We often talk about presence in shibari practice; it's one of the words we reach for when we're trying to describe the ineffable thing that takes shibari beyond mere competent knot tying. But it can be a somewhat nebulous concept - something you either have or don't, that can be gestured toward, and maybe passively acquired through some mystical process, but not really taught.

The goal of this workshop is to make space for a deeper interrogation of presence. To push past the vague vocabulary, and suggest a framework that defines the concept in (relatively) straightforward terms and lays out a pathway to help you train both being present, and also having presence when you tie. 

Crucially, this workshop does not frame presence as something the rigger ‘dispenses’ during a rope scene, but as a quality that both partners can cultivate equally and that, at its fullest, produces a kind of ‘third thing’ between the two of you - a state in which both partners are moved by something that neither is generating alone. 

The content of this workshop draws on a range of movement & art practices, most saliently Butoh - a Japanese dance movement which I researched extensively as the subject of my MA thesis, and continue to practice regularly - as well as my own experience as a rope practitioner & performer. We explore both philosophical insights and practical applications, in the interest of expanding what rope can be for you, and giving you new ways of understanding your practice.

Although much of what we cover in this workshop is rooted in theatre and performance technique, the workshop is intended to be equally useful whether you have an interest in performing shibari or only tying in private.

It is recommended that you attend with a partner that you have enough of an established tying relationship with that you are willing to be vulnerable around them. Some of the exercises may take some participants out of their comfort zone.