As an umbrella term for an expression of sexuality, kink refers to sexual practices at the edge of eroticism and outside what might typically be considered conventional or vanilla. Just as there exists more than one form of sexuality, similarly many forms of kink exist. These can include but are not limited to power exchange, bondage, submission, domination, sadism, masochism, fetishes, role play, race play, age play, and fantasy. Practitioners of these and other forms of kink have a nuanced understanding of the intricacies involved which are firmly grounded in a set of beliefs underpinning its foundation: consent, boundaries, and safety.

Public awareness of kink in its myriad forms is growing, thanks in part to films, Netflix and even mainstream television. While this is a positive step toward the acceptance of kink as part of a spectrum of sexual behaviour and attitudes, problems still arise with both those portrayals and the acceptance they are in part fostering. Practice is often far different from the way it is represented or depicted and both are often far different from assumptions and expectations of the larger culture.

Expanding on the inaugural meeting, the second global meeting on Kink is an inclusive interdisciplinary exploration and investigation of the sometimes conflicting ways kink is portrayed and practiced in people’s lives, with a view to forming a publication emerging from the discussions with the aim of engendering further interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion.. We aim to forge advanced discussions between academics, scholars, professionals and practitioners to highlight these different perspectives, and foster new and exciting possibilities for future work and collaboration.

The meeting encourages the bringing together of both the centre and the fringes, creating a safe space in which to discuss, analyse, think about, ask and answer questions about the ways that kink has been and continues to be a viable, healthy, exciting and safe expression of sexuality, and to examine taboos, stigma, discriminatory practices, biases and assumptions made about those who practice it.

We aim to create a lasting network of professionals in all fields related to this topic who will continue to share ideas, research findings, best practices, understandings, and perspectives in the global arena. We recognise that our focus in this Call is for the most part a Western perspective, and we hope to rectify that through the work brought forth at this conference, and into the future.

We welcome any relevant and insightful contributions, from classic presentations to proposals for workshops; topics for debates, panels or round tables; sharing of event-appropriate professional or personal experience; new apps, tools, toys, or technologies; demos; or meaningful forms of artistic expression (film, poetry, photography exhibitions etc.)

Unlike other conferences, our event welcomes academics, scholars, practitioners, therapists, journalists, lawmakers, educators, enthusiasts and artists to collaborate on inclusive interdisciplinary aspects of kink.

Key topics, themes and issues for discussion may include, but are definitely not limited to:

~ Historical origins of kink
~ Cultural perspectives
~ Practitioners and demonstrations
~ Academic research of kink
~ Media representations of kink
~ Literature, art, music, film, and erotica portrayals of kink
~ Laws surrounding kink; stigma; discrimination
~ Relationship dynamics; relationship rules and contracts
~ Kink and censorship
~ Kink, technology, and social media
~ Kink as an identity or orientation
~ What vanilla relationships can learn from kinky folks
~ Consent: Safe, Sane and Consensual vs Risk Aware Consensual Kink
~ The power of roleplay; power exchange
~ Issues in therapy
~ Scene setting, safety, and aftercare
~ What happens when kink goes wrong?
~ Teaching kink
~ Vulnerability; power; eroticism
~ Types of kink: Fetishes; Edge Play; Bondage/Restraint; Physical Discipline; Intense Stimulation; Sensory Deprivation; Body Alteration Activities

What to Send
The aim of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc. Please feel free to put forward proposals that you think will get the message across, in whatever form.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 4th October 2019. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chairs.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been minimally triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 18th October 2019.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 17th January 2020.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) type of proposal e.g. paper presentation, workshop, panel, film, performance, etc, f) body of proposal, g) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Kink 2

Where to Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Kristine Seitz: kristine@kristineseitz.com
Len Capuli (Project Administrator): praguekink2@progressiveconnexions.net

What’s so Special About a Progressive Connexions Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Enquiries: praguekink2@progressiveconnexions.net

Web address: http://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/gender-and-sexualities/kink/conferences/

Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions