“The stories were passionate, honest, raw and heartfelt. The performances were breathtaking, professional and acted with such commitment.”

What is Body Gossip?

Body Gossip is a campaign that challenges common perceptions of body image, promoting the recognition and acceptance of natural beauty. The objective of Body Gossip is to encourage students to think and talk about their bodies now so that they can worry about their image less in future.

Many people consider their bodies to be inadequate. Body Gossip is changing this.

Body Gossip on Tour is a project which encourages University students to hold their own Body Gossip event. This could be with the sole intention of raising awareness of body image and eating disorders, or could also include fundraising for associated charities.

A Body Gossip event starts with a writing competition to gather a truthful picture of how students at your university view themselves and their bodies. The material is then used as the script for a theatre production, a fantastic way to use the craft of theatre to reach out and touch our society.

The subject of body image appeals to a great many people. It is rare to find individuals with nothing to say about their body. Body Gossip provides a platform for people to be able to consider and share their thoughts and feelings. It is a most liberating experience!

To find out more visit  http://www.bodygossip.org/

Why do it?

Organising a Body Gossip event is incredibly rewarding. It allows people with a history of eating disorders to be more open about their experiences without deep feelings of shame, whilst performers and audience gain new insights into the related issues and stigmas.

Through such an event you will develop or refine many skills including leadership, time management and organisation. Apart from the great personal satisfaction, such experience can be a brilliant addition to any CV as it demonstrates the use of initiative, creativity, teamwork and communication. It is also a fantastic way to meet new people and become united under the same aspiration - raising awareness of body image.

A Body Gossip event could also be used as another avenue to promote individual SRSH groups.

“Several audience members came to me after the show in tears saying that they could really relate to the pieces and that they finally felt they could express themselves.” 

Body Gossip and SRSH

SRSH and Body Gossip have developed a collaboration which aims to further raise awareness of eating disorders and encourages students to actively engage with issues relating to body image.

Building on the success of a pioneering campaign in 2010, we are still looking for passionate students who feel a connection with the topic of body image to champion their own 'Body Gossip On Tour' event. You would be leading a group of fellow students from your university, and have access to guidance and support from the national 'Body Gossip on Tour' team.

If you are enthusiastic about changing the way people think and feel about their bodies, please don’t miss out on this exciting and gratifying opportunity.

What is involved?

If you would like to take the reigns of a Body Gossip On Tour event we will be with you every step of the way. We have developed resources to guide you step by step. 

  • Gather a campaign team
  • Approach the Students Union for support
  • Body Gossip representatives run a workshop at University
  • Launch, publicise, and judge the writing competition
  • Gather a group of actors, rehearse the performance
  • Make arrangements for any materials required (t-shirts, banners, ...)
  • Make any technical preparations (staging, lighting, music, ...)
  • Publicise the event
  • The performance !
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