Quintimacy! 

So, you have attended a Quintimacy in person weekend? You have been part of the unique, unfolding, amazing work and play that happens here. You were part of the learning and growing of consent culture based on the Betty Martin Wheel of Consent and Sexological Bodywork principles and practice. You explored yourself and others within different forms of queer intimacy and laughed, cried, processed and experienced touch and pleasure.

Maybe you want to go further and deeper with other queer and trans folk who have also experienced deep learning from Quintimacy events and be a part of the circle of folk that has become a sort of ‘community’?

Dan Morrison and I have been wanting to offer an experience that invites you to go 'further and deeper' for a long time. We feel it opens up expansive possibilities to be amongst people who already have an established relationship to doing this kind of conscious sexuality work in a consensual and trauma informed way with other queer and trans folk. I have had a lot of feedback about what kind of content people would want to appear in a Level 2 event. 

So, based on market research, we are so excited to invite you to this 3 day event in Leicester, which will include;

• Going further with intimate parts/genitals/ass – erotic and explorative touch.
• Playing with power, erotic authority, leading and following and expressing dominance, submission and surrender.
• Experimenting with stronger sensations, play with toys and tools, pain and pleasure.
• Exploration of the erotic mind, fantasy and 'kinky' queer intimacy.
• Opportunities to work in pairs and groups to negotiate and create experiences based around your curiosities, desires and limits.

This will all be a continuation of previous Quintimacy workshops, with as much care around building a consensual container and trauma-informed space to enable us to explore these themes bravely, with as much self consent and honouring of our needs and boundaries as possible. For a level 2, there is the expectation that everyone attending contributes to this group culture, and everyone benefits from what it opens up.

We will be taking feedback and listening to participants and the programme will emerge from what is arising in the group, whilst still offering structure for the group experience. Level 2 (further/deeper) events will likely be opportunities for people to being their own journeys and process to the event, and we imagine a room in which people are taking their explorations into creative enquiries of all different kinds, and diversity is welcome. 

As usual, we consciously resist pressure to be on any kind of ‘escalator’, except one that you choose and negotiate with your working partners/peers. There will always be opportunities to rest, spend time in den, colouring, journaling, cuddling, doing solo touch, etc. All the activities we did at Level 1 will be available to revisit (e.g Genital/Ass interview, canoe holds, Bossy Massage).

As people sign up, we will be communicating further information, and there will be further opportunities to have a dialogue with us about the content and your preferences and needs.

But, for now, we hope this offers enough detail and sense of the event for you to consider booking a place and thinking about logistics.

Booking your place

If you would like to attend this Level 2 Quintimacy event in Leicester in May 2023, please do one of the following;

• Buy a ticket and complete this mini questionnaire https://forms.gle/tLKCtKMs8Tu1puoB9

OR

• Complete the mini questionnaire https://forms.gle/tLKCtKMs8Tu1puoB9 and await a response, then buy your ticket.

If you choose option 1, in the unlikely event that Beck and Dan feel that Quintimacy level 2 is not right for you at this time, you will receive a full refund or a transfer to a Level 1 event.

HAVE YOU NEVER ATTENDED A QUINTIMACY EVENT?

If you have never attended an in person event and are interested in coming to this one, there is an opportunity to attend a Level 1, also in Leicester, in March 2023 (see here - https://buytickets.at/quintimacy/808797) 

You must have attended at least the first 2 days of a Level 2 event to join us for a Level 2.

Revisiting some information and logistics....

What is Quintimacy?

Quintimacy® is a unique opportunity to explore intimacy, consent and erotic desire from a trans centred and queer point of view. Quintimacy is an exclusively Queer space, held by experienced and qualified professional practitioners in Sexological Bodywork, Yoga Therapy and Somatic Coaching. Consent and respect are at the core of the work.

Everyone is encouraged and supported to take care of their own needs and boundaries. You don't have to touch or be touched at all to be fully welcome and a part of the workshop. Whether you're an established part of the Quintimacy community, a workshop regular or brand new, you are warmly invited to share this (now 3 day long!) weekend with us.

Offerings will include embodied consent exercises, touch, deep and authentic connection, deep listening and empathy, and cuddles/holds, as well as intimate and erotic embodiment and sensual touch and massage. There is a focus on gender freeing and gender affirming approaches to the body, including the genitals.

Safety and Safeguarding

Beck and Dan deliver Quintimacy events in keeping with the code of conduct for Certified Sexological Bodyworkers (CSBs) and the Quintimacy weekend is held on the basis of these ways of working, which are deeply consent-based and trauma-informed.

We ask all attendees to use barriers (nitrile gloves) for body fluids, following the same hygiene protocol that CSB's use in our work. This applies even if you are attending and working with a fluid bonded partner, and this is keep the space clean.

With regards to the new content around penetration/circlusion, sharing of fantasy, and activities that involve stronger sensation and experimenting with power, as well as the intimate parts/genital work, we recognise that there are more things that could concern people or go 'wrong'. For this reason, there will be clear guidelines about the limits and boundaries for this workshop, which we ask everyone, including experienced members of kink community and established partners to play within. More detail will be communicated to booked participants as we get closer the the weekend date. 

We take a number of steps to ensure that people attending the event are able and willing to create a consent culture together and this might mean turning people away on occasion if we don't feel there is a good fit at this time. The team are all operating under some agreement about ethical boundaries between us and attendees. There are anonymous ways to report any consent violations or accidents that you believe occur at a Quintimacy event (including this form - https://forms.gle/XNuLvG2deuBCx9X9A. If you have any concerns, please approach Beck or Dan to discuss at the nearest opportunity.

There are Group Agreements that detail how we behave at Quintimacy events to create the most conducive environment for doing this important work. These are sent out to participants in the weeks before the event.

Attending solo or as a pair

You can attend Quintimacy alone, or with a friend or a partner, but for Level 2, it is highly likely the room will feel like a group of old friends! You can choose to work with your partner exclusively, or not. Each person attending will need to purchase a separate ticket in your own name. 

Venue

The venue is in Leicester and easily accessible on public transport, and there is a flat car park next to the venue, another one a little further away and on street parking. The venue is excellent for accessibility as it is an Arts Centre with a focus on disability. There are multiple gender neutral toilets that are fully disabled accessible. There is a wet room with shower.  Please contact us to discuss any accessibility requirements.

The venue is Attenborough Arts Centre, University of Leicester. https://attenborougharts.com/

Cost

Day 1 and 2 only: £180 (limited tickets available)

3 days: £225

There will be the opportunity to pay in instalments for those who need this option.

We want this event to be accessible, so there will be some concession places available, once we have covered our costs.

We really want you to be there! If cost is a barrier, please get in touch and let us know how much you could pay for Day 1 and 2, or the whole weekend. We will let you know as soon as we can if we can offer you a place. As always, priority will be given to QTBIPOC/disabled people/low income/benefits.

Supporters are incredibly welcome. If you can afford to pay a little extra for your ticket, this helps me offer subsidised tickets to those who need them, and enables me to continue putting considerable effort and hours into this labour of love, and support the facilitators and assistants with substantial expenses and good conditions. Thankyou so much if you are able to support Quintimacy. 

Cancellations

Cancellation 7 days or more before event - we will offer a transfer of your balance to a future event, or offer a full refund minus all booking fees.

Cancellation with less than 7 days notice - we regret that no refund will be given.

In exceptional circumstances, a transfer of 50% of your booking cost may be transferred to a future event. Please contact us to discuss.

COVID

As with previous Quintimacy events, we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the group. Based on the pandemic/endemic status in October 2022, we may take sensible precautions such as asking participants to do an LFT test the morning of the event, and use of hand sanitisers etc. We will also offer transfer of your payment to a future event or full refund (minus all booking fees) in the event you cannot attend due to COVID. More details will be published closer to the time, based on the situation then, and the opportunity to explore concerns and how each participant can be supported to manage risk in the best way for them and their close contacts.

Nourishment

Hot drinks and snacks will be provided, including vegan snacks and fruit. We are inviting you to ‘bring and share’ vegan or vegetarian food for lunch on each day (there are kitchen facilities including a microwave/hob to heat food). If you prefer you can bring your own lunch or go out to get some.

On a previous Quintimacy event, in the evenings, people arranged to go out to eat in local restaurants together, or maybe you will prefer a quiet meal at your accommodation.

Accommodation

We are unable to arrange accommodation locally but will set up a Facebook group for participants to arrange sharing accommodation, travel, and maybe a meal on Saturday night.

There will be a private Facebook page for the event where you can make arrangements with others. (As with everything we offer, engaging with this is optional.) 

We will be able to provide a list of local hotels but you might find that Airbnb is a cheaper option, especially if a group of you book a larger place. 

Facilitators

Quintimacy Level 2 will be facilitated by Beck Thom (of Quintimacy/Somatic Sex Educator) and Daniel Morrison (of Q Changes counselling and workshop) with support of an experienced team of assistants. Dan has facilitated 4 previous events at Level 1. 

Beck Thom is a Somatic Sex Educator and Certified Sexological Bodyworker. They are experienced in delivering online and in-person workshops for queer and trans people around embodiment, sex and pleasure. They work in a trauma-informed, consent-based way and aim to create spaces where together we develop enough safety and trust for intimate and transformative work to happen. Beck is a registered member of Association of Certified Sexological Bodyworkers and is fully insured.