Police at Reading festival want to talk about consent
This comes following the official launch of the Consent Conversations campaign alongside campaigner and television personality Georgia Harrison at Reading Festival in 2024
As part of Thames Valley Police's commitment to tackling sexual offences and addressing Violence Against Women and Girls, officers will be joining partners and volunteers to spark conversations about consent at Reading festival.
At last year’s Reading Festival, Thames Valley Police had meaningful conversations with more than 3,500 people about consent.
Important
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Corscadden, of Thames Valley Police, said: “We know that it’s not always easy to get young people talking about the topic of consent, but it’s so important as we find there are many misconceptions about consent and what the withdrawal of consent means.
“Our Consent Conversations campaign has been really successful at Reading Festival previously. We find that our prompt cards and informal approach get young people talking openly about the topic. Consent is rarely black and white, and we want to discuss and educate people around the grey areas.
“We’re looking forwarded to replicating this again this year, alongside our colleagues at West Yorkshire Police at Leeds Festival, and hope to spark more valuable discussions about consent up and down the country.”
Tent
Police have created a safe space at Reading festival where young fans can come and discuss consent in more detail.
Police say their message is that consent is important to everybody, because anyone can be a victim of sexual abuse, assault or harassment. Everyone has the right to choose when it comes to consent. Consent is ongoing and can be conditional.