To
Portfolio Committee on Women in The Presidency
From
Jade Adams
Subject
#JustMen - important and relevant project at the Baxter
Date
26 June 2019 11:49 a.m.
Dear Portfolio Committee on Women in The Presidency,

I am writing to let you know about the follow-up #JustMen season - an exciting and important work that we are doing at the Baxter - and would like to once again ask you for your help. The production was a great success last year, and this year we are continuing the conversation.

We would like to ask leaders in education, business, politics and sport to help us champion this project and to promote it amongst your friends and employees. We had a number of groups that attended last year - friends, colleagues and business units - and the feedback received has been incredible.

We would love to see you take a block booking of 10 tickets or more, or perhaps even an entire house of 172 seats. This production would certainly be a conversation starter around this theme.

Please take a minute to read about the production below. I look forward to your response.

THE NEXT CONVERSATION TAKES CENTRE STAGE AS #JUSTMEN RETURNS TO THE BAXTER TO ADDRESS TOXIC MASCULINITY, FROM 17 JULY TO 3 AUGUST

With the spread of the #MeToo disclosures last year, #JustMen challenged men to take collective ownership in fighting the curse of violence against women - which, at its core, is a man's issue. In South Africa in particular, the frequent cases of abuse, rape and murder perpetrated against children and women continue to soar, reaching explosive and unacceptable proportions. Now, a year later the media frenzy around gender-based violence has mostly cooled, yet this is not any less relevant. This follow-up season of #JustMen aims to start the next conversation about the role of toxic masculinity, and turning the tide on this scourge of violence. Recognising that this important conversation needs to continue, the production asks the question: “What needs to happen for men to truly heal and change?”
#JustMen is an honest and empowering multi-lingual, docudrama about men, performed by South African men who tell their own stories and confront their own toxic masculinity as a contributing factor in the violence perpetuated against women and children.

“This was probably one of the most difficult experiences these actors and I ever experienced, to be willing to stare this legacy in the face and own it. The result was an overwhelmingly powerful, stirring, sometimes shocking and healing theatre experience that changed and shifted the lives of so many people who came to see it. Since then I have had many people come up to me telling me how this experience and hearing our stories brought closure to their own trauma or inspired them to take action and get involved in making a difference. I have so many men come up to me sharing their struggle of wanting to be better, more caring men, but they find there is no place for them to go. We still live in a violent and angry society with little room and few incentives for men to do inner work or have a different way of being. Until we can change this trend by investing in more healing spaces for men, the culture of gender-based violence will always have a breeding ground to flourish. My invitation is to come and experience this next important conversation of #JustMen, get personally involved in your own healing process and make a difference for other men. We have an opportunity this time to take action.” - Director Heinrich Reisenhofer

The second instalment of #JustMen runs from 17 July to 3 August at the Baxter at 7.30pm nightly with interactive discussions after each performance for both male and female audience members. In addition, this season will offer workshops that will provide men with a safe space to unpack masculinity led by facilitators in the field of gender relations.

Ticket prices: R120. Block booking 10 or more: R100. Scholars and students: R80.

For blocked bookings contact leon.vanzyl@uct.ac.za or call 021 680 3972