At Burning Man gatherings all over the world, ‘Liquid Love’ has become a phenomenon.
This is a sensorial experience where a group of bodies are invited to experience skin to skin, body to body contact. Covered in oil the bodies move without sexual orientation.
After a series of exercises to communicate barriers, participants swim through a sea of Extra Virgin olive oil while blindfolded and (partially) naked, allowing themselves to do so without sexual orientation.
Relaxing into the real time, real space sensations without craving pleasant feelings or denouncing less pleasant ones as a goal, Liquid Love is a meditative way of exploring the sensuality of flowing skin to skin contact by observation. Arousal may happen and the goal is not to respond, just to let it be.
Although IAMSEXUALITY works with facilitators who joined and hosted Liquid Love sessions on Burns, we call it ‘Fluid Alchemy’ resonating the atmosphere that we create by adding smell symphonies and live music. We will organize two sessions on Jan 7th: one fem-bodies only and one mixed group.
The Facilitators will be announced soon here and via our facebook event page. Two ‘Oil Angels’ will assist the host to assist where needed, keep an eye on the human tangle and provide water if asked for.
Flow of things
At the entrance you will be asked to sign a disclaimer stating you are not under the influence of alcohol/drugs or under treatment for physical or mental health issues. After a circle is formed with all the participants, the host will share practicalities and extend an invitation to hear how everybody is feeling.
The group is then guided downstairs to start a series of consent exercises needed for the oil journey. When 1,5 hours of oil play are over, participants are welcomed into the spa to get washed by an Angel if they please. Just before drowning in the cuddle puddle in the Monster Room. After the session you can enjoy delicious Chai and vegan delights.
Time Schedule
13:00 Arrival group I
13:30 Opening circle group I
14:15 ‘Tuning in’ workshop group I
15:30 Fluid Alchemy group I
17:00 Spa & cuddle puddle group I
18:00 Arrival group II
18:30 Opening circle group II
19:15 ‘Tuning in’ workshop group II
20:30 Fluid Alchemy group II
22:00 Spa & cuddle puddle
00:00 Doors close
Practicalities
Fluid Alchemy will take place at the Nes 116 in Amsterdam from 13:00-00:00 on January 7th.
There is place for two seperate groups. One group for female bodies only, the second group will be a mixed group with 50/50 fem/masc bodies.
The first group arrives between 13:00-13:30, the second group between 20:30-21:00.
Things to keep in mind:
– Arrive showered, clean and try to avoid strong deodorant, aftershave or perfumes.
– Cut your nails to prevent unpleasant touch.
– Bring a hair band or swimming cap to prevent long hair getting oily.
– Bring a towel and perhaps a bathrobe/kimono/slippers for relaxation after the jam.
Tickets
Tenclub member ticket €66,-
Regular ticket early bird. €88,-
Regular ticket late bird. €133,-
Benefactor support ticket €222,- or more.
Empty pocket solidarity ticket: €77,- (more info in the questionnaire)
There is an application form to be filled around intentions, motivation and gender identification. By reviewing answers we try to create more safety; when in doubt a video call might be requested. After this process you will receive an email with the link to buy your ticket. It is one ticket per person.
We want to include everyone, whatever your gender or identification is. That means there’s space for everyone, without one group getting overrepresented. Therefore there are tickets for people who identify themselves as male, female and other.
(We realize that there are many gender identities outside the binary norms. For practical reasons, we have summarized them as a category ‘other’ on the ticket sales pages. We apologize to anyone who does not feel represented by this category.)
Please only buy a ticket that represents your gender – and not any other ticket. Sold out = sold out. If you buy a ticket for a gender you don’t identify as, we hold the right to send you home without a refund.
Creating a safer space to explore intimacy and sensuality is a continuous effort and a serious task for all participants and facilitators. We are aware of power dynamics such as patriarchy, racism and power imbalances between facilitators and participants. We would love to minimize these while celebrating the humanity of facilitators too. We allow consensual sensual activities between facilitators and participants to some extent. We would like to be transparent about this topic upfront and we welcome any questions or concerns, please reach out to us.
History of Liquid Love
In 2010, the Touch&Play Project started with the aim of offering an alternative to the practice of contact improvisation. By welcoming practices that are often excluded from impro dance, such as emotions and sexuality, a whole new field of possibilities blossomed.. Liquid Love is among them.
Touch&Play developed the concept of focusing on ‘edges of contact’ in a safe manner. Nowadays, researchers, teachers, facilitators, and practitioners all over the world affiliate with the Touch&Play ‘Tribe’ while being encouraged to spread the conscious explorations in an authentic and playful way.
Our own effort (and this text) is greatly inspired by the work of Liquid Love Zwitserland, an initiative that organizes a session almost every month!