Active* Artists

Active* Artists

In Spring 2024, Active* Consent and the University of Galway's Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Program Coordinator collaborated on the “Active* Artists” project to recruit a group of passionate students at the University of Galway who merge their love for art with their commitment to campus consent culture.

An open call was made to students with an interest in art to help devise and create a mural to promote consent on campus. The plan was to create a stunning mural that will serve as a powerful reminder to our campus community about the importance of consent. The energy and enthusiasm the talented artists brought to the project was truly inspiring. The project consisted of multiple workshops. Participants were guided through the process of devising a mural while learning more about using art for social change and consent culture change.

Students got involved for various reasons:

• To be part of making a beautiful mural on campus!
• To learn more about creative consent communication and art for social change
• To try out a range of art skills and materials
• To meet and make new friends

A total of 15 volunteers took part in a series of 3 evening workshops in March during which the mural was devised, and a further 2 full-day workshops in April during which the final mural design was painted. A newspaper article was also published to raise awareness about this initiative.

After the mural, many volunteers expressed interest in continuing with the Active* Artists project, and reported having learned more about sexual consent, art activism and interpersonal skills:

“I loved getting to meet new people and having the opportunity to work with them on a creative project and seeing their perspective and ideas.”

“Watching an idea come to life through collaboration and the power of many hands”.

“It was really fun to see everyone's ideas come together into one final piece.”

“I’m more interested in the topic [of consent] since participating.”

“This project enhanced my knowledge of sexual consent by highlighting its foundational role in fostering mutual respect.”