Category: Intervention

Basic Information:

In this intervention, I successfully collected 11 questionnaires. Among the participants, 70% were female, 20% were male, and 10% identified as other genders. Ages ranged from 19 to 27, and all participants were students.

Academic Stress Observation:

In response to the question “Do you find studying at university stressful?” 54.5% answered “Yes,” 45.5% answered “Maybe,” and no one chose “No.” This data reveals that academic stress is a prevalent phenomenon among students. University life often comes with heavy coursework, exam pressures, and concerns about the future, which are common psychological burdens for many students.

Emotional Coping Strategies:

Participants employed various methods to cope with negative emotions, including intimate conversations, love fantasies, gym sessions, socializing, listening to music, smoking, relationships, watching anime, etc.

Emotional Changes Before and After Trying Rope Bondage:

The average emotional score before trying rope bondage was 3.818 (out of 10), indicating prevalent negative emotions.

The average emotional score after trying rope bondage was 7.727 (out of 10), showing a significant increase in positive emotions.

Initial and Post-Experience Perceptions of Bondage:

Initial impressions included pleasure, control, sexy, erotic, submissiveness, interesting, mysterious, and complicated.

After-experience perceptions included safety, fun, freshness, calmness, relaxation, excitement, self-acceptance, and trust.

Interest, Recommendation, and Perceived Well-being:

All participants expressed interest in learning more about rope bondage.

All participants would recommend rope bondage to someone facing life challenges.

All participants believed rope bondage should be considered beneficial for well-being.

Explanation of Question Validity:

I didn’t conduct a detailed analysis of the question “Have you tried rope bondage before?” in the survey. The reason is that when I designed this question, I intended to inquire about participants’ previous experiences with rope bondage before my intervention. However, since the completion of the questionnaire occurred after the experience, there could be a potential misunderstanding by participants regarding the question. Given the likelihood of this confusion, I believe the answers to this question may not be entirely accurate, and as a result, I decided not to delve into a thorough analysis of it.

Conclusion:

The results suggest that participants are somewhat sensitive to the presence of academic stress, which may also influence their exploration of different methods to alleviate this pressure. Intervention activities in the realm of arts and performance might offer a unique and positive emotional outlet for students experiencing academic stress, potentially improving their overall psychological well-being. This further supports the argument in my project regarding the positive emotional effects of bondage activities in emotional regulation.

This analysis contributes to an understanding of the ubiquity of academic stress among student populations, providing background and support for the potential impact of intervention activities in this area. 

Intervention 4 Questionnaire: https://forms.gle/74ioXP1s9xVBGKEM8 

Since I decided to consider students as my stakeholders, I initiated my fourth intervention. To reach out to more unfamiliar individuals, I posted open-call posters at the school, inviting students to experience rope bondage. Additionally, I collected feedback through a questionnaire. The advantage of using a questionnaire is the ability to gather precise data in a shorter amount of time. Initially, I collected feedback through one-on-one interviews, but this proved to be time-consuming and could induce psychological pressure on participants. Not everyone is willing to undergo lengthy interviews, and the qualitative text descriptions obtained were challenging to quantify for a more visually intuitive presentation to my tutors.

This intervention took place from Nov 10th to 20th in a quiet, private, and relatively enclosed space – my living room. I spent one-on-one time with each participant, and each session lasted about two hours. Every time I finish tying someone up, I feel a little tired because each session takes a long time and I still need to expend energy and keep thinking. But it’s nice to meet more people, hear their stories, support them, and have fun experiences.

The workflow of the rope bondage session was as follows:

30 mins: Familiarizing the participant with the environment, allowing for relaxation and mood setting. Inquiring about the participant’s physical and mental sensations, discussing desired and undesired positions, and encouraging them to express their feelings without fear. I unconditionally supported their requests and understood their feelings, including providing food if needed to prevent low blood sugar and avoiding areas with injuries or piercings during bondage. (Including What parts of the body do they not want me to touch? Do they want to bind the upper body to the lower body or both? Do they prefer lying down or lying on their stomach during bondage? etc.)

10 mins: Initiating physical contact with the participant, helping them relax, and observing their body structure to plan a personalized rope bondage scheme.

50 mins: Commencing the bondage experience, directing full attention to the participant, continuously monitoring their physical and mental sensations, and making immediate adjustments. Encouraging them to communicate their feelings and regularly checking if any part feels tingling. (For example, ask them how tingling they are. Out of 10, let the experiencer hold my hand and feel whether their hand still has strength) Adjustments were made based on danger signals, such as tightening or loosening ropes. Offering food or adjusting the position if the participant felt thirsty or hungry. Adapting to their movements, whether standing up, sitting down, or changing positions. Or even answer the phone for them and hold the phone to their ear if they don’t have a way to answer it. etc.)Concluding the session by carefully untying the participant and organizing the ropes.

30 mins: Providing physical and psychological aftercare.(including hugging the experience in a comfortable position. Chat with the experiencer and ask if there is any tingle in the experience. -If necessary, help massage to promote blood circulation. Talk to the experiencer about what they liked and disliked about the experience. Usually, at this time, the experiencer will open up and share his or her feelings, and then ask the experiencer to help me complete my questionnaire.)

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?

May 28th, I conducted my second intervention, collaborating with other artists to plan an event focused on furniture and bondage. The inspiration for this activity stemmed from an everyday rope bondage practice where I whimsically attempted to bind my friend Momo to a chair. Momo and I became close friends through rope bondage, and she had requested to be tied up as a way to temporarily disconnect from her worries. The practice lasted over an hour, with Momo expressing her willingness to stand and requesting even tighter bindings with the chair. Throughout, I continuously asked about her sensations physically and mentally, adjusting the ropes promptly based on her feelings. Following this, we jointly planned new performances with other artists, and I crafted a performance costume from ropes.

“A home is a house or a kind of imagery? The empty flat will be filled with artists who explore the dynamics and individual observations of community, collective relationships, and the Chosen Family. When dusk falls, Luckypot artists will incarnate as an old rocking chair, a lonely body pillow, a three-legged side table, a crooked dressing mirror, a stray cashmere carpet, a tent that can’t cover any rain, a wind chime that doesn’t play with the wind, flowing within the house, and the audience are invited to participate in an adventure of everyday life.”

Compared to the first intervention, the audience for this event mainly comprised students from various art schools in London, representing the art community and Asians, with a minority of other ethnicities. The venue, unlike the first time, was indoors, providing a safe and intimate environment, also my familiar living space.

Though both interventions involved rope bondage, this one differed significantly. Firstly, my performance coordination with other artists improved. Secondly, the audience’s reactions were distinct, with a more engaged and ethical audience that integrated my performance into the entire storyline. I believe that, in a closed and intimate setting, transforming rope bondage into an artistic performance yields better results.

I randomly tied willing audience members during the event. An anonymous participant expressed, “The feeling of being tightly bound is quite serene. Initially nervous and worried, the contrast between the initial fear and the subsequent sense of safety brings calmness.” Additionally, my performance received positive reviews and shares on the internet, providing significant motivation for continued efforts.

On April 30, 2023, me and other artists from Luckypot were invited to participate in the event “Dance for the Sky” at Canalway Cavalcade, curated by Nadir Tharani.

The IWA Canalway Cavalcade, organized by the Inland Waterways Association, is London’s most influential annual waterways celebration, aiming to celebrate the best of life on the waterways and its community. This spring, Canal Dream, last year’s winner of the Marcus Boudier Trophy, will return to the festival with Slash Arts. The Inland Waterway Association is a charity, and the IWA Canalway Cavalcade is a free festival open to all. Visitors are welcome to go to the moorings to participate in the events.

In this intervention, I portrayed my own monster incarnation, incorporating elements of rope bondage. Over two hours, we built a symbolic “sail” on the boat roof, representing the driving force, flag, and communal goal for the onboard community. The process of building a “sail” was vague, not necessarily smooth, always pulling and holding back within each other.

This marked my first intervention, and I felt nervous as I had never tried performance art before. Unlike my previous experiences with rope bondage, this was the first time practicing it in an outdoor, open space with a massive crowd, which posed a significant challenge for me.

I hadn’t determined my audience for this intervention, considering whether everyone could try rope bondage. The audience consisted of British citizens attending the festival, with some merely glancing and moving on while others stopped to watch and take photos. Combining rope bondage with performance art seemed to normalize it for the audience, as observed by their nonchalant reactions to the use of ropes. Due to the large crowd, I couldn’t reach out to collect feedback from the audience, hoping to gather their responses during the intervention.

Lik(She/Her,25)

Lik is my roommate and my first friend in London. When I told her that I liked Rope Bondage and needed a lot of practice, Lik showed great interest and was willing to try it. We were watching a movie when this photo was taken, and I tried to tie her upper body to her in a private and cozy environment (TK, “Takate Kote” is the name of this rope bondage way). I don’t feel nervous in a private and safe space, and neither does Lik, her body is relaxed. After trying it, Lik told me that she likes it very much, firstly because she feels very comfortable leaning on others, and secondly because I will pay attention to her needs after helping, She doesn’t have to worry about anything, just needs to tell me her feeling and I can help. For example, if Lik’s glasses need to be adjusted, I will help adjust them immediately because Lik’s hands are tied. If she feels thirsty, I will immediately get her a drink, etc.

Ben(They/Them,21)

This is the second time I’ve seen Ben and the second time I’ve tied them up. Ben does like rope bondage but they are really shy. The first time I was supposed to try rope bondage, Ben asked “Me???”. But I tried it anyway with the encouragement of my friends. After the first try, they told me it felt good and that I could try a tighter and more complicated binding next time, and that I was welcome to practice on them. As you can see from the photos, we are in a cozy corner of our house. I put the bag over Ben’s face to make him more relaxed. Ben told me I made him less shy after doing this. Another photo is of me giving Ben some coke, I think I was totally a waiter when I was tying someone up! I will care very much about the feelings of the tied people, I want to provide them with the most considerate service and do my best to give them the best experience.

(Momo, She/Her,22)

Momo is a fan of bondage but hadn’t tried any before meeting me. After I practiced bondage on her, she found that she really enjoyed the process. I tried new materials to practice on her – rubber bands I use at the gym! Because of rope bondage Momo and I became good friends and she would come to my house for bondage when she was feeling anxious and troubled. Because bondage restricts her movement, it also allows her to forget about her worries for a while and relaxes her body.

Senkwok(He/him,25)

After I tied up Senkwok, he felt very confident. And took a lot of photos in the bedroom, living room, and yard at home. Senkwok and I, as well as our friends who took photos of us, were very happy that day.

Xiaonaizi(She/her,23)

It was a fun experience! I tied up my friend Xiaonaizi at her birthday party. It was my first time practicing rope bondage in a chaotic and noisy environment. Xiaonaizi had no negative opinion about rope bondage and was willing to try it in such an environment. I didn’t tie her too tightly, considering she needed to keep moving. This was Xiaonaizi’s first time trying rope bondage and she felt good.

(Jiji Wei,She/her,25)

Jiji has been interested in trying rope bondage since she heard I could do it. I took a lot of interesting pictures of her after I tied her up. She thought she looked like a non-player character in this picture.

(Francis, They/Them,25)

Francis is open-minded and eager to try. I tied him up the quick and easy way and he said he felt a little uncomfortable at first because the rope was positioned tightly between his legs.