Consent for Students
Consent and boundaries workshops for university students delivered by experienced professionals.
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​The Art of Consent supports universities to become safe, welcoming and accessible learning environments for all students, by helping to build a culture of consent for everybody, every day.
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Statement by the Office for Students, Condition E6:
By August 2025, all student consent training should be "designed and delivered by persons with credible and demonstrable expertise."
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Our experienced professionals specialise in:
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Consent workshops for all students
engaging, interactive, going beyond the basics, and inclusive of different genders and sexualities. Our in-person trainings are for postgrads as well as undergrads.
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Interactive online workshops
we can also deliver our social and sexual consent workshops in an interactive Zoom session. This allows students to ask and answer questions and hear each other's responses (unlike some solo online trainings).
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One-to-one consent training
we provide individual consent training for any students who need or desire extra support around sexual consent.
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Mindful Relating
interactive, experiential workshops to support students' wellbeing, mental health and relating skills.
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Sexual consent is rightly a priority in universities, because it is crucial in preventing serious harm. But good consent and boundaries skills bring more clarity, authenticity and enjoyment to relationships in all areas of our lives, while also supporting students' wellbeing, resilience and mental health.
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The Art of Consent is a team of professionals offering the highest standards of consent and boundaries education to university students. in 2024 we are proud to have supported Oxford University, Cambridge University, Manchester University and Norwich University of the Arts.
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Feedback from university students after our training:
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"Really engaging – great speakers. You created a safe and calm environment"
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"I loved that it didn’t assume a heteronormative or neurotypical standpoint"
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"I discovered that open and comfortable conversation about sex is possible"
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"It was interactive and the questions made me think"
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"I hadn’t realised that you don’t consent to all types of sex when you consent and say yes"
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"I learned that people can change their mind, even during sex"
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"A relaxed and fun atmosphere whilst also tackling serious issues"
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"This is the first open conversation about sex I've ever had"
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"Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Don’t bow to peer pressure"
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"It felt real and there was no embarrassment"
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"It’s important to have those ‘awkward’ conversations if they help set clear boundaries"
"Thank you for including asexuality in the discussion"
"Such fab speakers – maybe the best I’ve ever seen!"
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Curious to learn more about consent? We have a list of Consent Resources featuring insights by leading consent educators and organisations.
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A word to universities...
Numerous studies have shown high rates of sexual assault and harassment on campus. Universities have a duty of care toward their students, yet are frequently criticised for failing to address these problems. It is widely accepted that, rather than being caused solely by a few bad actors, sexual assault and sexual harassment are systemic within universities, and can only be effectively addressed by building a culture of consent across each organisation.
A parliamentary research briefing published in 2022 recommends that:
“Universities should offer consent classes to all students. These should set out what sexual violence is, how to seek and recognise consent before sexual encounters, how to identify situations in which consent cannot be given, and the sanctions for committing sexual misconduct.” It also describes the importance of “addressing the underlying issues of power and privilege in student sexual violence and misconduct that might be constructively challenged by educational interventions”.
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Issues of power, coercion, privilege and consent are sensitive topics, and the best way to reduce systemic problems is through prevention. However, most universities offer at best just one short session on consent for freshers, which is often either completed alone online or facilitated by second year students with minimal training. To fulfill their duty of care, universities could - and many people feel should - be doing more to support the well-being of their students. At the Art of Consent we believe that professionally held, interactive, trauma-infomed, in-person workshops are a powerful and meaningful step in the right direction.
Central to our approach is the understanding that consent is not a one-off event – instead it must be ongoing. This is as true for a single sexual encounter as it is for a student’s three-year stay within a university community. We therefore offer workshops for 2nd/3rd years and postgrads, to deepen their understanding of sexual consent and help integrate consent into their lives more broadly. We also offer individual consent training for any students who need or desire some additional support with their consent and boundaries skills.
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Section 26 of the latest E6 guidelines from the Office for Students states that student consent training should be "designed and delivered by persons with credible and demonstrable expertise". The Art of Consent is a team of professionals with a wealth of experience in delivering consent workshops and related trainings.
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If you are responsible for arranging consent training for students at your university, we can offer you a free 20-minute zoom call to talk through your options and see if the Art of Consent might be a good fit for your organisation.
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