Festival program

Body manipulation for play & ropes

This workshop offers an intense experience that emphasizes not only the techniques, but also mindful and respectful interaction. It is perfect for couples looking to feel more confident in their shared play, and for those who seek a deeper understanding of body, mind, and energy.

In an age where mindfulness and deep connection are central, the workshop “Body manipulation for Play” offers couples a unique opportunity to strengthen their physical and mental bond. The goal is an intense, shared synchronization through the targeted manipulation of body and mind. Techniques from Judo, MMA, BDSM, and body handling will enable you to lead your partner mindfully and safely, intensifying playful interactions and elevating the shared experience to a new level.

Philosophy: Minimalism with maximum effect – discover how small movements can have a big impact on the harmony between you and your partner Self-Reflection and Body Awareness: Learn to recognize and embrace your strengths and weaknesses to enhance your physical presence

Energy Synchronization: Understand how to read, interpret, and respond to your partner’s nonverbal signals with precision and intention

Body Mechanics and Mindset: Dive deeper into the dynamics of play and explore how body mechanics and mental attitude work together in harmony Play Strategies and Problem-Solving: From handling uncertainties to confidently leading your partner – learn to control body, mind, space, and energy Stand-up and Ground Interactions: Control your partner’s body with minimal energy expenditure

Practical Scenarios: Playful scenarios with specific tasks will be implemented and optimized in their flow

This workshop is for individuals with partners and couples who seek a deeper physical-mental synchronization and want to learn the art of body manipulation in a playful way. It offers an intense experience that can enrich relationships in new and exciting ways. With a focus on BDSM and sex-positivity, the workshop provides a safe and respectful environment for those looking to deepen their body and play experiences.

Whether you are a fan of shibari, a body enthusiast, or a couple seeking to enrich your shared journey, this workshop provides practical guidance while encouraging self-reflection and the understanding of nonverbal communication.

Play & Shoot

Sven Brandy & Saara Rei

*Would you like to create unique, realistic images with authentic emotions?

Do you want to learn a new Kink Play?

learn how to prepare for an intense project, whether it‘s a play model or a play guide, we‘ll approach both perspectives to understand what processes the individual actors go through from start to finish. In addition, we distinguish between intensive collaborations with known and trusted people and with strangers. we always pay attention to transparency, security and consensus.

Then get an insight into the method of playshooting.*

A playshooting goes beyond a normal photo shoot. Posing is not the focus here, but a play / scenario / mindset is created in which the play model and the play photographer or the kinky couple go together. The focus is not only on the camera, but on the shared experience, the interaction, which can be designed in a playful and challenging way.

The result is unique and authentic images that do not appear posed, but show real facets and emotions. The scenario also results in uniquely exciting game situations between the participants.

Pain & Impact play

Saara Rei & Sven Brandy

In this workshop, we will learn techniques for processing pain, physically and emotionally, so that we can find suffering, release, and excitement while still being able to maintain awareness.

Pain can be a useful tool for recognizing physical and emotional limits, as well as an indication of a need for attention. Pain can also be stifling, forming barriers that are no longer needed. This is why it is important to stay present in our experiences and process what is going on appropriately, so that we can understand what kind of pains we are feeling, and which ones we should listen to and which ones we can learn to let go of, finding that beautiful suffering we all love so much. We will learn how we can build presence, so that we can maintain the awareness need to play consensually, even in the edgiest of situations.

We will explore what it means to play with physical and emotional impact. Physically, we will focus on teaching techniques for giving and receiving impact on different parts of the body, including the face, that encompass anatomy and safety.

Improvisational tying

Improvisation is the act of making or doing something spontaneous, often either unplanned or using a score. Improvisation techniques are developed and used in may performance arts, such as theater, public speaking, and dance. These techniques allow us to act freely within a framework of our choosing, and can lead to the feeling of freedom within a supportive framework.

Many of these techniques can be applied to rope bondage, a practice which often is often improvised; many perhaps start with a tie, an idea, or a framework, and tie together freely with that foundation, adapting what happens in a session to the moment and the needs of the individuals involved.

In this workshop, we will touch upon several methods of improvisation and how they can be used in rope bondage. We will learn what a “score” is and how it can be used to build a session, explore how to use partner dynamics to direct our play, and how to use other tools besides rope to influence a session (such as costumes, toys, music, set, and setting). We will bring in the understanding of what a ritual is, and how ritualization can be used as a means for setting the tone of a scene. And finally, we will discuss how improvisation can be used when constructing a rope performance, experimenting with short performance scores of our own during the workshop.

Bottoming for Semenawa

This is a 2-hour insight to a 2-day workshop consept.

There are many workshops where the discussion and exercises focus on how the rigger can practice semenawa. This is a workshop, conceptualized and developed by Saara Rei and Natasha NawaTaNeko, where the discussion and exercises focus on how the bottom can practice semenawa.

We will combine somatic bodywork practices with practical, hands-on tying exercises, where the rigger and the bottom will work together to reach a “semenawa state of mind.” While every exercise will focus on the experience of the bottom, with the aid of the rigger, there will still be a lot to learn for the rigger as well, as kinbaku is a practice of relating to and understanding each other – when one half grows, the whole will grow… and in that sense, it is impossible to truly separate the learnings of each role from one another. What we attempt to do here in this workshop is to simply shift the focus to the bottom’s practice.

Semenawa can be seen and experienced in many ways, as the meaning of the word “seme” is multifaceted and contextual. Semenawa is generally associated with torturous, challenging rope bondage. In this workshop, we will focus on both physical and emotional techniques that can be particularly useful when practicing semenawa, as well as in meeting challenges in our everyday lives! We will combine somatic bodywork practices and theory with tying exercises in order to build a base of understanding within what we are doing: rope bondage. The first day will focus more on practical techniques and limits, and the second day will focus more on power dynamics and emotional work.