Live, from New York, it’s Kink For All!
I’m writing this blog post from Kink For All, a new unconference put together by Eileen and Maymay.
Because of vanilla obligations, I’ve been… Well… Not off the grid, but definitely on the periphery. So until I got here, I had no idea about the amount of flack that this event and unconferences in general have been getting. And this kind of baffles me. Maybe the old institutions feel threatened? Maybe there’s a kneejerk resistance to change? I can’t conceive of other reasons why these events have been met with such resistance.
I, for one, see nothing but positivity in the whole unconference trend.
This is the second unconference I’ve been to, the first, of course, being Graydancer’s GRUE.
Since that first unconference, I’ve been enamored with the concept. The creation of a space for the open sharing of ideas and experience is an exciting and much needed phenomenon.
This event is a little bit more structured than the GRUE, since there are set 20 minute time slots instead of the more open ended classes that Gray facilitates. And I think both formats definitely have their merits. This format gives people a chance to give snapshots of much longer conversations. And it gave me a chance to lead a short discussion where I can drum up ideas for a class I’m thinking of developing.
But more importantly, I think that the unconference trend signifies something greater – an evolution in the sex and kink positive communities in how we come together and how we exchange information. Don’t get me wrong, I think that more structured events such as TESFest and Dark Odyssey still have their place. But these spaces provide a new, less intimidating platform for new generations of sex geeks, kinksters, actvists, educators, and aspiring educators.
I’d have to agree – I think it also represents a necessary model for events in the current and forthcoming times of economic woes. Grass-roots events such as KFANYC is a great way to keep the fires burning and, as you say, give people a chance to express themselves in a lower-pressure setting.
I’d be very interested to hear how the structured time slots worked for you – I’ve heard nothing but good about it on twitter, and am cursing bitterly that I’m not there.
Hi Sascha, so nice to meet you at Kink For All, and fun to get acquainted with your blog! -Byron.