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Nelly Thomas and Dirty Work Comedy awarded federal grant to expand the highly acclaimed No Means No Show
Only a week out from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Dirty Work Comedy have been awarded major federal funding by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs portfolio under the Gender Equity for Women – Respectful Relationships program. As one of 300 applications received by the funding body, they now share the pool of $560,000 with 3 other successful candidates.
In 2003 Dirty Work artist Nelly Thomas developed the acclaimed No Means No Show for young women about sex, consent and respectful sexual relationships with CASA House (Centre Against Sexual Assault) and the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. Since 2003 the partnership with the hospital has grown from strength to strength. The No Means No Show has played to thousands of young women and a No Means No Show for boys was developed in 2009. Nelly’s work in this field is pioneering. Using comedy, the No Means No Shows explore common scenarios, social situations, myths and raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities in relation to sexual assault amongst young people.
With this funding, Nelly Thomas and Dirty Work Comedy, and CASA House aim to broaden the show’s reach. Comedian Nelly Thomas, under the guidance of Dirty Work Comedy will deliver a series of projects, including an Indigenous pilot of the highly acclaimed No Means No Show; No Means No Show website for young people, teachers and parents; and “The Talk”, a DVD for parents and carers on how to talk to your kids about sex.
Tuesday 24th November 2009
Nelly is very pleased and proud to announce that the No Means No Show was highlighted today in 'A Right to Respect: Victoria’s Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2010-2020'. The State Government plan aims to prevent violence against women and a case study of the 'No Means No Show' was included as being exemplary of the way the arts can contribute to primary prevention and be agents of cultural change.
In 2003 Nelly developed a show for young women about sex, consent and respectful sexual relationships with CASA House (Centre Against Sexual Assault) and the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. Building on the success of other comedy-based health promotion shows Nelly had done previously with The Women’s, the No Means No Show was developed and has since played to thousands of teenagers. The content of the show is respectful and appropriate and through sensitive, engaging comedy explores common scenarios, social situations, myths and raises awareness of rights and responsibilities in relation to sexual assault.
In recent times, Nelly and her team have again worked with a panel of health experts from CASA House, The Women’s and Men’s No to Violence Groups to develop a boy's show based on the same themes.
Both shows are one hour in length and are followed by a Question and Answer session with health professionals and counsellors working in the area of sexual assault. The shows are gender specific (that is,separate boys and girls performances) to allow the Q&A to be truly effective.
Both the boys and girls No Means No Shows are available
for touring.
Evaluations:
The boys show is new and is yet to be evaluated, but
evaluations of the girls show are available on request.
Some snippets from those evaluations are below.
"...overwhelmingly a highly successful event. It seems that health promotion via comedy is a very engaging and accessible format..."
The Royal Women's Hospital (RWH)
What the young women in the audience from the 2006 shows said in their evaluations about the No Means No Show (source, RWH):
"It was fantastic. Should be more things like this."
"Better than sex education any day."
"It was funny and honest. They didn't try and hide anything from us."
"I like the fact that they are showing us ... that our bodies are ours."
"They are not afraid to tell us how it is. They were not treating us like idiots."
"I have learnt to say no if you're not ready and to stick up for myself."
"You want me cos I'm so damn fine, but back off, my body's mine!"
"I have learnt that it is never your fault when you get sexually assaulted."
"The comedy loosened things up even though we were discussing such an important subject."
Booking enquiries:
Dirty Work Management
Vanessa Rouse:
ph: 0449 997 645
