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<\/p>\nLocal train operator c2c Railway has joined forces with the University of Essex and young women from Southend to celebrate the Essex accent and continue the fight against accent prejudice.<\/p>\n
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The partnership, launched at Southend Central station on Tuesday, 9 September, is the latest development in research by Dr Tara McAllister-Viel from the University\u2019s East 15 Acting School.<\/p>\n
Her study<\/a>, which featured on The One Show<\/a> earlier in the year, showed that Essex girls are pressured to change the way they speak because of negative stereotypes.<\/p>\n With acclaimed Essex author and University of Essex Chancellor Dr Sarah Perry as guest of honour, Dr McAllister-Viel and c2c Rail unveiled Accent Essex<\/strong>. The new partnership encourages commuters and residents to listen to pre-recorded poems written by students, from Westcliff High School for Girls, about their accents and how they are perceived.<\/p>\n The audio installation is accessed via a QR code and invites listeners to share one thing they love about their own accent via a dedicated YouTube channel.<\/a><\/p>\n Commuters travelling through the station on Tuesday, 9 September were handed leaflets about the project while enjoying spoken word performances by Write2Speak co-founder, Yossi Goodlink and Essex poet and performer Hollie Dee.<\/p>\n They also heard one of the poems, My Voice performed by Canvey Island resident and c2c Customer Delivery Manager, Louise Williams, over the station tannoy.<\/p>\n