Tribal party to be held at Exeter Cavern changed after it was branded ‘racist’

A tribal themed party originally intended to be held at the Cavern has been cancelled after being branded “outright racist”. The event aimed to be a night of fundraising for the charity Hope for Children which forms part of a RAG society challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sachal Khan, 19, a second year English student, shared the event with 1142 other members in Exeter uni’s Feminist Society group to voice her dismay.

Exeter is no stranger to controversy, after 2012’s Safer Sex Ball was branded as similarly racist for a tribal theme.

Hope Hughes, History and politics student and Fem Soc treasurer then alerted Sam Jackson, head of RAG challenges who organised a meeting to discuss the event since it was unlikely it had been health and safety risk-assessed.

He said: “I haven’t seen a risk assessment for this event I am assuming that the two participants involved haven’t done one – I will confirm this ASAP. As such I have gotten them to take the event down – both as a matter of protocol and to ensure that the event causes no further damage. In the meantime I’ll be looking into exactly what happened that led to the event going online without adequately assessing its theme. If the event is allowed to go ahead it will be post-risk assessment with either an appropriate theme or (preferably) no theme at all. I can’t thank you all enough for flagging this up and I can only apologise for the offence – you are absolutely right.”

The theme was subsequently changed but the event will still happen.

In a follow up statement Sam told The Tab: “There is still a booking at that venue on that night so eventually a new event may emerge – although one that has gone through the proper processes. As far as both RAG and Fem Soc are concerned the issue has been resolved quickly and satisfactorily.”

This of course isn’t the first time there has been controversy over this topic as back in 2012 the SSB was branded as racist for its similar tribal theme.

Caoimhe McCarthy, event organiser and medicine student declined to comment.