“The sex education we receive every day from people in our families, on our TVs, in our House of Commons etc. etc. etc. is pretty sexist, racist, heteronormative, it assumes that ‘perfect’ human bodies can have sex, and upholds the narrative that things like class, race and gender dictate your sexual worth.” – Bedfellows
Bedfellows: Sex (re) education, is a research tool for educators to develop anti-sexist, LGBTQ+ positive and anti-racist Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). It can also be used to teach sex education as part of Personal Social Health Education (PHSE). It aims to create space for teachers and students in Years 9 and 10 to talk about sex and relationships in an anti-sexist, anti-racist and LGBTQ+ positive way.
The resource features a series of questions for critical discussion, activities for the classroom and a reading list for further study. On the reverse is a Humanifesto developed by Bedfellows.
- Who decides which bodies are on our screens? Does everything that looks good, feel good?
- How can someone make their own fantasies without filming them?
- What are the pros and cons of exploring your desires solo?
- If there were no penises and no vaginas, how could someone lose their virginity?
- How do you know if you’re feeling good?
- How would you know if someone else is enjoying themselves?
You can download a pdf version below or email jemmae@serpentinegalleries.org to request an A2 printed version that opens out to form a poster that can be displayed in your classroom.
Cracks in the Curriculum
Cracks in the Curriculum is a workshop series and publishing platform for teachers, which aims to bring artists and educators together to think about how to address pressing social issues in the classroom.
The Cracks in the Curriculum series explores key questions and themes that run through the Serpentine Education, Exhibition and Live programmes. The content for each resource emerges from workshops with artists, activists and educators.
Bedfellows
Developed by Chloe Cooper, Phoebe Davies, and Jenny Moore, co-founders of Bedfellows. Bedfellows is a group of people making tools together to re-educate each other about sex. The tools include a discursive forum to get political about sex called SEX TALK MTG; a queer porn screening with discussion, dinner and dancing called Porn as Pedagogy; a series of workshops for practicing consent and an open-access research centre called Clubhouse.
Image credit: Bedfellows: Sex (re) education, 2019. Cracks in the Curriculum, Serpentine Education. Design: In the shade of a tree. Photo: Mike Din.
Curated by:
Alex Thorp, Curator, Education
Ben Messih, Assistant Curator, Education
