Circus Studio Owner and SASS Educator Adie Delaney provided spectacular visuals alongside interviews about presenting one of the newest TED talks at the Kingborough Sports Centre on Friday, December 4.
A Primary Prevention Educator with the Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) Ms Delaney’s TED talk focused on consent.
“I was drawn to TED because their tagline is “Ideas worth spreading” and I believed I had one of those,” Ms Delany commented.
“I felt that I was developing a unique perspective on a confusing topic.
“There was so much going on in the media about sexual assault and I started to realise, through my own personal experience and from working both in circus and primary prevention, that the solution could be simple.
“By slightly changing the way we talk to young people, we can instil a sense of empowerment within them that inherently prevents this type of harm,” explained Ms Delany.
“This idea is so important, because unless we make systemic change, preventing sexual harm before it happens, we will always be reacting, always putting band-aids on and finding stop-gap solutions.
“I can imagine a world where sexual harm doesn’t happen and to get there we need to provide a solution that isn’t scary or intimidating, something everyone can feel comfortable exploring and using.
“Showing how I do this through circus could just be the way to clearly explain the change we need.”
Sexual assault and harassment are significant issues in the Australian community, with one in nine boys and one in six girls experiencing physical or sexual violence before the age of 15.
SASS’s primary prevention program for schools, through which Ms Delany works as an educator, supports the organisation’s mission to work towards achieving a healthier, safer community in Tasmania, free of sexual harm.
SASS also aims to stop intimate partner violence and sexual harm from occurring.
"We are so proud of Adie, to be chosen to deliver a TED talk is a real achievement and her message will be spread all around the world,” said Jill Maxell, CEO of SASS.
“From our perspective this is a great way of getting the important messages about consent across, both locally and now to an international audience online."
SASS has offered this program since 2016, and in 2018 the program won a National Crime Prevention award.
Ms Delany’s talk titled “An aerialist on listening to your body’s signals” went live on December 3, and had over 140,000 views the next day, with over half a million views by Wednesday, December 9.
Ms Delaney teaches at The Circus Studio, located within the Kingborough Sports Centre.
“We teach circus skills like acrobatics, trapeze, aerial silks and juggling to ages 5-500,” said Ms Delany.
“Our circus classes are non-competitive and have a focus on fun.
“We are also desperately seeking a new building in the area with a minimum of 6 metres height, preferably 8 metres.”
For more information about Adie visit https://www.ted.com/profiles/14366805/about or go to https://www.ted.com/speakers/adie_delaney to hear her TED talk.
To find out more about The Circus Studio, visit www.circusstudio.net.au
Pictured above: Adie Delaney teaching a student at The Circus Studio, located in the Kingborough Sports Centre. Ms Delaney recently delivered a TED talk on consent which ties in with the physical skills taught to her students. Ms Delaney teaches skills like acrobatics, trapeze, aerial silks and juggling at The Circus Studio and encourages students to listen to their bodies as part of her work as a SASS educator. (PS)