Art Across at The Whitworth - in collaboration with Intimacy Coach Alison Pilling

'Intimacy, Sexuality, Consent'

1^st November 2018

This two-part workshop was delivered at The Whitworth as part of their Thursday Lates programme of events.

The inspiration came from the 'Exchanges' exhibition at the Gallery, which featured a thought-provoking and powerful pairing between William Hogarth's series of prints 'A Harolt's Progress' (1732), and contemporary photographer Gillian Wearing's series of photographs 'A Woman Called Theresa'.

Bringing together Sara's art-historical expertise and that of Intimacy Coach Alison Pilling, the event explored a variety of issues and themes around the subjects of intimacy, sexuality, desire and consent, keeping the Hogarth's and Wearing's series as reference points to identify the complexities and ambiguities that often characterise these areas of our experience.

A presentation that questioned the role of art in representing such themes has been followed by a practical workshop, that aimed to discuss the latest ideas around consent and touch in the sex education community and invited the people attending to consider how to develop consenting, satisfying relationships, taking inspirations from the art's examples.

Photos by John Lynch © John Lynch 2020