The concept

An event celebrating collaboration and the power of co-creation. The main concept is: We provide basic facilities (main orga & house) - and together with YOU we make the program!

Contributions can have many forms: help with the logistics, lead cooking, taking great pictures, facilitate activities/workshops, etc... The idea is to share our strengths, passions and skills - to empower and inspire each other.

Also, due to the relatively short amount of time available it's important that you understand that the activity you prepared might not happen or not in the way you envisioned. In the end we cannot do everything.

What kind of activities can I organise? The only limit is your creativity! It doesn't matter whether you are a novice or an expert. This is also a place to experiment and try new things!

If your activity requires the acquisition of some material you can apply for a small grant that will be taken from last year's donations.

Let's share, experience, grow, rise up, flourish, build roots, plant seeds, get carried away by the wind and inspire others to bloom with us! 🌼

Our vision

We dream of a world where every human is happy & fulfilled.

We work towards this mission by promoting the self-growth of all human beings.

We dream of a world where people can nourish themselves, grow and radiate their inner beauty onto the world. Where every person Blooms. We contribute to this blossoming through the creation of safe spaces where participants can share, explore freely and nurture their natural talents.

We believe in the power of decentralisation & co-creation as a mean to be free, where each participant has the freedom to contribute how it suits them best. Through this collaboration we wish the events to evolve to fit the needs of its participants.

We dream of a world where awareness and consciousness are values lived by the greater majority of society. Where consent, needs & boundaries are embodied by all human beings. Where people live in the present moment.

We dream of a world where every human is conscious of their emotional and physical footprint. Where our presence is not a burden to the environments we are in but contribute to their nourishment.

We wish for these types of events, or spaces, to spread and be available for a majority of society.

Our Values

Co-Creation

- We all create the event together - everyone is invited to participate at all levels to create magical blissful moments. You are an actor, not a spectator.
- Here is a space to share your inner talents, whatever they may be. Feel free to experiment with them.

Safe(r) Space / Consent

- We feel at home, respect the space and are mindful of our own and others' boundaries.
- We get clear consent before engaging with others.
- We practice non-judgment and experience emotional safety.
- Breath, feel, be present and authentic

Self-Responsibility

You are responsible for your own experience and well-being. Take care of yourself and name your boundaries if needed.
Everything is an invitation and you can decide to decline at any point.

Mindfulness

- We value being in the present moment.
- Our events are substance-free (no illegal substances, no alcohol) to enhance your consciousness in this space.

Positive footprint

- We are responsible human beings caring for our mother earth and the spaces we use. We leave every space more beautiful than it was before we engaged with it.

Unconditional Gifting

- We give our time, effort and gifts unconditionally.
- Everyone should be able to participate regardless of financial means.

Commit to growth

- We commit to self-growth to expand our beauty. We invite you to explore out of your comfort zone.
- We honor our desires by expressing them as clear and direct requests

Integrity

- I do what I say, and I say what I do. This in alignment with my personal values and those of the community.
- I honor my commitments and group decisions, and if I realize I cannot fulfill them, I take responsibility to renegotiate, mitigate any consequences, or withdraw if necessary.

We stand for

Sustainability

Sustainability and minimizing our footprint is an important value for us.

We invite you to come as much as possible by public transport. The space in cars will be maximized to transport material and people.

The food will be fully vegan and as much as possible seasonal, local and organic. We will also try to save as much food as possible from shops and restaurants. Food waste of the gathering will be minimized as much as possible so bring a tupperware to bring back leftovers :)

If you have any inputs on how to make the gathering more sustainable, please contact us or apply for a grant :)

Emotional Safety

Creating a safe space for everyone is very important to us. To support us in this task, an emotional support team will be present during the gathering and a room will be reserved for this purpose.

Moreover, the sex-positive activities will be restricted to specific spaces to make sure that people that are not comfortable with sex-positivity at are not exposed to it.

Consent

Consent is a voluntary, enthusiastic, and clear agreement between the participants who engage in a specific activity. It is important to ask for consent before any physical activity (even with people who we have been engaging in similar ways in the past).

When you are being asked for consent, we encourage you to take a few seconds to feel into it before you answer. Does it feel like a “Hell YEEES!” ? a “maybe” ? a “No”?

A no is a no, don’t try to influence a no. A “maybe” is a “no”.

If the “yes” of a person doesn’t feel like a “Hell yes” to you, consider asking the person to take a bit more time to feel into it or ask again a few minutes later.

It is completely ok and even encouraged to give “No”s. Don’t be afraid that the other person will feel rejected. A no is a gift. A gift to you and to the other person who doesn’t want to end up in an abusive position. We invite you to give thanks to “No”s, e.g. “ thank you for taking care of yourself”, “thank you for voicing your boundaries”. If you receive a “no” from somebody you can also trust this person to give you a real “yes”.

Remember a “No” to somebody else is a “Yes” to yourself.

Never assume consent! And keep in mind that consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Suggestions:

Communicating about boundaries before going into sexual activities with somebody

Confirming that there is reciprocal interest before initiating any physical touch.

Be clear and honest about what you want to ask e.g don’t ask for a cuddle if you want to be sexual with the person

Asking permission before you change the type or degree of sexual activity with phrases like “Is this OK?”

Confirming that there is reciprocal interest before initiating any physical touch.

Let space and time for the person to answer and don’t insist

Suggest alternatives

Letting your partner know that you can stop at any time.

Periodically checking in with your partner, such as asking “Is this still okay?”, “does it feel good”? “how could it feel even better?”

Providing positive feedback when you’re comfortable with an activity.

Learn to detect body “No”s (tense body, look in another direction, …)

The clearest communication is usually verbally, but also check for body signs of your partner, and if you don't think they enjoy or are relaxed in the situation, voice it and ask how they feel.

Suggest to stop with a yes: e.g. ask “would you stop now?” rather than “Do you want to continue” because it is always more difficult to voice a “No” than a “Yes”.

We encourage you to discuss about RBDSM (Relationship status, Boundaries, Desires, Sexual health, Meaning (and after care)) before going deeper into sexual activities.

Non-verbal consent:

We encourage consent to be expressed verbally but in certain situations is it useful to also communicate & listen non verbally. Be aware of the non-verbal clues of your partner. Look them in the eyes. Observe their body movements and breath. The quality of your touch also plays a role, use the back of your hand in a first approach and always move slow enough to give your partner time to react to your actions. The slower the better. Also be aware that a lot of people tend to “freeze” when in “dangerous” situations. Always check-in with your partner if you feel that something is off.

Strategies to communicate consent non-verbally:

Redirection: I move the hand of my partner to put it somewhere else I feel more comfortable
Hold a hand on my partner’s hand means “go slower”
Double tap on my partner’s hand means NO
Triple tap means I don't want to interact with you

Consent bias:

Be aware of consent bias in particular in situations where people have different power positions (e.g. somebody organizing an event initiating with a participant, someone being taller / older / feeling more experienced etc).

Contact

cocreativegathering@gmail.com

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