Leeds Festival to host consent pop-up to get young people talking about sexual violence
“The campaign creates a space for open, honest and judgment-free discussions about consent”
West Yorkshire Police will support a consent campaign at Leeds Festival this weekend to prevent sexual violence and educate the public.
Consent Conversations will see police officers join partners and volunteers to spark conversations about consent to festival goers.
The campaign will also take place at sister festival Reading Festival, over the same weekend.
Consent Conversations was first launched at Reading Festival in 2024, with support from Love Island star and campaigner Georgia Harrison MBE.
This will be the first time the campaign also takes place at Leeds Festival.
Temporary Superintendent and Strategic Lead for Violence against Women and Girls for West Yorkshire Police. James Kitchen, said: “We are proud to be bringing Consent Conversations to Leeds Festival for the first time this year, building on the success of the campaign at Reading Festival.
“The campaign creates a space for open, honest and judgment-free discussions about consent.”
He continued: “Leeds Festival is a fantastic opportunity to engage directly with young people and encourage conversations that can help prevent harm, challenge harmful behaviours and support our wider commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.”
Festivalgoers in Leeds and Reading are encouraged to take a photo with the Consent Conversations frames and have a chat with officers and volunteers.
The key message of the campaign is that anyone can be victim of sexual abuse, assault or harassment and everyone has the right to choose when it comes to consent.
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 forward 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.”
If you've been a victim of a sexual offence, you can report to the police by calling 101 or use West Yorkshire Police’s local support service.