After holding an event to encourage children to read during which they employed an actor dressed in a bare-bottomed monkey costume with a fake penis, a London Library has apologized.
The event happened over the weekend and footage on social media showed members of the Mandiga Arts Group at Redbridge Libraries Summer Reading Challenge event , London partaking in the reading event.
Three performers were filmed outside the event, with one dressed in an ‘inappropriate’ rainbow monkey costume, where his butt was showing and he also wore a fake penis.
The organizers say they brought the actor to encourage children to read, but people have now taken to social media to voice their dismay over the library’s action.
Writer Janice Turner wrote: “I would really love a detailed breakdown of the commissioning process whereby Redbridge council commissioned the Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey as a means to teach children to read.”
Conservative campaigner Has Ahmed : “Apparently this is meant to encourage kids in Redbridge to pick up reading for summer. Please tell me the rationale behind these indecent costumes that were shown to families and done so publicly. Is this really necessary?”
One parent said:“Someone needs to lose their job over this.”
A second asked: “This is unbelievable. Have we completely lost our moral compass as a society?”
Responding to the outrage generated from the action, Redbridge Libraries have apologised, saying that “this will never happen again.”
“During an event put on at the library today there was a performance by a Carnival Arts Company.
“Unfortunately one of the animal costumes was inappropriate which we were not aware of at the time of booking,” they tweeted.
“We deeply apologise for the offence caused. This is being looked into.”
Redbridge Council also added that they did not arrange the event and it was organised by Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (RCL), a registered charity and a non-profit organisation, who have “since apologised to residents”.
In a statement to the Standard, the council said: “We are utterly appalled by the unacceptable event at Redbridge Libraries on Saturday organised by our independent leisure contractor, Vision.
“The contractor had commissioned characters to support the start of the Summer Reading Challenge, but the costume in question was wholly inappropriate for the intended audience
“A full and thorough investigation into how this incident happened has been launched and stringent action will be taken. We sincerely apologise for the offence and distress this has caused.”
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