Council-backed initiative set to tackle sexual harassment in student bars and clubs across Newcastle City Centre

Shout-Up! – a campaign to make Newcastle’s pubs, clubs and bars ‘sexual harassment-free zones’ – returns this November to welcome new students to the city and prepare for the busy festive season.

After receiving hugely positive feedback from the bars and pubs that have already taken part in the Ouseburn Valley, Jesmond and the Diamond Strip, the Shout-Up! campaign is preparing to stamp out sexual harassment in some of Newcastle’s most popular student haunts – including the City’s two Student’s Unions. On board, as ‘Ambassador Venues’ are: Newcastle University Students’ Union; Northumbria University Students’ Union; Tiger Tiger; Bier Keller; O2 Academy; City Vaults; Powerhouse and Digital.

Staff members from these venues will receive Bystander Intervention Training from Dawn Bowman, of the charity Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland; the training is a significant part of the project, which seeks to upskill all venue and bar staff when it comes to not only understanding sexual harassment, but the impact it has on patrons, the reputation of the venue and the wider implications on the night-time economy.

Through Shout-Up! venues are taught to recognise and respond accordingly to any harassment in their bars and pubs. As well as being trained to ‘Shout Up’ about sexual harassment, venues will also be given t-shirts, posters, beer mats and badges – all branded with the striking Shout-Up! logo.

“The combination of training and then very visible anti-sexual harassment messages and merchandise in the venues is an important part of what makes this project unique. Not only do we want to educate and empower venue teams and staff, but we also want to regularly reinforce the message that sexual harassment won’t be tolerated; it makes people think twice about inappropriate or unwanted behaviour.”

The Shout-Up! campaign is taking place throughout November and December 2018. The first group confirmed Ambassador Venues are: Newcastle University Student’s Union; Northumbria University Student’s Union; Tiger Tiger; Bier Keller; O2 Academy; City Vaults; Powerhouse, and Digital, with more venues to be announced in December. Any pubs, bars or clubs interested in being part of the project should visit the website. www.shoutup.org