London Borough of Camden's Crackdown on Burlesque...

I read with dismay the news that the London Borough of Camden is cracking down on burlesque under new legislation which could soon be enforced by all local councils around the country ("Sexual Encounter Entertainment Legislation" - SEEL). If this happens, it may well be the nail in the coffin for small local burlesque shows up and down the country.

What exactly this new law aims to achieve in positive terms all depends upon what particular soap box you're standing on; the feminist group Object (www.object.org.uk) support this legislation as a challenge to the objectification of women in general, whereas some politicians support it as a greater regulatory measure of clubs suspected of involvement in human-trafficking for exploitation in the sex industry, and believe that it will better protect girls and women working in lap-dancing clubs.

Of course, the blanket classification introduced by legislation of this kind inevitably has unfortunate consequences for those on the fringes - it's worrying because it could close down a lot of burlesque nights that run as monthly - or less frequent - events in a variety of venues which currently don't require special licences for erotic performance. If venues find they have to start paying extortionate fees to be able to host one burlesque show a month, we could all find ourselves either out of work or missing what has become an important and liberating part of our social lives.

It's a shame that a piece of legislation that is purportedly aimed at protecting women from exploitation is being wielded as a blunt instrument of conservatism. Anyone who performs burlesque or goes to the shows will tell you that the performances couldn't be further from exploitation. The very fact that there are so many women in the audiences is testimony to the fact that women find it liberating to be sexually and artistically expressive no matter what their shape, size or proportions - I for one have found burlesque to be a positive antidote to the media ideal image of women that is so unobtainable for the majority of us.

If feminism has taught us anything it should be that we as women have a right to our sexuality and to do as we choose with our own bodies, without burden of shame. For that reason, I will be wholeheartedly supporting The Burlesque Women's Institute demonstration at Camden Council, Camden Town on Friday July 17th (visit http://www.burlesquewomensinstitute.com/Save_Burlesque/events.html for more details) , and signing the petition to urge the government to make an amendment to the SEEL bill, which will exclude burlesque from its classificatory remit. I would urge anyone who values freedom of expression within the arts to do the same.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBurlesque/