Scottish Ballet Pro Trans Show In Primary Schools

Will Scottish Ballet remove it's 'Safe to Be Me' program in light of Cass Review?

In light of the Cass Report I have taken it upon myself to write to every Scottish arts company who ‘serves’ children and teens. I want to ensure they are well aware of the Cass Report findings and challenge them to get back to their core purpose of delivering their *artform* to children, not using their platform as political tools.

Most children in Scotland are still woefully served when it comes to arts provision. We are denying them the fun, the joy and the discovery of dance, drama and visual art through the embedding of political aims into the sessions. I hear time and time again of session artists leading with ‘hello my name is and my pronouns are’. This is not a neutral act. This is an adult framing the session in a contested political ideology to a vulnerable cohort.

Following is the text to my first letter to Scottish Ballet. Their program ‘Safe to Be Me’ is not about dance, but about identities. The session leaders *do* begin every session with pronouns. This outreach has gone to thousands of children across Scotland. As stated in the letter more and more parents are choosing to self exclude from allowing their children to participate in these programs. They do not trust that what is presented is best for their children. Will Scottish Ballet step up?

15 April 2024

To: Christopher Hampson 

Chief Executive Officer/Artistic Director

Steven Roth

Executive Director

Scottish Ballet

Tramway - 25 Albert Drive

Glasgow G41 2PE

Dear Christopher Hampson and Steven Roth

I write to you regarding your ‘Safe to Be Me’ schools show.  

I am currently the Parents and Supporters Coordinator for the Scottish Union for Education.  My role is to represent and support the voices of parents in education, to advocate for better standards, and to challenge the politicisation in our educational systems at the expense of actual learning.

You are aware that I have advocated on behalf of children, childhood and their access to the arts for decades.  Many parents count on me to be their and their child’s voice. 

What we are witnessing in many sectors of society that purport to serve children is *adult interests* masked by the idea of ‘child voice’.  This is counter to child development.  Children are being robbed of their childhood.

Your ‘Safe to Be Me’ touring show, which has reached thousands of children in Scotland, has a pro-trans message.  

Have you had a look at the recently released WPATH Files and Cass Report?  Both of these show epic failures in child protection in relation to ‘gender affirmation’.  Both demonstrate that trans healthcare is a medical experiment at best with devastating consequences.  It shows that affirmation is not a neutral act and can lead children down devastating pathways wherein co-morbidities such as autism, sexual abuse and psychiatric conditions are ignored.

When children are affirmed they are more likely to pursue medical pathways such as puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries.  Healthy children are left infertile, sexually unable to function, with stunted brain development, liver cancer, osteoporosis, dementia and with worse psychiatric conditions then they started with.  These medical interventions shorten lifespan with the disruption of healthy endocrine systems. Gender non-conforming children who would otherwise grow up ‘to be gay’ are told they are the opposite sex and not to be happy in their healthy bodies and emerging sexuality.  

I hear from parents every day, parents of autistic girls in particular, whose children have been ‘captured’ by gender ideology. It is normal to feel discomfort in one’s sexed body going through puberty, but for autistic children, many who have sensory issues related to their bodies already, the promotion of ‘wrong body’ seems quite practical to them.  These parents work very hard to keep their child’s bodies intact, only to have schools and organisations like yours send them back to square one.  In this Sunday Post article two Mothers I have been supporting tell their stories. It is heartbreaking.

Your promotion of trans ideology and other political topics seems well outwith the remit of what Scottish Ballet should be concerned with.  There is no way you can manage the complexity of what children are facing in their lives in this or any other complex subject.  For parents of means many are waking to the ‘captured’ nature of our arts organisations and have begun to self-exclude from allowing their children to participate or attend any publicly funded performance events or classes for fear of them being politically radicalised.

On the other hand, most children in Scotland do not have access to ballet at all.  Your foray into contested and political areas is unnecessary and, as it turns out, harmful.  

I also draw your attention to Brighton and Hove Council, wherein schools are risking litigation for following the pro-trans toolkit.  You are opening yourself up to potential liability by continuing this line of programming. I am attaching the Scottish Union for Education ‘Trans Ideology in Scottish Schools’ pamphlet for your reference.  I am also including SUE’s ‘Parents Rights’ flyer.  As an organisation with an educational remit you are duty bound to respect parents’ rights, viewpoints and wishes. 

I urge you to get back to promoting the beauty and wonder of dance, that unites and uplifts.  And let children be children.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely, 

Kate E. Deeming

Former dance artist in communities & schools, advocate for childhood. We need to stop pathologising kids experiences. Philly native. Glasgow based. Mum.

Parents and Supporters Coordinator - Scottish Union for Education 

Commendation for Contribution to Dance and Peacemaking Scottish Parliament (2011)

"Glasgow's Morning Dancer” (2010/11)

“Part of the Civic Architecture of Glasgow” (2019, DIGlasgow Paul English, journalist)

“The Pollokshields Dancing Queen/Dancing Xmas Tree" (2020/21/22)  

Hear on Radio 4 "My Name Is... Kate"   

(w) deemingdreaming.com

(substack) https://deemingdreaming.substack.com/

If you have a story you’d like to tell related to yours or your child’s experiences with a Scottish Arts organisation please get in touch. We need to recognise, preserve and celebrate childhood.

Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting my work. You can ‘buy me a coffee’ here. Or become a paid subscriber for as little as £3.50 per month, £25 for the year, or £250 for a founding membership. Every penny makes a difference (and I really really need every penny, I remain a solo Mum and putting head about parapet has made me a persona non-grata for many jobs) and allows me to keep speaking out about the failure in safeguarding for our children in schools and cultural institutions. We need to recognise, preserve and celebrate childhood. No one else is doing this in the arts in Scotland. Thank you.