Become a Patron!We run three virtual sexuality festivals with the one in March comprising of 30 presenters, 12 presenters over 5 days. You can watch past recordings we’ve put up here.
We are taking a pause on Sugar & Spice festival but launched our monthly talk:
Wed 28 April 2021 – Violence
Fri 14 May 2021 – Pleasure
Fri 18 June 2021 – Pride Month
Complete recording S&Sx4: Creativity
1. Magical Thinking and Sexuality: In the Making of Pleasure and Sexual Fantasies by Justin Chu
Teasing, hot wax, the scent of sweet creme brulee lubricant: we are being exposed in promotional materials that tell us what is pleasure, but how often does those things work?
There is an opulence of products in the sex toys industry the market towards sexual pleasure and erotic fantasies, but does that also limit creative thinking in exploring the world of Kink and intimacy?
In this session, Justin (He/ They) shares his observation in his fieldwork in the sex toys industry and explores ways the help us explore our inner sexual creativity and rethink the relationship between what is out there in the market and the self.
Like he always said: Attitude is Kink.
About Justin Chu
Justin Chu (He/They) is an MPhil Student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), with research interests including ethnography of business, obscenity, sex-positive sex education, and sexual repression. His thesis project Retailing Sex Magic: Obscenity and The Hong Kong Sex Toy Industry studies the legal and anthropological aspect of obscenity and its application in the Hong Kong sex toy industry. He is the current faculty board postgraduate representative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoting.chu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justinchu928/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincht
2. That Steamy Scene – The Making of by Aastha Khanna
The awkward, technical, beautiful truth about shooting scenes of intimacy on screen. In this talk, we will address the misnomers around scenes of intimacy on screen. We will talk about best practices and safety standards that are ideal to navigate scenes of intimacy. The creativity behind the choreography of scenes involving intimacy and the obstacles that one has to work with. We will also address the maker’s gaze in how stories are told and what can urge creators to strive for more equitable, inclusive, culturally open narratives.
About Aastha Khanna
Born and raised in India, Aastha (She/her) has always had a great passion for cinema. She graduated from the University of York in the year 2016 with BSc (Hon.) In Film and Television Production. At the age of 26, She has already worked on many different formats of content in the UK and India.
She has been an assistant director on over half a dozen feature films in India, including the very successful and national award-winning Andhadhun by Sriram Raghavan, and currently working as DA to Shakun Batra’s next feature film set to release 2021. She has worked with international studios like Viacom 18, Netflix, RSVP and Dharma Productions. She hopes to soon finish writing her own feature film and maybe even direct one day in the very near future!
Her journey to become India’s First Certified IC started in the year 2020 while she was designing a workshop for the actors on a feature film that has intimacy. On realizing that the Indian market didn’t have a trained expert in the field of intimacy coordination. She jumped at the opportunity to train under the IPA in order to equip herself to bring about a revolution in the standards of safety on sets in India. She has then gone on to become the founder of India’s first intimacy professionals network called “the intimacy collective” and with the help and support of the collective, she hopes to share the much-needed knowledge and expertise of intimacy coordination across the different Indian film and television platforms.
3. From Catholic to C*cksucker: Letting Go of Shame by Alex Liu
About Alex Liu
Director Alex Liu’s work explores taboo topics like sex and drugs in order to broaden our understanding of science, morality, and how to negotiate a meaningful life. He’s developed two YouTube channels focused on sex and drug education, totaling over five million views. After studying molecular toxicology at UC Berkeley and Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting at New York University, he produced video, radio, and print content for NOVA ScienceNOW, CNN Health, and San Francisco NPR station KQED.
Website: http://www.asexplanation.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/asexplanat
We like to thank our sponsor PinkLifestyle. Sexologist Dr Martha Tara Lee highlights Womanizer Eco at the end of this session.
About the Curator Dr. Martha Tara Lee
Surrounded by friends who were sexually inhibited and struck by dire lack of positive conversations around sex and sexuality in Singapore, Dr. Martha Tara Lee set out to make a positive difference in embarking on her doctorate in human sexuality before launching Eros Coaching in 2009. Today, she remains dedicated to working with individuals and couples who wish to lead self-actualised and pleasure-filled lives.
She also holds certificates in counselling, coaching and sex therapy, and her fourth degree – a Masters in Counselling in May 2018. In practice for more than 12 years, she is the only certified sexuality educator and certified sexuality educator supervisor by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) in Singapore. She is also a Red Tent Women’s Circles Facilitator from Star of Ishtar.
Often cited in the media, Dr. Lee is the appointed Resident Sexologist for PinkLifestyle.com; as well appointed sex expert for Men’s Health Singapore, and Men’s Health Malaysia. She was recognised as one of ‘Top 50 Inspiring Women Under 40′ by Her World in July 2010, and one of ‘Top 100 Inspiring Women’ by CozyCot in March 2011. She has published four books: Love, Sex and Everything In-Between, Orgasmic Yoga, From Princess to Queen and {Un}Inhibited.
Martha works with individuals and couples in private coaching sessions, and conducts her own workshops. She takes prides in making sure all her workshops are also fun, educational, and sex-positive. This comes easily to her because even though she is extremely dedicated and serious about her work, she fundamentally believes that sex is meant to be fun, wonderful, amazing and sacred. As such, this serious light-heartedness has shone through again and again. For her full profile, click here. Email her here.
