Whangārei embraces a Community of Consent

Building a Culture of Consent in Whangārei

Rape Awareness Week 2024, observed from Monday 6th to Sunday 12th May, marked a significant moment of renewal and community connection for Whangārei Rape Crisis. The organisation launched a refreshed public identity, including a new logo and presence on Facebook and Instagram, coinciding with the wider release of He Hapori Whakaae: Community of Consent.

This community-facing prevention initiative is centred on the idea that consent should not be treated as a one-time decision but rather as an ongoing, everyday practice. By inviting individuals and organisations to engage with the concept of enthusiastic, mutual consent, the initiative aims to help reduce sexual violence and shift how consent is discussed and understood within the community.

The week opened with the gifting of a taonga – a large, vibrant artwork titled He Ara Tatai (loosely translated as “Destined Path”) – unveiled at the Whangārei Rape Crisis rooms on Cameron Street. Created by Tutukaka Coast artist Vicki Graham, with guidance from Glen and Fran Hauraki, the 3.5m x 1.8m canvas was first live-painted during Creative Northland’s Artbeat festival in February. The piece, blessed with karakia and waiata during its unveiling, represents the journey of healing. Its imagery inspired the organisation’s new logo, featuring a tui soaring in a circle of light, alongside harakeke and poutama patterns symbolising whānau and personal growth.

Throughout May, Creative Northland hosted Consenting to Create, an exhibition featuring diverse artists who each explored consent through their work. Whangārei Rape Crisis’s new Facebook page reached its first 100 followers on the opening day, signalling strong community engagement.

To close the week, the organisation hosted a community stall in the Cameron Street Mall and partnered with ROOST to run Silent Discord – a silent disco celebrating shared space, autonomy, and the joy of connection.

Whangārei Rape Crisis continues to invite the public to join the kaupapa and help make consent an everyday activity – building a true Community of Consent.