Stories are powerful.
Sharing creates change.
Listening is healing.
Do you have a story where you were confused, totally floored, or had a realization after the fact about an intimate situation that went really well or was a total fail?
We are creating a space to tell stories about experiences around consent in real life situations.
We want to hear your stories…
Sad. Funny. Horrifying. Real.
All of it.
-Have you ever been on a date or in an intimate situation where you weren’t sure if things went well or were consensual?
-Do you have a story that you think others would benefit from hearing?
-Are you intrigued about what other people have gone through and what they’ve learned?
-Do you want to learn and develop new approaches to consent in your life?
This is an “open mic” night to share short stories (5 min max) with a friendly audience about your real experiences of consent practices or fails.
THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO TELL A STORY.
LISTENING IS PARTICIPATING.
There will be a space to talk about:
-Times when your consent was violated.
-Times when you overstepped someones boundaries.
-Or a time when when you were really proud about how you communicated or repaired a difficult situation.
COST: $15 pre-event send via the PayPal link http://paypal.me/
[No one turned away for lack of funds.]
LOCATION: East Bay Community Space
After story-time there will also be socializing and talking with a diverse group of thoughtful, sex-positive people. This is a space where all voices and people are invited and welcome.
TRIGGER WARNING:
We want to acknowledge, given the subject matter, this conversation may generate some big feels. We believe that we swim in a culture of poor consent practices and one way to become more adapt and aware is to get real and share our stories. No story will be censored. All stories are told from the experience of the storyteller, we invite ALL to share their stories.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
All our events are held in confidentiality. No naming of names of parties involved at the event or in the stories on our our Facebook page. Any posts with names on our Facebook page will be deleted.
TESTIMONIALS:
“I had such a wonderful experience last night. Even though it was hard and triggering, I’m so happy I came. I want one of these to be happening every week for people. So so important to hear everyone’s voice, perspectives, feelings, etc. Thank you for holding the space so well. I intend to come to the next.”
“It was great. Really full and not overly heavy. Digestible. Big thanks to you and Duncan.”
“I thought it was great! I liked the context setting. I liked the step-in step-out exercises… I thought that was a really good easing into the conversation. I liked the attention on what kind of listening/responses the storyteller wants. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.”
“This was the most difficult public group meeting I have ever attended. The organizers guidance was beautifully orchestrated in order to make the participants feel comfortable, safe and appreciate that everyone present had commonality. Each presentation was chilling and provocative. The hosts paced our time at the perfect pace as we had only a few hours to warm up, hear everyone and decompress and relax a bit. Part of me wanted to take a break, but I absolutely could not for I felt each story required the utmost honor and the care to listen. I have done a lot of processing of what I experienced at that meeting and I’d recommend this session to all of my friends.”
About the Facilitators:
Misha Bonaventura is the founder of Clearing Conversations, a private practice supporting couples and groups to get back to understanding after trust has been broken. The foundation of my work is built upon the most important part of any ongoing relationship: trust. By teaching the complexity of human interaction through emotional intelligence, nervous system reactions, word choices, defense mechanisms, body language, and neurodiversity I support others in having fulfilling interactions and communicating what they intend. www.clearingconversations.
Duncan Autrey considers himself to be an “Agent of Peace.” He works primarily in Spanish and English speaking countries in North and South America. He has worked in facilitation and conflict resolution for over fifteen years in diverse contexts ranging from rural Paraguay and Colombia to cities of Seattle, Washington, DC, Cuenca and Buenos Aires. He approaches conflict from a belief that it arises from the diverse cultural expressions of common human needs. Every conflict or complicated situation, large or small, is an opportunity for deepening our relationships and improving the world we live in.
www.duncanautrey.com