York St John's All About Respect campaign

All About Respect will be launched over a series of days next week, 6 – 8 March, with a wide variety of events.

This awareness-raising campaign aims to promote a zero tolerance approach to sexual violence, harassment and abuse.

Nic Streatfield, Head of Student Services at York St John, said: “The imperative to respect one another in our personal and professional relationships has been widely discussed in the media and society recently. Across education, as in other sectors, it is important that we proactively challenge ourselves to do more.

“Alongside York College we’ve worked to ensure that the student voice is at the heart of the ‘All About Respect’ campaign and by partnering with IDAS and Survive we’re drawing on trusted and independent expertise to advise us.

“It’s only by talking about and tackling these issues openly that we can make a safer and more respectful society and I’m proud of the maturity our students have shown in leading this initiative.”

York St John is hosting the campaign in partnership with York College, IDAS and Survive.

There will be an eight-hour rowathon to raise money for charity, displays of student work around the topic, a zero tolerance pledge board for people to sign, documentary screening, spoken word and other performances by students.

The University’s Drama Society has already raised money for the charity Survive through a 24-hour play. Extracts from this play, Confession, which relates to the theme of healthy relationships, will be performed during the launch.

Rebecca Hardwick, undergraduate student at York St John and member of the Drama Society, said: “We, as a society, think it is an important project particularly because of the work the charity Survive do. The topic of respect is something that really needs addressing generally and so we really want to help in doing that.”

There will also be information available from IDAS, Survive, The SARC, Kyra and North Yorkshire Police.

On 7 March the campaign launch will also visit York College and take the pledge board and information stands there.

Lisa Thornton, MA Applied Theatre student at York St John, will be running a series of drama workshops at the College to explore the themes of boundaries, consent and respect within relationships.

Lisa said: “The aim is to encourage, through drama, a dialogue with young people, to empower them to respect themselves and others. It is also an opportunity to signpost where they could go for help if they ever needed it.

“I am very proud to be involved with the project, it is great that there is a campaign highlighting these important issues.”