Description
Over the course of 3 days (Friday 19 September to Sunday 21 September), we will journey together into a heady mix of play, connection, experimentation, and empowerment – learning to see ourselves and each other in new, surprising and inspiring ways. Elena and Roy are passionate about play fighting, communication and consent, which are all embodied practices that play with boundaries and empower people in the process. So it made sense to bring together Consent work, Contact Improvisation and Play Fighting.
What is Play Fighting?
It is all about connecting to your own body and energies flowing through it first. Only from that space you can wrestle and play in a wholesome, connected, delicious way with other beings. What you discover in this kind of deeply embodied connection with others is likely to surprise you! Perhaps your body – and spirit – crave gentleness and flow. Perhaps there’s a lot of passion, fire and wildness yearning to be expressed. You might awaken your creativity, meet your inner child or feel totally and utterly silly and full of life!
In the workshop, we will discuss and demonstrate specific safety aspects and play fighting techniques and journey through a series of exercises to warm up and connect with ourselves and others. Importantly, we will explore ways of communicating consent verbally and non-verbally. Everyone who wants to experience play fighting first hand, will have a chance to do so. You are welcome to bring in all your energies – playful, silly, competitive, gentle, caring, soulful. Please note that this workshop is non sexual.
What is consent work?
We all face challenges from time to time, with asserting personal boundaries or understanding others’ limits clearly. Learnin about consent can help us get comfortable and establish trust when interacting with others.
We will explore various tools for discovering and expressing your boundaries based on the framework of the Wheel of Consent.
What does consent feel like in the body, and how to navigate situations when you’re not sure. You will feel more comfortable interacting with others, understand how to track your own boundaries and get more comfortable expressing them, and play with the verbal and non-verbal consent to make interactions more smooth and enjoyable for all parties involved.
What is Contact Improvisation (CI)?
Is a postmodern dance practice that explores movement through shared weight, touch, and physical awareness. Originating in the United States in 1972, contact improvisation was developed by dancer and choreographer Steve Paxton, drawing on influences from modern dance, aikido, and somatic practices. Contact Improvisation emphasizes the interplay of gravity, momentum, and improvisation, fostering an experimental approach to movement that invites both professional dancers and newcomers into its global community. The practice involves continuous physical touch between dancers, where gravity, momentum, inertia, and friction shape their interactions.
Important information
Times: Friday 19 September 6pm to Sunday 21 September 5pm.
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Bring clothes for movement (yoga/gym clothes)
- Wash your whole body before attending each day, brush your teeth and bring anything you need to freshen up.
- Avoid strong perfumes or scents.
- Remove watches, jewellery and sharp or loose piercings before the play fight workshop.
- Please do not consume mind altering substances for 24 hours prior to the event.
- All body types and abilities are welcome.
- All genders, sexualities and identities are welcome.
- We do not tolerate any harassment, prejudices, biases or othering.
Programme
- Friday (6-9pm):
– Evening potluck dinner – with opening circle introductions
– Gentle movement and body check-in
– Pods for sharing during the weekend (meet each morning) 15m
– Contact Improvisation facilitated movement and connection - Saturday (10am-6pm):
– Morning check-in pods
– Non-verbal, embodied consent practices
– Lunch
– Contact improvisation dance
– Play fighting workshop
– Slowing down - Sunday (10am-5pm):
– Movement and massage
– Morning check-in pods
– Soft play fighting
– Lunch
– Conscious touch games
– Group play fight
– Dance & play-fight Jam
– Group cuddle and slowing down
Pricing
- We operate tiered pricing
- Early bird price: GBP 130 [EUR 150]Â till 31 July
- Tiered pricing from 1 August until sold out: GBP 160 |Â 185 | 210 [EUR 190 | 220 | 250]
- Picking the higher tier helps us offer reduced price ticket to those who need them, thank you in advance.
- There are a limited number of reduced tickets – please only select if you need it.
Your facilitators:Â
Roy Graff
Roy is a counsellor, life and relationship coach who draws on his training in Psychosynthesis psychotherapy, Radical Honesty, Non-violent Communication and Wheel of Consent training to offer therapy and coaching to individuals, couples and polycules.
He can help you with relationship issues, honesty and authenticity in relating, life transformation and major life crises.
Roy has been facilitating play fighting workshops and consent workshops since 2022 in London, Manchester, Brighton, Nottingham and Bristol as well as festivals in the UK and Europe.
Roy’s motto: “Dancing is my happy place”.
You can read more about Roy here.
Elena Zanchetta
Elena is the organiser of Playfight Amsterdam.
She is a Certified Playfight Facilitator and massage therapist based in Amsterdam. Her vision is to develop spaces for platonic human connection using touch and authentic communication.
Venue details
Het Blauwe Huis, Zeeburgerdijk 265, 1095 AC Amsterdam
Booking conditions
- Payment can be made by credit card, bank transfer, Google Pay or Apple Pay.
- Full payment is needed to secure a place.
- Refund policy: Refunds are possible if your ticket can be transferred to another participant on our waiting list.
- A £10 administration fee will be processed for any refunds.
