Playground 2014
The 4th annual Playground Conference is taking place this weekend, November 7th to 9th. The plethora of presenters will be tackling the complex topics of relationships and sexuality with a focus on how we can cultivate healthier alternatives to the normative script we’re often expected to follow.
Below is a media press release from the executive producer, Samantha Fraser. For more information on this conference and it’s schedule line up, please visit www.playgroundconf.com
The 4th Annual Playground Conference returns to Toronto with highlighted sessions on BDSM consent, laws, and negotiation
TORONTO (October 29, 2014) — At a time when allegations suggest that former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi may have blurred the lines between consensual kink and abuse, Playground sexuality conference offers a welcoming space for intelligent discourse about sex, consent, and BDSM culture, plus many other sexuality and relationship related topics. The annual two and a half day event returns to Toronto, for its fourth year, from November 7th – 9th at the Holiday Inn Downtown Centre.Specific conversations are to be held at Playground 2014 around BDSM and the law; how to negotiate wants, needs, and boundaries in kink relationships; what healthy consent looks like for adults; sex-positive parenting; and how to be an effective consensual ally.
The list of over 50 presenters contains local and international sex educators and professionals including certified sexologists, BDSM community leaders, porn performers and directors, coaches, advocates, and authors. Examples include Jeff Perera, Director of What Makes a Man Conference; Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, author of The Little Book of Kink; Sonya JF Barnett, co-founder of SlutWalk Toronto; Tim Rose, co-founder of The Rose Centre for Love, Sex, and Disability; Zoe Duff, founder and director of the Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association; and Carey Gray, owner of ASLAN Leather.
Playground has grown from a small event of 80 attendees in 2011 to well over 200 in 2013. It is a place for people from all backgrounds, sexualities, races, and genders, to come together and learn about sex and relationships in a supportive environment that strives to be inclusive, accessible, educational, and entertaining. This year, the event is partnered with local organization, Polyamory Toronto, to offer a curated polyamory-focused stream on Saturday, November 8th.
The Friday night opening keynote features queer, disabled sex-educator and author Kaleigh Trace, followed by Tell Me Something Good, a local sex-focused monthly storytelling event, and is free for the public. Attendees can purchase items from the many sex-positive vendors and learn more about local community organizations in the Playground exhibitor area.
Executive Producer Samantha Fraser says “It’s an important moment in time right now where we have a lot of people talking about what healthy sexuality means, but not necessarily knowing what resources exist. Playground is a great place for everyone to come together to learn how to continue this dialogue, both in and out of the bedroom.”
A range of conference tickets, from $20 individual session passes to $100 / $120 full weekend passes, are available on the website at www.playgroundconf.com.
Contact:
To learn more about this event, please contact
Samantha Fraser, Executive Producer
10 Ravenal Street, Toronto, ON, M6N 3Y7
(647) 224-0078
samantha@playgroundconf.com
Photos can be made available for media.
