The Practice Lab VALUES


The Practice Lab (previously called 'Curiosity') is built around these values. ​ To be involved, you'll need to either be already aligned with these, or be enthusiastic about getting on board with them

communication & consent

These are not hurdles to get around on the way to what you want. They are the core elements that will very much increase the possibility of you getting what you want.
When you feel like you are being listened to, you become safer. When you're safer, and when there's no pressure, your nervous system calms down, and your sexuality comes out.
We discourage pressure and expectations, focussing instead on the interpersonal skills needed for sex and relationships. The rest sorts itself out. As a consequence, The Practice Lab is a very adventurous space.

The gender revolutions

The Practice Lab is squarely built around these themes as identified by the gender movements:
  • Consent is crucial to all sexual acts (and, we would add, is also the path to great sex).
  • People should be able to explore their sexuality without limitations or shaming based on their gender.
  • Personal liberation parallels political liberation; you cannot be free and liberated in a world that is negative towards your gender.
  • Inappropriate behaviour needs to be taken seriously, held to account, and acted upon.
We apply these values to all genders, and as such do not allow misogyny, misandry, transphobia, biphobia, or any other gender negativity. If any of these words are unfamiliar, please research them; you don't have to be expert, but you do need to be committed to abiding by our boundaries around them.

community

Obviously, until you've gotten a feel for it, there's no way for you to know whether The Practice Lab will be a one-off, or an ongoing experience, for you. You'll soon see that PL is very much built with community in mind, which brings opportunities and also complexities; we expect a high level of community conduct and interpersonal care.

sex positivity

In contrast to a world that is often sex-negative, a sex-positive approach simply means that if sex is between consenting people, and it's reasonably safe, then that's great. If you don't like someone else's sex, then look away.
Sex-positivity includes:
  • a-sexuality (the choice to not have sex); no-one at The Practice Lab is ever expected to do anything.
  • Body positivity; to the extent that exploring your sexuality is a right, it's a right that everyone should have. The Practice Lab has a lot of body diversity.
  • Kink-accepting, but not kink-expectant. To be sure, there is a lot of kinky play at Practice Lab, but no expectation that you have any interest in such things. You do, however, need to be comfortable having it nearby.

inclusivity (with caveats)

While we agree that all people should be able to explore their sexuality and self-development, we need to be clear that The Practice Lab is not in a position to welcome all forms of diversity. Having an open-door approach has the potential to create significant danger for you, other participants, and us. Therefore, there are a number of limitations to the range of diversity we welcome. Some, that we're aware of, include:
  • We have no tolerance for disrespectful conduct (including towards us).
  • We are not an appropriately safe space for beginners, or for people who's trauma is too close to the surface.
  • We are not a suitable space for people who don't already have the mental health or social skills to form friendships and participate in community life.
  • People who can't say nice things about people from all the genders.
  • Sadly, while not reflective of our values, the reality is that we are not able at this stage to offer spaces that are physically accessible (because they literally don't exist for appropriate sexuality venues), and we need you to be able to be confident and understand complex instructions in English.

what Does it entail?​

In short, The Practice Lab consists of 'Workshop One', which is what you need to know before attending your first party. Once you've been to a party, if you'd like ongoing involvement in the community, we need you to attend 'Workshop Two'.
​

Workshop One: Preparing For Your First Event​

This 5-hour workshop has been carefully refined over the course of ten years (of previous, earlier iterations of The Practice Lab such as Curiosity and Discovery).  It's about what you need to have in place, and what you need to know, for your first party. It also serves to connect you to other people.
Upcoming workshop dates: Sat 31 Aug, 1-6pm, Sat 16 Nov, 1-6pm
Details on how to apply for access to Workshop One tickets are below. 
​Read more about Workshop One here.

The Play-PartY

This is the space - the laboratory - to practice what you know about sex-positivity, communication, consent, and pleasure. 
​Upcoming party dates: Sat 27 July, 1-5:30pm, Sat 7 Sept, 1-5:30pm, Sat 19 Oct, 1-5:30pm, Sat 23 Nov, 1-5:30pm
You have to have attended Workshop One first, details on how to apply for access are below. 
Read more about the Play-Party here. ​

Workshop Two: About the Community

​In this ~2.5 hour weeknight workshop, we introduce the additional things you need to know if you decide you're interested in ongoing involvement in the community - you'll need to attend Workshop Two to attend more play-parties than just your first one. 
Upcoming workshop dates:  ​Sun 8 Sep, 10:30am-1:00pm (online),
​Mon 25 Nov, 6:45-9:15pm (online)
Must have attended Workshop One and a Play Party or the Curiosity workshop, playspace and debrief, details on how to apply for access are below. 
Read more about the Workshop Two here. 

After you've completed Workshop Two, you will gain access to the Practice Lab Collective on our forum where you will be see the listings for all future Practice Lab parties, events and workshops and interact with the general PL community. ​

WHo is it for & not for?

In addition to the above, the information below is some further guidance
​ on working out if the Practice Lab is for you.
The Practice lab is for:
  • People of all genders and all sexual orientations (18+) and people who are comfortable being an environment where this is embraced and welcomed. In practice, a lot of people at Practice Lab are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum in terms of who they're attracted to - so, many people are some variation of pansexual or bisexual. We do have people from either end of the attraction spectrum - so, people that identify as lesbian, gay-male, or heterosexual (some of whom engage in non-sexual play outside of their normal attraction, some of whom don't).
  • People who meet the criteria for entry - more details outlined below under 'Steps to Apply'.
  • ​People who are comfortable being paired with anyone in Workshop One activities. There are some verbal and touch exercises, during which we pair people randomly (without regard to their usual gender preference, if any, and without the option of exclusively working with an existing partner). One of the reasons for this is that the activities are not really about touch - they're about communication, and setting your boundaries - and we need you to be able to do this with everyone, rather than just with a partner or friend. Another reason, is that we need to be sure everyone can be respectful towards everyone, even if a given person is never going to be a romantic / sexual / friendship interest for you. A lot of couples / partners / friends still want to be at the same workshop at the same time, so that it's still a shared experience and you can talk about it afterwards. If this is you, simply choose a Workshop One date that has the appropriate ticket types available for both (or all) of you.
  • People who are comfortable being in an environement where there are various expressions of Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM).  Although Practice Lab clearly lends itself to non-monogamy, we do - perhaps surprisingly - have some monogamous couples who either like watching or being watched, or have a "what happens at PL stays at PL" rule, or who together engage in play with others but still identify as mono. We also have a number of asexual people, who may engage in non-sexual play, or may just enjoy being in a sex-positive environment without wanting to be sexual themselves.

​Practice Lab is not for:
  • People taking their first steps into their sexuality - other more appropriate workshops exist.
  • People who dislike others because of their gender, or who have no interest in how all people are positively and negatively impacted by gender issues.
  • People with a trauma response, or any other mental health issue, that means they're inclined to freeze or be unable to communicate.
  • People who don't already have the social skills to sustain relationships and friendship circles. 

I'd like to attend. How do I sign up?

There is an application process that takes about five minutes. Please fill it in properly though, because short applications are harder for us to assess.
We'll generally get back to you within a few business days.

Fill in our application now.
Coming soon:
  • Who we are.
  • Policies (refund policy in the interim is as per Curious Creatures
    FAQs.
  • How to contact us.