetings will result in an exhibition, a digital campaign, or a final event to raise awareness and educate. You will also have the unique experience of commissioning a professional artist. In the early part of this project, Changing Relations has been working with the fantastic Lou Brown (@goodstrangevibes), a queer, feminist artist whose work focuses on body positivity, mental health, and sexual experience amongst other topics with incredible honesty.
The group will meet regularly over the course of 6 months (January to
June 2022) for discussions.
As students, I think we have all felt helpless at times when faced with these issues. Young voices are often overlooked and doubted, but this does not have to be the case. Any Durham University student under the age of 24 is welcome to apply. If you have something to say, or you want to learn more about the topic, being part of this project is a great opportunity.
The deadline to apply to be part of the Student Social Action Group is 9am Friday 3 December.
Sign up now!: https://changingrelations.co.uk/our-work/lets-talk-about-sex/
