Polyday 2011 is being held in London on the 27th of August. This day will consist of workshops, discussions, and social time, followed by a evening cabaret. Details of the venue are here.
The schedule for this year's Polyday is in progress, but here is our timetable from a previous year: Workshops and discussions will run throughout the afternoon, and will be divided into three 'threads': Poly for beginners, Advanced Poly, and Open to All.
POLYDAY
PROGRAMME
1.30 pm
Big room - Welcome to Polyday
2.00-3.15 pm*
Big room - Ice-breaker fun and games -- Erich
40 room - Introduction to non-monogamies – Grant
30 room - Poly comics - cartoon an everyday poly moment – Meg
20 room – Poliamory (Politically Motivated Polyamory) – Hajni
3.30-4.45 pm*
Big room - Laughing Yoga -- Erich
40 room - Poly and kink panel - Maxine + guests
30 room – Poly agony aunt – mystery facilitator
20 room - Introduction to poly - Trish
5.00-6.30 pm*
Big room - Speed friending -- Erich
40 room - The future of poly in the UK - Panel discussion
30 room - Poly and families – Lisa
20 room – Non-sexual polyamory – Ele
The workshops are followed by a Pan-Sexual Cabaret - follow the link for tickets (separate to the main Polyday event)
However the other workshop spaces will be open for continued discussion and socialising after the organised schedule, and anyone not attending the cabaret is free to make use of these.
* In the breaktimes we will be opening up the kitchen for tea and coffee, alternatively there are a wide range of cafes and takeouts just a minute or so's walk away.
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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Ice-breaker fun and games
Come and enjoy some fun and games with other Polyday people and get to know your fellow attendees better.
Laughter Yoga
Laughing is good for your body in all kinds of ways; it is terrific cardio-vascular exercise and a great way to combat stress. The low-impact workshop will begin with ice-breakers to put people at ease and then follow on with laughing exercises and some playful activities which stimulate natural laughter. The session will end with some stretching and relaxation. Come have a laugh.
Poly Speed Friending
Take 3 minutes and get to know someone new. The fastest way to get to know other poly people in the UK and find people you have things in common with.
Introduction to non-monogamies
There are many ways of being non-monogamous. How do we each find a way that works for us - and - all of those we want in our lives? How do we keep finding ways of relationship that work well as we all change and grow? Grant will introduce some ways he's seen non-monogamy work and then find out what questions seem important in the room and we can make a start on searching for answers. All are welcome, wherever you are or want to be in your relationships. All are invited to participate by sharing questions and experience or just listen as you wish.
Introduction to poly
What is polyamory? Why do people do it? How does it differ from other ways of having relationships? What's a 'metamour'? Bring your questions and your ponderings along to a friendly and informal chat. All welcome, regardless of whether you currently define as poly.
The future of poly in the UK
This is a panel discussion for poly activists and people who are interested in the future of poly in the UK. The panel will include Graham (the founder of polyamory.org.uk), Grant (coordinator of uk poly), Maxine (organizer of polyday, Jamie (author on poly and politics). Questions will be taken from the floor, and then opened for general discussion on topics such as: The future of the community, who comes under the label ‘poly’ and who may be excluded, future events, web presence, publicity and media contact.
Panel discussion: Kink and Non-Monogamy
Where 'kink' refers to all aspects of BDSM and fetish, this will be a discussion session with a hand-picked panel of guests from a variety of alternative sexuality and non-monogamous backgrounds. We'll be exploring the pros and cons of combining non-monogamy and kink, the joys and the pitfalls, and a number of tricky questions such as 'how does non-monogamy fit in a D/s context?' negotiating mis-matched kinks, switches and non-switches, and others before throwing the topic open to the audience. What questions have you been pondering?
Poliamory (Politically Motivated Polyamory)
In this interactive discussion we will try to explore the wider social rules, judgments, internal and external troubles poly people have to face with in a mononormative society. Just as we criticize heteronormativity, which sets heterosexuality as a default norm, and marginalizes everything else, labeling it as “abnormal” and “immoral”, we can criticize mononormativity for socializing us to take monogamy for granted, default, and condemn every form of non-monogamy. Mononormativity is not only problematic because of the stigma, but also because even if we don't think non-monogamy is immoral, we assume that the people around us monogamous. The discussion will (can) include the following topics: responses from the society "outside"; publicity, transparency vs. secrecy, privacy; publicity: love as representation of property; secrecy: love as personal - separated from other spheres of life, secret, hidden, taboo to talk about or make it visible; conflict management - reflections, friendship and love, non violent communication, communicating expectations and conditions, desires without giving orders or setting up "requirements".
Poly and families
This is an open discussion for people who have families including young people and for those considering having young people join their family.
How can you manage relationships with several partners and friends as well as fitting in time for work and time with children? How do children cope with being part of a poly family? What about jealousy and envy? The answers to these and many other questions will be shared in the group.
Non-sexual polyamory
This is an interactive discussion workshop that will explore issues and ideas surrounding polyamory and people who are non-sexual or not very sexual. Issues will include things like assumptions of poly people being very sexual and what it's like to be in poly relationships and non-sexual.
This is not an expert run workshop, but more of a discussion. This workshop is open to anyone. Please bring your ideas with you. Be aware that explicit language and discussions around sex may well be covered in this workshop.
Poly agony aunt
This workshop is an opportunity to come along and anonymously pose your poly dilemma. Small groups will discuss the problems (written on slips of paper) and come up with potential solutions based on our own experiences. It will be a chance to realise the skills and strengths we have developed over the years, to get help and support from others, and to share our ideas about the various ways in which we can tackle difficulties which come up in our poly lives. Large group discussion towards the end will consider what key poly problems are and the diverse ways in which people have managed these.
Poly Comics
This workshop is part of a wider research project which has been running for the past 3 Polydays, where people draw or write about their experiences of poly and then discuss what they have come up with. This time the focus will be on making a comic which captures an everyday poly moment. There will be an introduction to poly comics and the basics of making a comic (no artistic skill required whatsoever!) Then we will all have the chance to make a comic and there will be a discussion. The discussion may be recorded (if all attendees agree) and notes will be taken by the facilitator. Involvement in both workshop and research is optional. You can opt not to attend, or to come along without having your comic or comments included in the research. Any comics/discussions used in the research will be fully anonymised.
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PRESENTERS
Erich After heading up the Polyday Team for 2008, Erich took a step back this year and became a helpful minion. Often found at reception desks wearing bright shirts and a big smile, Erich has been involved in bi and poly activism for 10 years. For work Erich runs a film festival in London.
Grant organised the first Polyday in 2004, has helped with others and is very glad to see them continue and grow. He's looked after the uk-poly email list for a while and was visibly poly in the press several times before deciding it was someone else's go. He also continues to be part of bisexual, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans.) and kink community. He lives in Leicester with his lovely partner and works in Physics & Astronomy and also in Psychotherapy. He likes cooking good vegan food, getting around on his bicycle and time with friends.
Trish has been hanging around London Bi, Poly and Kink people since 1991 and still has a dusty pair of activism boots in the cupboard somewhere. Trish has previously run intro workshops on poly and looks forward to meeting you at this one. She works as a stop smoking advisor but promises not to mention that (other than here and just now).
Maxine is an artist and illustrator, but with a scientific background. She moved back to London in 2008 after being out of the country for a while, and fell in with a crowd of bi and poly activists. She's still wondering quite how she contracted activism herself. She also intends to bring her online comic character out of the closet later this year.
Meg has been involved in organising all the London Polyday events, and is also involved in the BiReCon event which takes place every other year alongside BiCon. The rest of her life she is a relationship counsellor and teaches and writes about counselling, as well as researching aspects of relationships and sexuality, including several papers and a forthcoming edited book about open non-monogamous relationships.
Hajni has moved to London this summer, escaping from a conservative Eastern-European society, where she lived in different polyamorous relationships for 3 years. When she is not talking about relationships - and even during that!:) -, she is a professional unemployed, and takes part in different social struggles, local and global. She is documenting her no income experiment on her blog at http://lmv.hu/ovis
Ele has been coming to poly day for 3 years now and is more active in the bisexual community where she is on the committee of Bi Cymru/Wales and Bi Swansea. She is poly and not very sexual herself.
Lisa has been actively non monogamous since her teens, and was a founder member of the uk-poly email list. Lisa lives with her bi poly partner and two children in London. She has two other relationships and enjoys being a member of the Bi Sauna yahoo group.