Dismantling Male Violence and Rape Culture

EMERGENCY UNLEARNING COURSE: UNDERSTANDING MALE VIOLENCE AND RAPE CULTURE

A SURVIVOR-LED COURSE FOR MEN

This is a 2 day (in person) or 4 week (online) course to support you with the insight, knowledge, ideas and tools to understand misogyny, challenge rape culture, nurture the best parts of masculinity and actively make real change.

Having curated and taught this course, since 2021, we are now offering our updated and most exciting men’s unlearning course: to groups and communities in-house or online.

This course will be held over 4 weeks (one session, one evening a week) or over two days in person.

We can deliver this course anywhere across the UK in-house or we can arrange venue. For external delivery or delivery outside Bristol and The Southwest an extra fee will be charged to cover venue and travel.

This course will be an open, honest, compassionate space where we collectively learn through discussion, questioning and challenging ourselves. Led by women who are survivors (of rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse) who have extensively worked within survivor services and campaigns to end male violence – offering you the opportunity to ask ask any uncomfortable questions or those you have felt unable to ask in a non-judgemental space.

Although we will explore difficult topics and we will have challenging conversations, we will also be learning from a place of joy, connection and humour.

There aren’t enough spaces built like this, but if we build them together then we can both understand and support each other from a place of empathy and radical care.

This is an exciting opportunity to deeply learn in a different way; where we unlearn as a community and a collective rather than with division, defense, fear and blame.

It can feel overwhelming seeing violence and abuse and not knowing what to do. When so many men are causing extreme harm and you feel powerless to stop it, it’s hard to know how and where to begin challenging this behaviour in everyday life. This course has been lovingly built to help you face these challenges powerfully.

If you want to address the actions of men and actively create a world where women are actually safe to walk the streets – then we invite you to come to this course and join a beautiful community of men, learning how to work towards ending male violence and sexism.

Course content

Understanding what sexism and misogyny looks like right now. What is the impact of this epidemic on all genders?

How patriarchy maintains power dynamics, gender roles and male violence. How sexism impacts men.

What is rape culture and how it shows up in ways you don’t always see.

How to actually intervene in situations of violence and aggression.

Unpacking the fear of rejection and vulnerability.

Nurturing positive masculinity.

Starting difficult conversations, navigating defensiveness and helping other men unlearn rape culture.

Connecting to the experiences of survivors/women and know how to actually be an ally.

Exploring the complexities of sexuality, sex work, porn and kink.

Prevention work, exploring accountability and community response.

How to challenge male violence and rape culture on a wider scale.

This course is for men over 18. It is aimed specifically for cismen however, trans men and nonbinary people who benefit from male privilege (and who are comfortable in a space that directs content at cismen) are very welcome.

Course details

This course is open to all cis men and non-binary people who benefit from male privilege and understand this space is largely catered towards cis men.

This course is not limited to those who have caused harm, but for anyone ready to engage in dismantling male violence and deepen their commitment to personal and collective accountability.

We welcome groups from communities, organisations, institutions and friends. Group size minimum 8, maximum 20.

Course cost

(For 12+ people £2,000 is the minimum)

Sliding scale payment options:

Pay what feels appropriate to your group or orgnaisation’s circumstance

£1,700

£2,000

£2,500

£2,700

The Facilitators

Meggan and Bryony are anti-violence activists, curators, authors and the co-founders of SLEEC. Their work is rooted in lived-experience led education and abolitionist practice.

Testimonials from previous course participants

“Bryony and Meg’s course expertly explains how the actions of all men contribute to the dangers women face in society, but crucially, how we can act now to make positive changes. It’s not easy to confront the issues explored, and nor should it be, but Bryony and Meg manage to lead sessions with warmth and wit, making for an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The course should be compulsory for every man, but as it isn’t, you should use your initiative and sign up now.”

Jared

“The course is challenging in all the best ways. The content and learning of the course was well researched, well delivered and hard hitting (again in the right way) but what the course did so well was create a safe where people could be honest… about the impact of the information, about their own observations and experiences and about their privilege (which can often be the hardest thing for people to reflect on). I would have considered myself well informed before starting the course but my understanding was greatly expanded and coming away I feel a stronger sense of responsibility to act and well-equipped to do so.”

Danny

“The course helped me to question and challenge my concepts of masculinity in very deep and tender ways that feel genuinely life changing. There were such a wide range of discussion points and the attentive ways Bryony and Meggan facilitated the space opened up the possibility of very rich discussions in the group.”

Joe

“Meggan and Bryony showed kindness and compassion in their facilitation space for men to reflect on the culture they’ve been raised in, without softening the impact of male violence and rape culture. After this course I had resources from Bryony and Meggan as well as shared experiences from other male bodied people, which helped me to reflect on my own life and add evidence that I am not alone in feeling the impact caused by patriarchal masculinity.I am truly grateful for this experience.”