The Rope Immersion
Sat 19 Oct 2024 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Private location in Leek, Staffordshire, TBC on booking (ST13)
Description
A day retreat for the Shibari lovers! immerse yourself in rope at a stunning location at the foot of the Peak District.
You can join educational workshops, watch performances, enjoy some free time to practice, or explore the grounds, and then we will wrap it all up with an evening Rope Jam. Our photographer @TiedForThirst will be on hand should you wish to have some gorgeous photos to take away of your ropey creations.
Our schedule for the day - at a glance:
10.30 - 10.45 Arrivals - give yourself time to orient and settle in before we begin.
11.00 Introductions and some lighthearted ways to connect
11.30 Workshop 1
1.00 Lunch break - you will also have some free time to tie or take photos, or maybe watch a performance from the team
2.30 Workshop 2
4.00 Break
4.15 Workshop 3
6.45 Break - time to refuel and get changed (if you want to)
7.00 Rope Jam - This will be another opportunity for you to explore the house and capture photos of your ties, if you wish.
9.00 Finish!
** The running order and timings are subject to change on the day if we need to make adjustments **
More info on the workshops:
- Workshop 1: "Finding your way" with Christian Red
We’re all reminded (quite rightly) to negotiate thoroughly before our rope scenes and focus on our play partners during them. But as communication styles vary wildly, and our opinion of what makes a good rope scene might differ, the right approach can be less obvious.
This class will explore why people negotiate rope scenes differently, and what we can learn from alternate styles of obtaining consent.
How to compose scenes that fulfil the intentions of what we’ve negotiated, but give us space to respond and react in the moment.
Techniques for starting scenes, aligning ourselves with our partners and connecting with our bodies.
This workshop is suitable for all and there are no skill prerequisites.
- Workshop 2 "Finding the sweet spot of psychological friction" with Lex
We know how essential physical friction is to our ties, but do we consider the psychological friction that may be occurring within the inner world of a rope bottom? In this workshop, we will explore how to identify the potential points of friction, and how we can move towards the "just right" amount for the individual we are playing with.
Riggers, bottoms, and switches alike can all take something away from this workshop without any prior tying experience. Here, it's less about WHAT we tie and more about HOW we tie. You'll be invited to participate in group explorations which don't need to involve any actual tying.
- Workshop 3 "The Techniques Behind Improvised Rope" with Christian Red
This workshop will explore techniques for creating robust ties generated on the fly. How do we position limbs so that they stay positioned? How do we reinforce ties so that they’re less likely to shift with the flow and movement of a rope scene?
Riggers should be able to tie a single column tie as a prerequisite skill and bring at least 3 lengths of rope + safety shears.
Prerequisites and considerations:
This event is designed for people with all levels of experience. You are welcome to join all of the things in the schedule, but you are not required to! We actively encourage you to choose how you would like to participate - which can include taking additional breaks or observing during hands-on practice time.
You are welcome to come in a tying pair or solo. For the elements that are intended to be practiced in pairs, we will invite you to pair up on the day and negotiate what you each feel comfortable with.
We are welcoming of respectful humans of all genders, sexualities, and relationship orientations.
The venue:
We have selected a jaw-droppingly beautiful private venue for this event, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. We will have exclusive use of the venue, except for the owners who will be on site throughout the day.
Here's a little teaser...
There are 3 acres of private woodland to enjoy, including a natural stream. You are welcome to explore the outdoor space but at our own risk - it may be wet and muddy - it's October in the UK, after all!
If you're travelling by car, onsite parking is available at the venue but, if possible, please car share to help the environment and save on space. If parking is no longer available on site, there is a free car park approximately 5 minutes’ walk from the property.
If you're travelling by train, the nearest major station is Stoke-on-Trent, which is less than 10 miles away (approx. 25 mins drive). You can get a direct train from Manchester Piccadilly (approx. 35 mins journey time) and London Euston (approx 1 hr 30 mins). Alternatively, Congleton train station has a similar drive time to the property, and Macclesfield and Crewe are a little further at 35 mins drive.
This is an "indoor shoes only" venue, so we will be asking you to remove your shoes on arrival. You are welcome to bring slippers or other indoor shoes to change into.
** Please note that this is a sober event and the venue does not allow the smoking of cigarettes, vaping, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs on the premises.**
What to bring and wear:
Please bring your own rope and safety shears with you if you plan to tie. If you need to stock up on rope, we've added the option for you to order rope at checkout, which you will then be able to pick up at the beginning of the event.
We will provide hot and cold drinks and light snacks throughout the day, plus a spread at lunchtime. We recommend bringing your own water bottle plus any additional snacks/food to sustain yourself during the day. If you are bringing any food for the group to share, please keep it in the original packaging or label with any allergens.
We recommend wearing comfortable clothes that you can move around in. Layers are generally a good idea. If you plan to venture outdoors, it's advisable to bring something waterproof plus suitable footwear. A change of clothes might be handy to bring in case you get wet or muddy, or to change into for the evening rope jam.
We will mostly be using floor mats for the workshops and rope jam. There will be some chairs at the venue but you are also invited to bring your own backjack or camping chair for breaks and/or if you find this more comfortable.
About the team:
Lex is an embodiment-focused sex and kink educator guiding individuals and groups in explorations around topics such as consent, sexuality, pleasure, intimacy, identity, relating, and power. They are the founder of Pleasure Rebels. Professionally trained as a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, Embodied Facilitator, and Certified Dominatrix (among other things), a big focus of their work is around how kink - done consciously - can be used as a route to empowerment and us becoming whole, integrated humans.
Christian Red is a rope/takedown teacher based in Nottingham who has been teaching since 2012. His focus as an educator is giving people tools and ideas to express themselves by breaking complex topics into simple ideas. Christian Red's involvement in the kink community has lasted 20 years so far. In recent years, he has taught at Prague Shibari, Athens Rope, Anatomie Studios, Rope On!, Rope Office Hours, String Fling, UKREX, and Oxford Peer Rope. Christian is a regular guest teacher for Pleasure Rebels workshops.
Pleasure Rebels runs regular workshops and courses in the North West and beyond with the goal of providing a friendly, non-intimidating environment to explore concepts and themes of kink in a way that centres curiosity, consent, and empowerment.
Joining us:
We are selling paired and solo tickets for this event. We have tiered pricing for this workshop to try and make it as accessible as possible. If you feel that price is still a limiting factor to your attending, or if you would like to discuss a payment plan, please get in touch and we will see what we can do!
Location
Private location in Leek, Staffordshire, TBC on booking (ST13)