Birmingham fundraiser for NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign

The iconic Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath will host the event, which sees acts such as former Unsigned page star MeMe Detroit perform alongside The Butters Aliens and Sofa King. Doors open at 7.30pm, with music playing until near midnight. Remaining tickets are priced at £7 on the door.

Following 12 months of outreach work with venues across Birmingham, the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign is planning to launch a wider series of events and activity "to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room".

All money raised from the event will go back into the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, supporting a wider programme of campaign activity. They work with licensed premises and music venues to support their existing duties of care and challenging sexual violence.

Working directly with live music venues, promoters, West Midlands Police and the Birmingham-based Rape & Sexual Violence Project (RSVP), NOT NORMAL NOT OK launched in June 2018.

Starting with a citywide sticker campaign, staff were welcomed into venues across the region – handing out colourful campaign stickers to both the performers on stage and the fans.

Now they are raising money to start extending its outreach work with music venues and promoters – including free-to-access industry tool kits offering simple and effective ways for those working in the music industry to further challenge misconduct.

The kits are being developed with help from licensees, industry professionals, West Midlands Police and R.S.V.P to support operators' existing duties of care and to encourage a positive working relationship between music venues, promoters and the region's responsible authorities.

They also plan to follow up tonight's show by making these a regular series of events. The next will be held at Centrala in Birmingham on October 25, with a monthly programme of music promotions following from November.

"The campaign got off to a really strong start this past year," said campaign director Ed King. "Venues across the region have opened their doors to the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign and we want to build on that relationship.

"But we also want to support their existing duties of care and to help foster a better working relationship with the region's responsible authorities.

"There is so much more we can do and should be doing. We still need to nurture safe spaces for the gig-going public, and there are still pockets of the music industry that manipulate their position and power.

"Everyone deserves a safe place to play. As a region, we need to offer viable alternatives to both the music industry and audiences alike – exciting events that add to our cultural landscape and music scene, but with the message of no tolerance towards sexual violence firmly at their core."

NOT NORMAL NOT OK is also looking to build relationships with more music industry professionals – on-stage and off, in Birmingham and beyond – to help develop a portfolio of performers, promoters and operators that support the campaign.

Anyone wishing to know more, or to explore possible partnerships with the campaign, should email Ed King on ed@notnormalnotok.com

Anyone who has been affected by sexual violence themselves can seek help by visiting the campaign website. This includes contact information for West Midlands Police and the Rape & Sexual Violence Project, and all communication with the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign will be treated as 100 per cent confidential – subject to statutory UK regulations concerning minors and vulnerable people.