Cruising Consent — A (Re)connection Workshop on Consent and Boundaries

Dutch artist melanie bonajo’s Night Soil Trilogy exhibition opens as part of the art museum’s autumn exhibition program. During the visit to Pori, melanie bonajo will lead two unique workshops.

The age limit for the workshop is 18 years, and it lasts for 3 hours. The workshop is queer-friendly and open to everyone. Language in the workshop is English. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a water bottle.

Struggling with intimacy or expressing needs while respecting boundaries? Cruising Consent offers a relational learning space to explore giving, receiving, and boundary-setting, while listening to the wisdom of our bodies. Boundaries are not only physical but also emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Through movement, nervous system awareness, and supported practice, participants strengthen underused skills, uncover conditioned patterns, and learn to make choices rooted in safety and self-love.

Consent is not permission—it is an agreement we arrive at together. Drawing on Betty Martin’s framework and social justice principles, we ask: When did we learn about consent? Who taught us? How have our boundaries been shaped by gender, class, race, privilege, or upbringing? Feeling is a form of intelligence, and feeling our boundaries is both self-care and social justice. By recognising the bodily sensations of a “yes” and a “no,” we cultivate agency, authenticity, and intimacy.

Boundaries communicate our values and protect what matters most. Yet setting them can be challenging when early experiences taught us to sacrifice ourselves to be loved. Without clear boundaries, we may feel victimised or disconnected. Becoming a “Boundary Boss” is an ongoing practice of responsibility, choice, and clarity. When we consciously choose without apology or blame, we step into authenticity and create conditions where intimacy and pleasure thrive. Boundaries are not static but dynamic, evolving as trust grows in relationships.
-melanie bonajo