Welcome to UNCENSORED 17-18-19 May London. A three-day festival exploring art at the intersection of pornography and activism. If you like this event why not buy a festival PASS to have full access to the programme whilst making big savings.
***THIS EVENT WILL BE BSL INTERPRETED***
UNCENSORED will host a roundtable WHO IS AFRAID OF PORN? on the topics of pornography and censorship on Sunday 19 May 2019 19:30-21:30.
Clarissa Smith (moderator)
Jennifer Lyon Bell
Misha Mayfair
Amory Peart
UNCENSORED was conceived almost one year ago as an attempt to collectively rethink what is considered offensive or abusive in light of existing and forthcoming legislation regarding sexually explicit content in the UK.
Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014 had banned certain consensual sexual acts from being depicted in online adult content produced in the UK – facesitting, female ejaculation, spanking and verbal abuse amongst them.
With this as a starting point, we came up with the idea of an interdisciplinary programme on pornography in order to investigate the diverse permutations of censorship along with its artistic and political implications, as well as the relationship between the so-called ‘ethical porn’ and the mainstream industry.
Our roundtable discussion intends to raise a series of questions around some of the central debates and demands regarding pornography nowadays:
– Can we talk of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ porn’?
-Is ‘bad porn’ mainly a matter of content or of production and distribution choices? Are these two inextricable?
– Is ‘good porn’ defined only by its (ethical) content or by the cinematic qualities of a movie (narrative, cinematography, characters, etc.) as well?
– What makes porn ‘ethical’?
– Can we consider porn a ‘pure’ visual genre defined solely by its purpose, that is the arousal of the viewer? If yes, are there limits to what can be acceptable/ethical to display?
– Can we consider porn as mere entertainment for adults or it inevitably functions as sex-education whether we like it or not? What are the limitations of considering porn either mere entertainment for adults or a tool for sex-education?
– Can the contextualisation of mainstream porn -by informing the viewers on what making pornography really is like, by providing ‘making of’ clips and interviews in which performers discuss their work, consent, boundaries, etc- be a way to prevent some of its harmful implications for young audiences?
– Can/should porn entirely replace sex education?
– What are the current feminist demands on porn regarding its representations and production/distribution processes?
– How do female performers working in the mainstream porn industry approach feminist discourses?
– Do the mainstream and the ethical porn industry share a common ground?
--------- Practical information ----------
Please arrive to your venue 15 minutes before your event begins to register and present your I.D.
You can only attend the events you have purchased tickets for. No tickets will be available to buy on the door, an exception is the Saturday night party.
The Yard theatre have a bar serving drinks and food, the venue is only accessible to festival goers and there is a permanent exhibition for you to explore.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Yard Theatre and Hub 67 are wheelchair accessible and both have gender neutral toilets. Please email if you require an access companion ticket. If you have any specific requirements to enable you to attend your event please contact us in advance of arriving to the venue info@uncensoredfest.com .
BSL INTERPRETED EVENT: UNCENSORED’s ROUNDTABLE: WHO IS AFRAID OF PORN?
Sunday 19 May 2019 @ 19:30-21:30 The Yard Theatre
This is a free event but you must book your ticket in advance HERE .
SUBTITLED SCREENING The entire Friday programme has subtitled screenings.
Book your tickets HERE.
COMING TOGETHER If you have the financial means to help a fellow ally, and want to SHARE THE PORNY LOVE, then why not buy them a ticket? This is an anonymous service, providing tickets for those who otherwise would not be able to attend. You do not know who you have paid for and they do not know who has paid for them.
To find out if you are eligible for ‘COMING TOGETHER’ or want to find out more about the scheme then check out our website HERE. Any unclaimed donations will contribute towards covering the running costs of UNCENSORED.
Nudity and sexual interactions: You will not be required to be naked. For practical workshops loose fitting, comfortable clothes are advised. Even though some workshops may have physical exercises, sexual contact as such is in no way required.
Safety, respect and consent: Your wellbeing is vitaly important to us. Please read our SAFE SPACE POLICY here.
Find out more about the events and the full programme HERE: (www.uncensoredfest.com).
We can’t wait to meet you and to explore these themes further.