Carbon Creative has launched a bespoke First Nations campaign as part of the Australian Government’s ‘Consent Can’t Wait’ initiative, aimed at encouraging community to have a “yarn” about sexual consent.
With nearly half of all Australians still unclear about what consent actually means*, Carbon Creative has worked with high-profile First Nations community leaders Dr. Anita Heiss and Dr. Joel Wenitong to create culturally relevant resources for First Nations communities, including bespoke videos, a conversational guide, social tiles and posters.
The video assets, featuring Dr. Heiss, a proud Wiradjuri woman and renowned author, alongside Dr. Wenitong, a Kabi Kabi man and respected GP break down the topic of sexual consent and explain why it’s essential to have a yarn about it. The videos also provide answers to common questions, such as what is and what isn’t consent, whether consent can be withdrawn, and what online consent means. Joel and Anita, as narrators, explain the content in a conversational, approachable way, while animated characters, voiced by First Nations community members, ask real, everyday questions about consent.
“Consent means everyone involved must agree with what’s happening, know exactly what’s going on and be having fun,” said Dr Wenitong.
“Yarning about sexual consent helps make things safer for everyone, which means a lifetime of respectful, strong relationships,” said Dr Heiss. “Even though many of us agree it’s important to yarn to our young people about sexual consent, it’s a topic that many of us don’t fully understand ourselves. It’s important that we yarn about it with other adults and clear up any confusion, so that we can then have open and honest conversations with our young people.”
Indigenous artist Emma Hollingsworth was commissioned by Carbon to develop a ‘Consent Can’t Wait’ artwork that tells the story of respectful, healthy relationships. The artwork symbolises people coming together as a community to help and uplift those who need it. It shows the inner strength people have to empower themselves to heal, to learn, and to determine their own worth and their own story, so that they might have hope for a better future. Elements of the artwork have been used within the Conversation Guide, videos and other First Nations resources.
