Our Policies on Safety, Privacy and Informed Consent
To ensure that everyone who comes to our festivals takes part in an atmosphere of trauma and attachment informed consent, all new participants must attend the introductory workshop “How to Navigate Spaces of Permission” (delivered via Zoom on the Friday night prior to the festival), during which we will provide a framework which will enable participants to express their wishes and boundaries in clear ways, and gracefully to accept refusal. We will look at questions such as impulse control, how to deal with unpleasant interactions, as well as partner choice. We will also provide necessary tools about how to read "body consent", which supports verbal communication.
We require in addition to attending the introductory workshop that all participants sign a copy of the EL Waiver of Liability Agreementupon arrival at the festival. This agreement includes a commitment on everyone's part to protect the privacy of everyone involved.This includes not sharing identifiable information about other participants and not taking and/or sharing photos or videos during the festival/workshops without their explicit permission.
The EL Waiver of Liability Agreement be emailed to all participants personally after booking and copies will also be provided at the event for participants to sign.
It is our intention to create a safe container for learning and exploration in a Space of Erotic Permission. Unlike what some may think, a space of permission is not one long orgy. Its deeper purpose is to provide opportunities for emotional and ethical transformation as well as the chance to feel more alive and free. This happens when we find ourselves in a space where our desires and our bodies are not seen as something bad or taboo, but permitted, reflected and thought-about in a supportive and informed environment. During workshops and classes, we will play, eat together, learn, experiment, talk, open up and share deeply.
We believe in a dignity of riskapproach to sexual exploration and education. Rather than insisting that people practice certain activities in certain ways, we believe in respecting each individual's autonomy and self-determination to make choices for themselves. While all care is taken to make the space as safe as possible, we cannot guarantee that you will not experience any emotional disturbance or discomfort during the festival. Often this discomfort is part and parcel of finding oneself in a new environment or learning something new. Many years of experience have taught us that the most sure way to keep all activity at the festival safe, fun and consensual is to empower participants to be risk aware and to take responsibility for themselves first. Throughout the festival, there will be workshops and spaces available for participants, which are specifically designed to help you metabolise the emotional turbulence that can result from finding oneself in a space of permission, which for many is unfamiliar.
