‘A tale of gin and prostitution’: using community theatre to explore attitudes towards sex work in Northern Ireland

Sex work, encompassing the exchange of sexual services for material gain, presents a complex and sensitive research terrain, associated with stigma and entrenched debates within feminism. This evaluation's central objective was to engage in a community-based dialogue, eliciting perspectives from a diverse range of participants, including audience members, women with lived experience of sex work, users of addiction services, and expert commentators, in response to the themes explored in the play ‘Madame Geneva: A Tale of Gin and Prostitution’. This article delves into the study's findings, with a particular focus on the portrayal of sex work in contemporary Northern Irish society. The study demonstrates how the arts, particularly dramatic representations, serve as a potential catalyst for instigating essential and pragmatic policy discussions on issues that impact women and society at large. The findings shed light on the ongoing challenges faced by women in Northern Ireland within the context of sex work, revealing persistently high levels of oppression and discrimination. These issues often remain entangled within a male-dominated political discourse and structural frameworks, underscoring the urgent need for critical examination and reform.