This workshop will cover negotiation beyond the basics, including an understanding that communication does not end when the scene begins, and should continue after a scene concludes. It will focus on the specific considerations of negotiation for, communication during, and aftercare/debriefing in scenes and ongoing dynamics which involve edge play.

As the foundational workshop in this series, it is highly recommended that you attend this if you plan to go to additional sessions in the series. This workshop has a higher capacity than subsequent workshops, to ensure that everyone gets a chance to attend.

It will cover topics such as:

• Building your own risk profile, needs and desires before you get to the point of negotiating with another player.

• Approaches to negotiating for first time or pick up play.

• Approaches to negotiating for ongoing, lifestyle or 24/7 dynamics.

• Understanding the specific risk and difficulties of relying on safewords alone during intense and/or risky scenes.

• Models for check ins and communication during emotionally or physically heavy scenes.

• Communication and pre planning around risk management, and helpful ways to prepare for things going wrong.

• Negotiating for lasting impact, either physical or psychological (scars, brands, behavioural conditioning, etc.)

• Aftercare - what it is, why it is important, and safeguarding against unwanted trauma.

This will be a discussion based class, and will cover a broad range of topics. It is assumed that participants already have some level of experience in negotiating BDSM scenes or relationships, and have an understanding of safewords, limits, and models of consent.

Humans have a complex relationship with fear, as can be seen by our love of horror movies, rollercoasters, haunted houses, and spooky campfire stories. For many of us, that thrill in being afraid extends to our BDSM scenes or ongoing relationships.

For obvious reasons, playing with real fear should not be done lightly. But when done well, it can make for an extremely memorable experience. This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of fear and fear play, its risks and safety management techniques, as well as practical steps to incorporating fear into your play.

This workshop will cover:

• What is fear? The physiology and chemistry of fear.

• What is fear play?

• Escalating to playing with fear.

• Ways to create fear and suspense in play, via techniques such as physical positioning, mind fuck, pain and sensory play.

• Effective pre and post scene management.

• Types of fear, and the importance of making sure that the top and the bottom are on the same page.

• Safety management during play, including how to check in without disrupting the flow or emotions of a scene.

• Aftercare.

This workshop will have elements of practical demonstration, alongside verbal instruction and explanation. Participants will be encouraged to participate in small group discussions.

Consensual Non Consent (CNC) refers to scenes where there is the illusion of the removal of the ability to withdraw consent. It is a broad term which can cover a range of activities and styles of play. For the purposes of this workshop, CNC is being used as an umbrella term to cover styles of play where the top will ignore the bottom’s “no”. It will particularly focus on more emotionally intense flavours of CNC.

This workshop will cover the inherently high risk nature of this kind of play, with an overarching emphasis on the importance of safety, communication, mutual aftercare, and ensuring there is never any actual consent violation.

This is an extremely risky style of play, with great potential for emotional harm, but one that is enjoyed by many in the community, and which can be extremely cathartic for many people. This workshop will be focused on risk management, scene preparation, types of CNC, some practical guidance, and other considerations for this kind of play. We will talk both how to incorporate CNC into individual scenes, as well as how it can be incorporated as part of an ongoing dynamic. There will be a particular focus on how to create real feelings of helplessness, fear, distress and violation, without removing safety nets (such as safe words). 

Topics covered will include:

• What is CNC?

• Different styles of CNC, from stranger roleplay to free use dynamics.

• Pre planning and specific negotiation.

• Risk profiles for different kinds of CNC play.

• Risk management and harm minimisation.

• Self advocacy as a bottom in this style of play.

• CNC in ongoing lifestyle dynamics, outside of pre planned scenes.

• The importance of mutual and ongoing aftercare.

Sometimes the best tools for controlling another person and/or causing pain are your own two hands. This workshop will look at how one can hurt, position and move a body around without using any fancy equipment. It will also (for bottoms) look at how to resist physical manipulation and control in a way that is safe for both you and your top.

A lot of us love to physically force our partners where we want them, but this can be risky if you do not know what you are doing. This workshop is aimed at giving you a space to learn how to engage in physically rougher styles of play in a way which is risk aware. There will be some opportunity to practice elements of the techniques covered during the class, which will also include practical demonstrations.

Topics covered will include:

• How to grab and move someone around, safely.

• Pressure and pain points - minimal effort, maximal discomfort.

• Different barehanded techniques, including face slapping and closed fist striking.

• Pinning.

• How to resist your partner safely.

• Safety planning.

• Emergency management.

This workshop will include a scene demonstration at the conclusion of the workshop. There will be an opportunity to practice some techniques with a partner, however this is not compulsory.

This workshop is designed to provide an overview of the different ways that you can use knives in your play, in ways which vary from the sensual to the sadistic.

Knife play is inherently risky. Dr Pine and SparklyBulbasaur will introduce you to a range of ways to play with knives, including through hands-on demonstration, and practical tips for building your scene.

Topics covered will include:

•  Basic knife safety.

• Choosing a knife.

• Building a knife play scene.

• What you can and cannot do with knives.

• Emergency management including what to do if someone is panicking, or is cut accidentally.

This workshop will include a scene demonstration.

To conclude this workshop series, we will explore how to build and execute an interrogation scene. In an interrogation scene, the top's role is to get the bottom to reveal information and the bottom's role is to resist revealing it. A common fantasy, this can be enacted in various ways, from roleplay, to a battle of wills rooted in reality through game or challenge.

This workshop will start with a mini interrogation scene. We will then deconstruct the scene, before exploring the underlying principles of interrogation. We will also explore different approaches to interrogation.

This kind of play is the perfect way to incorporate the content of previous weeks into one scene, as during interrogation anything goes (within everyone's limits of course).

Topics covered include:

• Planning an interrogation scene.

• Setting the scene/atmosphere.

• Types of interrogation scene.

• Safety during an interrogation scene, both physical and emotional.

• Controlling scene intensity for the top.

• Self scanning and emotional regulation/preparedness for the bottom.

• The art of the mindfuck.

• Safety and emergency management.