"Can I suspend from this?" A practical guide to building and adapting harnesses for suspension - with Mouse & Kina

You're relatively comfortable tying harnesses but unsure if you can suspend from them?
Wondering what makes a harness suspension worthy?
Are you looking to improvise harnesses for suspension but unsure how to self-assess your work?

 Come join this hands-on one day workshop with Mouse & Kina!

🪢 About the class

You can build harnesses. You understand the principles. But have you actually tested whether your creations will hold weight? Do you trust them enough to suspend someone?

This workshop is for people who've moved beyond following patterns but haven't yet taken the leap into confidently loading and suspending with their own harness constructions. We'll bridge that gap between "I built this" and "I trust this enough to put someone in the air."

We'll cover systematic load testing approaches, understanding what you're looking for when you test, recognising warning signs before things fail, and building confidence through progressive loading. You'll learn how to assess whether a harness is suspension-ready, make informed decisions about risk, and troubleshoot under load.

The day is structured around progressive challenges: test your harnesses on the ground, test them with partial loading, and then - when everything checks out - take them into suspension. Plenty of practice time, because the only way to build confidence is by actually doing it with proper support and safety protocols.

Mouse and Kina will guide you through the process, help you assess your work, and spot you through suspensions. We'll work with whatever bodies are in the room and whatever harness styles you want to explore. The goal is for you to leave actually trusting your own rope construction skills.

This workshop is for riggers who are ready to move from theoretical understanding to practical application. Come prepared to test your skills, ask questions, and potentially put someone in the air with something you built yourself.

👩‍🏫 Who teaches this class?

This session will be led by Mouse and Kina.

Mouse (she/her/it) is a queer, mixed race, fat femme rope bottom and accidental rigger from London, living in the Lakes.

Finding her way into rope in early 2018, she started as a bottom with a passion for torture and predicaments, before discovering the joy of tying as well. Since then they have developed into both an educator and facilitator, while still maintaining her love for torture as a bottom.

Mouse's approach is deeply rooted in creativity, using technical knowledge to break traditional moulds. Her fusion style draws inspiration from various archetypes to create something uniquely her own, channelling what she calls Chaotic Toddler Energy™️ into increasingly sadistic ties, while maintaining a focus on bodily manipulation and connectivity.

As a disabled educator living with fibromyalgia, Mouse brings a distinctive perspective to her teaching, emphasising adaptability and accessibility for all body types and abilities. She creates safe, intuitive learning spaces that help others discover their own connections and feelings through rope.

Kina Neve (she/her) has been practicing Shibari since 2016, exploring its potential for connection, and self-discovery. With a background in education and psychology, she tailors her teaching to individual learning styles, encouraging curiosity and growth. For Kina, rope is a powerful tool for both intimacy and community, and she’s passionate about sharing its many possibilities.

🕒 Schedule

• Doors open: 11:00am
• Class starts: 11:30am
• Doors close: 5:30pm

👥 Who can come?

This class had pre-requisites, please read to avoid disappointment on the day:

Prerequisites:

• • A reasonable understanding of how harnesses are constructed

  • You are able to tie more than 1 one basic harness (for example you can tie 2 or more of these: TK, chest harness, futomomo, hip harness etc)

  • You have at least a basic understanding of partial suspensions (i.e. you are comfortable with basic loading)

  • Understanding of risks in suspension

  • Knowledge of standard frictions and tension

🧰 What to bring & wear

We have ropes you can use during the class and a communal kitchenette with fridge and microwave. Tea and coffee are free, but please bring your own food and snacks (plates and cutlery provided).

People usually wear comfortable clothing you can move in such as yoga or dancewear. Jeans can sometimes feel restrictive or difficult to tie on.

If you have your set of rope, we recommend you bring it.

❤️ Please note

For our Code of Conduct, see here.

🪢 Flexible Memberships

Join often? Our 6-month Flexible Membership gives you 12 credits for free Jam entries or 10% off other events. Purchase memberships on on ticketing website. Use your code at checkout.

🎟️ Refund policy

Tickets can be refunded or transferred up to 7 days before the event for events priced under £20, and up to 14 days before for events over £20. After these periods, tickets become non-refundable. If you’re unable to attend within 7 days, please join our ‘Ticket Exchange’ channel on Discord to offer your spot.

💸 Financial help available – click here to learn more.