Workshops at KinkFest 2011
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Portland, Oregon 97232
You must register for KinkFest to attend these workshops.
Please refer to KinkFest's web site for information about registration and fees.
Max will be teaching three workshops at KinkFest 2011, the Portland Leather Alliance's annual BDSM and kink conference.
Topping to the Next Level - Techniques for Thoughtful Tops
Taught by Max and Russell
Friday, March 18th, 2011 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
In 2008 Russell and Max were discussing topping models and what it takes to produce a good scene. We wrote up our notes and realized that we had created the 'Topping Skills" workshop we wished we'd found 15 years earlier. We taught a multi-part Topping series in 2008 and again in 2010.
This workshop is a distillation of those 12 hours of material.
Topics we'll be covering:
- Scene structure and dynamics
- Getting what you want - matching techniques to objectives
- Physiology and psychology
- Negotiation: eliciting engagement, gathering information, and obtaining consent
- Getting people outside their comfort zone
- Helping your bottom receive stimulus and process sensations
- Renegotiating during a scene and recognizing "hard limits" vs. "soft limits"
- Tips, tools and techniques for each part of a scene, from negotiation through aftercare.
Because there's so much information to cover, the workshop is mainly demos and lecture. There's no need to bring a practice partner, although we think this material is as valuable to bottoms as it is to tops. Bottoms - don't you want to know what your top is up to?
A handout is provided to help you remember what was covered and to provide additional references.
While some topping experience will be helpful, this workshop is accessible to all skill levels and
is appropriate for all genders and orientations.
When Things Go Wrong - What To Do and What To Learn
Taught by Max and Russell
Saturday, March 19th, 2011 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Things can - and do - go wrong in a BDSM scene.
Sometimes it's a small thing. Sometimes it's more substantial. Either way, your level of preparedness makes all the difference between a little bump and a scene-ender - or worse.
Max and Russell have plenty of practice with things going wrong. In Russell's case, some of those experiences were captured on video from his time producing TwoBigMeanies.com.
Ideally, these events can be opportunities for learning and growth. We'll talk specifically about three key elements of your response:
- Dealing with the situation
- Learning for next time
- Retaining and rebuilding trust
Since prevention is even better than reaction, we'll also discuss how to make your scenes more resilient and less likely to go wrong.
This amazing workshop is chock full of anecdotes and "learning moments", and we'll show and discuss video footage of problems ranging from "you got my nose" to an unconscious and bleeding bottom.
We'll touch on a broad range of events related to equipment, technique, negotiation, planning, environmental problems, emotional responses, and injuries. While there will be some emphasis on bondage-related events, most of the discussion is applicable to any type of BDSM play, and non-bondage folks are encouraged to attend.
This workshop is structured as a lecture, so you don't need to bring a practice partner or rope. Do bring an inquiring mind and some good questions.
A handout is provided to help you remember what was covered and to provide additional references.
This workshop assumes no previous bondage experience, and is appropriate for all genders and orientations.
What Makes Bondage Work?
Taught by Max
Sunday, March 20th, 2011 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Great riggers don't just tie knots, they use the characteristics of the rope to craft an experience. They partner with the rope instead of fighting it.
Buried beneath all the technique and "how to" workshops you'll find core principles that make a bondage scene work. These principles center around rope mechanics, friction, positioning yourself and your partner, and using rope to establish the intimate dynamic you desire.
The workshop is structured as a lecture, so you don't need to bring a practice partner or rope. Do bring an open mind and some good questions.
A handout is provided to help you remember what was covered and to provide additional references.
This workshop assumes no previous bondage experience, and is appropriate for all genders and orientations.
