Fests and Fringes in Manchester (69)

Moved from Manchester

This post is on the Manchester (M) topics page and the BDSM Events web board.

Wed 2 Feb 05, 7:39 PM
Tanos
UK(M), 12 yrs
Y!
This is something which has been brought to a head by the posts about KinkFest and SM Pride, but I think it's a much wider issue for the Manchester scene.
It's probably misleading to compare ourselves with the big fests / conventions you see in the US, but we can look at Birmingham with the BBB running month in, month out for years (with regular and well-attended workshops / demos), and London with it's annual Pervefest/KinkFest and the long weekend of Skin Two events.
That kind of headline event that people want to travel to has never really got going here. We might be able to blame past politics, and the attitude of the city council towards BDSM events hasn't helped.
But on the other hand, there are some sexuality events happening and succeeding: the SM Dykes "International Women's SM Conference" has run for two years, I believe there is a PolyCon in Manchester later this spring, and BiCon has been here a couple of times. And of course the big one is the Pride Week, centered on the gay village in late August. (In fact last year there was effectively a "Fetish Fringe" happening, with pansexual events organised around the time of the Pride Week.)
So what could we in and around Manchester do about this?
1) Try to do a repeat of Unfettered's KinkFest event in London last December. Unfettered are looking for local partners, and KinkFest was a lot of fun
To avoid opening up new political divisions, I'd suggest running things as a Manchester event to which groups like Unfettered, ReviseF65, Spanner Trust and SM Pride are invited to participate or even to organise a section of the proceedings themselves. (Maybe that's naive of me.)
The downside is that you need a biggish venue (hundreds of people) and need to organise it properly, deal with any licensing issues etc.
2) Try to build something around the existing Pride Week, as a "Manchester Fetish Fringe". That way it's an event / fest that's "advertised rather than organised", so no one group of people are having to try to run everything. Unfettered, SM Pride, Spanner etc can organise anything they want, but there's still an identifiable BDSM "thing" going on, that people would make an effort to get to.
That has the advantage that there's less politics, and people organising their own individual events is more manageable than one big 500-in-one-building event. It also means it would be easier to get people from organisations like ReviseF65 and Spanner who are likely to be around anyway, and it promotes cross-over between the various straight, bi and gay scenes. It also brings in existing Pride Week events like Lash for Lasses.
3) We just continue with what we have, and let it grow organically here and there (LifeStyle-UK has had demos and stalls, the Couch Club and Nemesis are starting to do that.)
What do you think? Is there local support to work on organising something bigger than that what we have?
Tanos
(who isn't trying to organise anything himself, but is happy to help advertise things of course)

Edited Thu 3 Feb 05, 7:00 PM by Tanos

2 Feb 05, 7:58 PM
Purvection
UK(M), 6 yrs
Good food for thought Tanos.
Personally, I like the idea of lots of small events scattered around the fringe rather than one big bash, which logistically could be really difficult to organise.
I and Perverted would be willing to muck in and help out, albeit on a limited level, if anything goes ahead. We'd be happy to do a demo or peer workshop for example.

3 Feb 05, 8:14 AM
Seraf
6 yrs
I quite like the idea of working in with the Pride event. Manchester has a history of leaving "Gay/Lesbian" events alone as this is politically correct. Manchester Council eh? If we can work in conjunction with SMP, Unfettered, SM Dykes etc around this date for a few various things it would be great and I think if we "blend" in a little for now it gives us a fighting chance to get started.
I would be willing to assist. I am aware that this would be a large undertaking, but SM Dykes already have experience in this area so at least we could get some assistance and a base to start from?
Thats my thoughts on it.

3 Feb 05, 5:09 PM
goodghirl
UK, 7 yrs

LadyRed wrote:
looks like that end of the world will be having something with the Unfettered banner attached very soon.
Just awaiting some other info and anouncing this to the Unfettered team at Sundays meeting.
L^R

So it's a London event then ?? *grins*
ggx
Do it trembling if you must, but do it.

3 Feb 05, 6:58 PM
goodghirl
UK, 7 yrs

LadyRed wrote:

goodghirl wrote:
So it's a London event then ?? *grins*
ggx
Still I am sure your do the right thing gg and give support to those area's in need eh *Grins*

Erm Im sure it is needed and Im happy to help in anyway I can with whatever is happening
gg
Do it trembling if you must, but do it.

3 Feb 05, 8:28 PM
amira_S
6 yrs
I know this means that there is some duplication regarding feedback but a poll has been set up on SM Pride in the transpennine forum to register feedback on the need for events in the region. http://uksmpride.org/community/index.php?showtop...
{najla}S

3 Feb 05, 8:47 PM
Tanos
UK(M), 12 yrs
Y!

najlaS wrote:
I know this means that there is some duplication regarding feedback but a poll has been set up on SM Pride in the transpennine forum to register feedback on the need for events in the region. http://uksmpride.org/community/index.php?showtop...
Thanks
Tanos

3 Feb 05, 9:39 PM
x_Thunder_x
UK(E), 7 yrs
Y!

LadyRed wrote:
Looks like I am getting some interesting news on events for Unfettered up past Manchester probably in the Leeds area, friends are looking into finding help to set this up and I called a massive hall today to find out if we could host it there and its all starting to look very promising... looks like that end of the world will be having something with the Unfettered banner attached very soon.
Just awaiting some other info and anouncing this to the Unfettered team at Sundays meeting.
L^R

Sounds good L^R and I hope to have interesting news for the Sunday Meeting after my Meeting tomorrow night

^Thunder^ West Essex & East London Munch in Ilford 4th Wednesday each month. http://www.ukessex.org.uk http://groups.msn.com/UKEssx

4 Feb 05, 9:27 AM
Katena
UK(M), 6 yrs
Y!
i think Seraf's idea is good in linking in with SMP and SMDykes...maybe havin a float on the Pride Parade. I know the SMDykes had one last yr...and the leather men have one too....tho i hav no clue what group they are?! I seem to remember the teddy bear men for some reason
anyways...all sounds good!
k

"Dont close your eyes and picture me as perfect. Open your eyes and see whats in front of you. Im not perfect.. Im Me.. a woman and a human being."

4 Feb 05, 9:38 AM
Tanos
UK(M), 12 yrs
Y!

Katena wrote:
i think Seraf's idea is good in linking in with SMP and SMDykes
Yes, I think we need to come up with something that doesn't leave out any of the various groups doing things in Manchester.

and the leather men have one too....tho i hav no clue what group they are?!
A lot of it is centred on www.mscmsc.org.uk

I seem to remember the teddy bear men for some reason
www.manbears.co.uk (no beard comments, ok, Katena? )
And Legends/Outpost/Tunnel (ie Lash's venue) is used for several of the leather events.
Maybe we could talk about some of these ideas at the LifestyleUK munch tomorrow?
Tanos

Edited 4 Feb 05, 10:25 AM by Tanos

4 Feb 05, 9:56 AM
fuschia
UK(SE), 9 yrs
The idea of a pervy "Fringe" to the Pride events is a great one and I'm sure Unfettered will eb able to contribute something.
www.londonfetishscene.com
www.unfettered.co.uk

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