My third intervention involved planning a Halloween party with other Luckypot artists on October 10th. My contribution included a rope bondage performance and one-on-one rope bondage experiences.
For this intervention, I chose to keep the event in my familiar and relatively private space—my home. This setting is conducive to rope bondage practices. After discussing with Cecilia, I decided to narrow down my target audience to students to explore whether rope bondage could help alleviate negative emotions for those facing study and life pressures. The Halloween event attracted students of different races and genders in London.
“In many different traditions and pop cultures worldwide, monsters and ghosts have been a metaphor for the outcasts, the misfits, the exploited, and those who do not submit to the dominant system…”Ghosts’ Festival” from all over the world are grand days when the supernatural beings rise from the other side of the world, seen by all!”
After the performance, an audience member, D(19, student), expressed a keen interest in trying rope bondage. Amidst the ongoing party with loud music, I chatted with D to understand his desired poses, and we began the rope bondage experience in a corner of the dance floor. Interestingly, after binding D for a while, when I tried to ask about his feelings, I discovered he had fallen asleep and was snoring. Despite his deep sleep, I woke him up for safety reasons. D shared that he had been extremely busy and tired lately, feeling secure and experiencing unprecedented calmness while being bound. After ensuring D felt good, we continued for a while and then untied the ropes to conclude the experience. Although D and I were not acquainted, having only met briefly before, this rope bondage experience allowed us to become more familiar. D shared personal topics, such as his crush, his childhood cat, and his personality, which are not typically discussed with someone you’ve just met. Through my practice and observation, I found that rope bondage not only physically connects people but also builds a psychological connection. I even believe that rope bondage can create a chemical reaction between individuals, who knows?
