Workshops and Educational Opportunities

This workshop will cover how to make intricate cuttings even if you have little or no artistic talent. Phoenix will discuss the technical aspects of intricate decorative cutting such as: where to find and create detailed designs, what are the considerations needed when choosing a design, what are the transfer materials and equipment needed and where do you obtain them, what are issues about where the design is placed on the body, how do you “shade” areas to create a complex design, what types of handles and blades are used and where do you obtain them, what are the cross contamination and blood borne pathogen prevention techniques, and what are the tricks of the trade to do intricate cutting. There will be a review of safety requirements for general cutting/blood play. Participants will also view the video “On The Cutting Edge” which had its debut at the 2010 Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, showing cutting techniques. Participants will be encouraged to share their knowledge, experience, and questions around cutting methods and other design ideas.

For many edge players, blood is a side effect or byproduct of medical scenes or heavy impact play. But what if bloodletting wasn't an opening or closing act in a scene, but the main event? What if the whole purpose of a scene play with blood? This class will discuss blood fetishes and fetishists, tips and techniques to safely extract blood from your fluid bonded partner (this is not a blood safety class, you should have a basic understanding of blood borne pathogen control), and all the lovely things you can do with the blood once you have some. This class will not be for the squeamish so bring strong stomachs as the class will end with a hot and bloody demonstration of this sexy carnal play.

“A cigar ought not to be smoked solely with the mouth, but with the hand, the eyes, and with the spirit.” – Zino Davidoff

As leather people, cigars delight all of our senses: we experience them not only as a rich taste, but as a heady aroma, as sensations playing across our flesh, as the sound of the fire, and as the intense imagery staged before our eyes. Konraad and Jazz invite you to join them in an exploration of cigar play, from titillating to torturous. We will cover care for and preparation of your cigars and the ritualistic opportunities they present as well as safety precautions and risk minimizing tactics. This is, however, a techniques class, so a generous portion of this workshop will be devoted to teaching you how to use a cigar to create a wide range of physical sensations, how to use a cigar in your breathplay, and the ins-and-outs of ash play, ash eating and objectification via cigars. This class will climax with a live cigar branding, permanently marking Jazz as the property of Konraad.

Over the past while, Leather has gone mainstream. And while that has brought with it many good things such as increased rights, increased opportunities to gather, and more freedom to live openly and freely, the phenomenon has also its downsides: self-appointed and/or incompetent SIRs and subs, a sharp increase in detached sex/play, and a marked uptick in the number of people in and around our community who engage in BDSM activities but don't necessarily adhere to values many would consider core to our community.

In short, many among us are wondering if the mainstreaming of Leather has somewhat cost us some of the magic that can occur during Leathersex; our connection with its deep spiritual and transformational potential.

Through an animated discussion format, participants will explore ways in which connectivity and valuation of power-exchange in community and sexual dynamics has seemingly become less important, but will, as well, ask the question: ‘Are there any things in our traditions from which we can pull to fill those gaps for the modern era; to help get back in touch with "the magic".’

This will be followed by a partnered exercise in which connection through sight, voice, and touch will be explored, as well as a feedback session about the exercise.

This workshop is highly interactive, therefore the more participants engage, the more they are likely to gain from it.

This panel has been designed as a place to ask questions of community elders, as well as listening to their histories. The Elders will draw questions from those in the audience and answer them using the knowledge they have obtained over the years. This class will be moderated. The purpose of this class is for questions to be asked that have not gotten a real answer for. This is a great opportunity for everyone

When people think about sadomasochism, what comes to mind? Rihanna? Or Law and Order: SVU? This workshop explores what lies in between. On one side are theories that view sadism as at best a pathology, at worst a crime. On the other side are perspectives that view sadism and masochism as healthy, if somewhat uncommon, expressions of human sexuality. Social scientists have just begun to investigate whether the sadism of the criminal who kidnaps and abuses a victim is the same as the sadism of the SM practitioner who ties up and whips a consenting partner. Brad and Evelyn will discuss the scientific evidence that these are completely separate phenomena that, unfortunately, share a name as well as scientific evidence that places these along a continuum, separated by emotions such as empathy that prevent most sadists from acting on their desires non-consensually. They look forward to an open discussion of what we know from a research point of view, what we have experienced as players, and what we speculate on a challenging topic that lies at the heart of what we do and why we do it. Other guest presenters for this workshop include James Ambler, Kathryn Klement, Sarah Hanson, David Wietting and Ellen Lee.

You’ve attended a “Bootblacking 101” class, or two. You’ve sat down with your Daddy and learned the basics of a spit shine. You’ve interrogated your bootblack friends about what Huberd’s really is. Or maybe you haven’t done any of these things. Regardless of what you know about the process of bootblacking itself--the technicalities, if you will--this workshop won’t cover any of those things. This workshop will cover the nature of “giving good chair” in three parts: 1. The Basics, 2. Upping the Ante, 3. Fucking Without Sex. Start off by learning how to be attentive and a great conversationalist; move on to engage in sensual physical contact; and leave them wanting more with boot worship.

Some Masters own slaves who have a larger public presence than their owner. There are hazards and specific difficulties that come with owning strong very active in the community slaves, when you are a more reserved personality. But at the same time owning them can be very rewarding. We'll examine multiple tactics for dealing with challenges both internal and external to the relationship.

“Close your eyes…look inside…fantasy will set you free…” (from the Steppenwolf song)

Every M/s relationship is a “magic carpet ride” that can take us to fabulous places. But what happens when you start living that dream. How do activities in our everyday world affect the M/s relationship? Dirk and sarah explore their own “Magic Carpet Ride” of over 15 years together. From the initial years of fantasy and exploration, to learning about early-stage minefields, to the evolution of a D/s relationship in M/s, to the challenges of keeping the magic alive when things are no longer new. What can happen as committed relationships evolve and new needs compete for time and attention? The impacts are more subtle than just the vanilla issues that come up.

Dirk and sarah will share their stumbles, and the factors that have created challenges over the years. Along the way, they will discuss the relationship traps they have found – communications methods that cause confusion, and things that might work for others but don’t work for them, such as how “anticipatory service” can erode the M/s dynamic. They also invite the participants to share what they have experienced, what they have learned, and how their experiences may have been different than ours. Finally, Dirk and sarah will share the things that work for them, and what they have discovered about keeping the magic alive.
 

As those who engage in primary relationships based upon consensual dominance and submission have coalesced into a viable and recognizable community, one of the more interesting developments has been the burgeoning number of Masters with multiple slaves. Is this phenomenon simply a more esoteric form of polyamory? How does one effectively structure multiple D/s relationships? What are the joys and benefits a Master can derive from having more than one slave, and what are the challenges and pitfalls that undoubtedly lie in store? Drawing upon his extensive personal experience as well as the experiences of many of his peers, Master Skip will examine those questions in depth and explore the skill sets—practical and emotional—necessary for navigating such unchartered terrain. As he blows the lid off of the many myths and fantasies that abound when it comes to mastering multiple slaves, one thing will become abundantly clear: wimps need not apply.

(Please note that in order to create an environment conducive to open discussion, only those individuals who identify as the “M” or the “D” in M/s and D/s relationships may attend.)
 

Tribe is more than nice to have and it establishes the basis on which our future personal growth occurs. Review where Butchmanns started, how it developed, how and why it became a Corporation, and what it can mean to us personally. Mainstream mores, conventions, and support systems are not adequate for those of us who are different because of our fetishes, interests, and goals. Explore the benefits, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities that a tribe uniquely provides. Time is allotted for discussion to determine individual applicability.

The kiss of the whip can be elegant, the slice of the blade intense, the stroke of the cane blinding, but the impact of the fist is distinctly different, intimate, primal and transformative.

This hands on class will cover the basics of heavy impact play including anatomy, safety, technique and the art of making a connection with your partner. Techniques for punching, kicking, and stomping will be covered as well as the use of SAP gloves, truncheons, and other heavy implements. Participation is encouraged, but not mandatory, so bring a partner to practice with, be prepared to pair up with a stranger, or hold out till the end to practice on Jim. Since this is a hands on class, you will get the opportunity to try out what you learn…promise!
 

You've attended pup play 101, found yourself a puppy, purchased gear, read the books and watched the videos. Now what? You pup play journey is just beginning! Are you ready to take your pup play to the next level? What does it mean by "the next level"? What do we do with our pups now to help them grow? Come explore these questions and answers with Daddy Kenneth and his pup mohawk!

As tops, we are supposed to be selfish bastards, cruelly inflicting pain on our bottoms, right? Well, it may seem that way, but for many tops, SM is primarily an other-centered activity, a way of expressing their highest ethical and spiritual visions of themselves. In this workshop we'll discuss topping as service, not only to the bottom, but to the greater good, and to one's deity. We’ll also discuss servant-leadership in general, both as a model for giving back to the BDSM community and as spiritual archetype.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a SWLC title holder..or any contest winner? At this workshop, all of your questions can be answered. Join Master Bert, SWLC Master 2003 as he facilitates a panel discussion of issues, challenges and opportunities including what was needed to do to prepare for a title as well as the growth and learning that happens during the title year and after. The panel will consist of other title holders who will be sharing their own experience and how it has impacted them personally. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the SWLC Titleholders at this 10^th anniversary conference.

Master / slave relationships and F/families come in innumerate configurations and model all sorts of physical rituals, protocols, hierarchies, and rules. But what constitutes a “successful” Master / slave relationship? What environmental, external, or internal factors might influence the Master / slave as individuals and / or the relationship? How do the individuals, as well as the relationship itself, continue to grow? Or can it? For slave alia, being in service to Master Skip Chasey for the past eight years has served as a centre point for her on her mad, mad, mad, mad world, helping her to discover who she really is as slave Alia and beyond. Throughout her time with Him, all sorts of catastrophes, crises, life events, people, gurus, teachers, books, music and all sorts of spiritual outlets and revelations have manifested for her along the way that helped her to see (or hear) that these seemingly mad and crazy and random occurrences in her life were actually teachers, pointers, affirmations……messages from God that were guiding her toward answering the three most important questions that matter to an individual who believes that they are “here” for a purpose greater than themselves, greater than the external trappings of what it is to be in a Master / slave relationship. (These questions are integral to the workshop itself, a cliffhanger on that for now! Come to the workshop and hear and contemplate them for Y/yourselves!)

This workshop is a new workshop, a culmination of slave alia’s ten-year-long investigation and dissection into herself – her Self, that is. Slave alia will share the challenges and contradictions and she has encountered as well as the compromises she has made while living and facing her deepest fears of failure and abandonment of this past year in particular, of facing her addiction to prescription drugs and the long and lonely period of addiction recovery. She will share what it was to continue to be in service to Master Skip during this time when her world – her “needed” world” – crashed down around her. What helped her? What didn’t help? How did her leather community respond? How did her behavior affect the leather community? Or her own bio family and Islamic religious community, for that matter? How did slave alia, a mere slave, rebuild herself? Putting this in greater context, how do Master / slave relationships and F/families survive when one or more members struggle with much bigger issues and influences that come from outside of the core relationship? Is it possible?

Please, come join slave alia for 90 minutes where she bares her soul and tells it like it has been revealed to her.

There are many possible activities that one can associate with Mastery (giving orders, receiving service, flogging, bondage, physical intimidation, will-imposition , etc.), but very little formal discussion is given towards "what does a Master ~do~?” An individual doesn't need to like ropes, or be sadistic, or even be a dominant to be a Master, although those skill-sets are certainly in the toybox of many in our Master community. The kink-component of our lifestyle adds fun to our role, but can (and often does) obscure and overwhelm a subtle but fulfilling aspect of a Master's life.

In this seminar, we will not walk the path of sadomasochism, or restraint, or even the road of dominance. Leave your talk of toys, sex, and service at the door, and come prepared to travel down a path many of us have not considered as a separate option in its own right: the path of Mastery.