An event for men* only.

About the event

Philipe (@lycraandropes) and Noah (@aropeartist) will present a workshop for men* only, aimed at beginners as well as those who are adept at western-style bondage and seeking to deepen their knowledge in rope. They will begin with a brief history of shibari and its roots and then move on to basic safety issues and how to prevent them. The workshop will includes a section where the instructors will explain and demonstrate the main aspects of shibari through 3 key aspects: intensity, rhythm and proximity. To facilitate this best, we are selling tickets for pairs of people, rather than individuals. 

The second section of the workshop will teach basic ties: like the double and single column tie (single/double cuffs) and a simple leg tie (futomomo). With the latter, you will learn the main frictions in shibari, which will help you during your whole shibari journey! With these versatile tools already learned you will then be invited to practice different exercises to experiment with the intensity, rhythm and proximity that we seek in shibari.

* This is a workshop aimed at men in the broadest sense of the word: this means anyone who sees themselves on this spectrum, including people who are nonbinary and trans.

About the facilitators

Philippe, known on the gay kink scene and social media as LycraAndRopes started Shibari in 2018. After his first session as a bunny, he immediately realised Shibari was something he HAD to learn. He quickly attended his first beginner class at Anatomie Studio, then progressed through all the workshops, from floor work to full suspensions, in addition to watching countless videos online, and of course a lot of practice!
During his first rope jam, he noticed a couple doing a suspension and was struck by the beauty of the model in this incredible shape. Today suspensions are one of his main focus, but also loves sensual floor play, ichinawa (playing with a single rope), semenawa (sadistic rope) and partial suspensions. There are so many aspects to Shibari, and Philippe likes all of them: it is tactile, sensual, sexual, artistic, mediative, physical, psychological, and so much more…

Philippe loves sharing his passion for Shibari amongst the gay kink community where western bondage is far more prevalent. He started organising a few pizza and rope evenings where he taught basic techniques and other aspects to his friends. Over the last years, many people on the gay scene have asked him where and how they could learn, but Philippe realised many gay men could be hesitant learning such an intimate practice in a mixed environment which gave him the idea to run men-only workshops. 

Noah, or Aropeartist, is a rigger and rope bunny who started exploring shibari around 2 years ago. He was first introduced by a friend to the basics and spirit of shibari, things like: the dynamic, change of pace, interaction, intensity and obviously the technique. He then started to learn and practice on his own whilst also being a rope bunny from time to time, which helped him to understand the depth of shibari. He first evolved into the gay kinky community where shibari is not very developed, so he could practice quite frequently as a lot of people wanted to try shibari in this community.

He then moved to London for a year in September 2021, there he opened up to the wider queer community where now he ties with people of all gender, sexuality and body type. Sadistic, versatile and dynamic are the adjectives that could describe his style of shibari, which he applies across 3 main aspects: intensity, rhythm and closeness. Varying on these aspects to enable a lot of different options through sessions. He then started to professionalise himself from the beginning of 2022 offering performances, private tuitions, workshops, life drawing, private sessions and other projects. His wish is to make the gay community involve more in shibari as it is not very common in this one.

What should I bring and what do I wear?

Communal ropes are available in the studio. People usually wear comfortable clothing like yoga or dance attire. We advise against loose-fitting clothing. Jeans also can sometimes feel a bit restrictive to move around in and difficult to tie on.

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