A series of debates about ‘toxic masculinity’ have been released by the Young Vic as part of a festival exploring identity.
The 8 Club is a set of filmed conversations about the issues facing young men today. It addresses the ways in which masculinity has been defined by previous generations, and which ideas have been inherited.
Topics under discussion include mental health, money, sex and violence, particularly in a post-#MeToo society. The films will be released via the Young Vic’s social channels today.
There will also be a free live event held at the theatre this week (March 21) where participants can address some of the topics tackled in the films.
It is part of YV:ID, a five-week festival of digital and live events that has been running since last month. It has also included a series of monologues about the Windrush generation created together with Sir Lenny Henry, which aired on BBC Four last month, and a series of short films called My England which address notions of Englishness and English national identity.
“After seven years in America, I returned home to a country which seemed amidst an identity crisis,” said Kwame Kwei-Armah, the artistic director of the Young Vic. “YV:ID is a way to catalyse a debate about those perceptions, and, as part of our commitment to channelling work into the digital world, we are also bringing these discussions into the digital sphere to reach new audiences and continue the conversation outside of our four walls.”
Find out more about The 8 Club live event at youngvic.org/whats-on/the-8-club-live-event
