Bash Workshops

[HeatherBBW]

Carla has great ideas for this and we will probably have more ideas then we have time to fit in the tight schedule. But we'd like to hear from you what you'd like to see most. We will have this thread open for suggestions until the time that the actual workshop list is posted and then it will be removed.

So now is your time to speak out and let us know what YOU want to talk about and discuss in an workshop format. :)

[ValentineBBW]

I'm going to jump in and vote for a SSBBW workshop. And longer than just one hour if possible because I think we found out in the past couple of years in Vegas, one hour just isn't enough.

[BeautifulPoeticDisaster]

I'm going to jump in and vote for a SSBBW workshop. And longer than just one hour if possible because I think we found out in the past couple of years in Vegas, one hour just isn't enough.


This. But I would worry it would turn into a freak parade. :( I think it would be great to come together and exchange ideas on how to cope with our daily woes. :)

[LillyBBBW]

I'm going to jump in and vote for a SSBBW workshop. And longer than just one hour if possible because I think we found out in the past couple of years in Vegas, one hour just isn't enough.

This. But I would worry it would turn into a freak parade. :( I think it would be great to come together and exchange ideas on how to cope with our daily woes. :)

*jumps on the bandwagon* Is this seat taken? I'm all for the SSBBW Workshop. The ones I've been to have been women only Donni, no freak show.

Also I'd love a self defense class that is BBW/SSBBW specific.

[Carrie]

I'd love to see a SSBBW issues one and a self-defense one, too, as well as a sexuality one and an exercise for the super-sized one.

[olwen]

If enough BHMs show up, maybe a workshop specific to them would be good too.

[LillyBBBW]

Maybe two hours for a moderated ssbbw specific panel discussion. An hour just wasn't enough time.

I remember at one event I attended there was a crafting workshop. People just brought junk that they were working on and sat around for three hours crafting and demonstrating their stuff. It was great.

[DeniseW]

I agree with the SSBBW workshop, I remember a few years back, 1994 maybe, I went to a NAAFA workshop called "Heavy Breathing". It was for SSBBW's only. I loved it. Definitely longer than an hour, maybe set aside 2 or 3 hours for it or a whole afternoon. Give everyone a chance to talk.

[ValentineBBW]

This. But I would worry it would turn into a freak parade. :( I think it would be great to come together and exchange ideas on how to cope with our daily woes. :)

Lilly covered me already, she's a peach - thanks L.

The ones I have attended have been women only, but I do agree if there are enough BHM attending that they should have their own separate session so they can discuss their own issues.

[HeatherBBW]

I think we are going to definitely have a workshop that covers issues that are specific to fat woman. But I think we will have it open to all sizes of large, because I think that many smaller BBWs share some of the same issues use SSBBWs have and would value the same information we share and maybe can share some themselves. I know being very short, with short arms - that I encountered many reach issues far before the supersized mark.

I think we also want to include men who are partners of fat people or potential or past partners of a fat person. BUT, we will do this in two portions. The first larger portion, being held for women only then with a 15 minute break and then having the end portion inviting men to participate. Those uncomfortable with sharing at that time may remain and observe what the men have to share or they can just skip the end portion.

An important part of this Bash is to make sure everyone is included, fat people, their partners and their friends. No matter their size or sexual preference. We want this to be welcoming and to embrace everyone without cold barriers that may have been put up in the past by previous events.

We hope to make this into something that people not only enjoy, but look forward to on many levels not only this year, but many years to come.

I'll end this here because I know my grammar is a mess.. and it's bedtime :)

Hugs,
Heather

P.S. More from Carla when she has time to discuss what she's working on and how it'll play out. Keep the ideas coming.

[Duniwin]

I'm not positive I'll be at this bash, it depends whether I work at Boy Scout camp again this summer, and what date the bash actually occurs. I do however have ideas for a couple of possible workshops.

One item I became concerned with in the last couple of years is how to perform CPR & abdominal thrusts (aka the "Heimlich maneuver") on supersize people. When you can't fit your arms around a person's abdomen, or when you can't feel the sternum bone in the rib cage, these thing get a little trickier. Would it be possible to find a medical professional who would be able to answer these questions and guide us through the appropriate modified versions of the techniques?

Also, if I am in attendance I'd be willing to run some Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games, just some quick one-shot dungeon crawls wouldn't be too hard. I know a number of members of this community play D&D and a number of the WoW players I've talked to at bashes have been interested in learning. Plus, D&D is a great way to get geeky, introverted people socializing together. This would be open to everyone of course, not only the shy young male FA's, but it would certainly be a good way to include "the guys."
Let me know if anyone's interested.

[stan_der_man]

Definitely a FA workshop / gathering of some type!

[BeautifulPoeticDisaster]

Definitely a FA workshop / gathering of some type!

Mike would LOVE something like that:)

[D_A_Bunny]

Definitely a FA workshop / gathering of some type!

Mike would LOVE something like that:)

Larry would love that too! Stan, are you volunteering to be in charge?

[stan_der_man]

Mike would LOVE something like that:)

Larry would love that too! Stan, are you volunteering to be in charge?

Actually I think BBSSBBW just volunteered Mike to head this project... ;)

I would definitely be interested in being part of a team and help organize some sort of FA workshop. I've never done anything like this before, I haven't the slightest idea of how to start something like this. The idea of a FA workshop has been floated before here on Dims, I can say for almost certain that there is a good amount of interesting in doing a workshop of this nature. I would need the help of other guys to do something like this, or at very least if there is still any information around from other groups that may have done something of the sort that I could use as a framework.

[HeatherBBW]

Once Carla gets stuff together and posted here, I am sure she would love to hear from you guys about what you want included and who is up for helping :)

[butch]

I don't know if I'll have the funds to attend or not, although I very much want to. That being said, will there be a queer positive workshop? Any activist-oriented workshops? Any cultural/academic workshops? If I can come, I would be open to working on any workshops where my expertise/experience would be pertinent to the workshop at hand.

I guess I'll have to start playing the lottery to come up with funds for the bash.

[bigbodlvr]

I not sure with many of the guys here but at most bbw or bash events guys are there just for haveing fun with the ladies. Many of them have no real idea what the lovely ladies have to put up with in there normal lives. So i think a fa workshop for some of them is a very good idea.

[XXXLGBBW]

At the last NAAFA convention I did a workshop for FAs and SSBBW partners on living your life with a SSBBW..

It was very well attended and the men ask many questions that they would not have asked with a room full of women..

Just a thought...

CAthy

[Eclectic_Girl]

Calling all wannabe presenters!

I've gotten a lot of great ideas from the stuff all of you have posted already and am putting together a schedule of workshops. Many of the workshops will be panel/group discussions, so I'll need lots of folks to volunteer to be on panels (not as scary as it sounds - basically you just have to be willing to express yourself out loud and start topics of conversation that the whole group can contribute to).

I'm looking for people who would be willing to help lead discussion on the following topics (PM me):

Health at Every Size
Women, self-esteem, and dating
Fat sexuality
Health issues (Lymphedema, PCOS, etc.)
Feeder/feedee lifestyle
Fat fiction writing
GLBTQ
BHM and/or FFA
FAs (By FAs, for FAs)
"Ask an FA" (for BBWs)
"Ask a BBW" (for FAs)
Being supersize
Being with someone supersize (these last two are the double workshop that Heather was talking about that's gender separate, then together)


Also, if there's anyone who is an experienced exercise instructor, we might be able to have a workshop devoted to yoga, stretching, or water exercise.

If you are interested in leading a workshop that is not addressed in the above list, PM me with a proposal including the title, description, potential topics covered, and intended audience.

[blackghost75]

Definitely a FA workshop / gathering of some type!


I would love to see a FA workshop. The last one I went to was in 2006 at Vegas Bash. I think it's very important for FA's to get together and talk and discuss issues In the plus-size community.

[AnnMarie]

There is not even a question, FAs will have a definite place at this bash - we're making SURE they're not only accepted, but included and considered. Radical idea, we know.

:)

[Eclectic_Girl]

Oh, yeah - there will definitely be an FA workshop. More than one, actually. :) Stay tuned for further developments...

[Blackjack]

I can see it on the schedule now:

11:30 am- assemble for lunch at restaurant
12:00 noon- lunch
2:00 pm- seminar: "How to Properly Pamper your Goddess(es), Part I"
6:00 pm- assemble for dinner at restaurant


:p

[SoVerySoft]

I can see it on the schedule now:

11:30 am- assemble for lunch at restaurant
12:00 noon- lunch
2:00 pm- seminar: "How to Properly Pamper your Goddess(es), Part I"
6:00 pm- assemble for dinner at restaurant


:p

Sounds perfect to me! :p

[LillyBBBW]

I can see it on the schedule now:

11:30 am- assemble for lunch at restaurant
12:00 noon- lunch
2:00 pm- seminar: "How to Properly Pamper your Goddess(es), Part I"
6:00 pm- assemble for dinner at restaurant


:p

Sounds perfect to me! :p

I'm in. more words

[BigBeautifulMe]

Do we get to have a "show and tell" lesson as a part of that seminar? Hahaha.

[Eclectic_Girl]

I can see it on the schedule now:

11:30 am- assemble for lunch at restaurant
12:00 noon- lunch
2:00 pm- seminar: "How to Properly Pamper your Goddess(es), Part I"
6:00 pm- assemble for dinner at restaurant


:p

I like the way your mind works, Beej.

One problem: only 2pm-6pm? You underestimate the amount of pampering I require....

[Blackjack]

I like the way your mind works, Beej.

One problem: only 2pm-6pm? You underestimate the amount of pampering I require....

That's why it's only "Part I".

Plus, you wouldn't want to pass up dinner for it, would you?

[AnnMarie]

That's why it's only "Part I".

Plus, you wouldn't want to pass up dinner for it, would you?

Spoken by someone who clearly doesn't need the workshop.

Kudos, Beej. Dinner as a priority - this is man who's been exposed to the right stuff! (Probably a crash course during the "invasion" week in CT ... hahahah)

[supersoup]

Spoken by someone who clearly doesn't need the workshop.

Kudos, Beej. Dinner as a priority - this is man who's been exposed to the right stuff! (Probably a crash course during the "invasion" week in CT ... hahahah)

amen. beej is truly a rad FA.

[indy500tchr]

(Probably a crash course during the "invasion" week in CT ... hahahah)

don't you mean CRUSH course? ;)

[LisaRockfordBBW]

Hi Carla and Heather,
I would love to be a presenter for the Dims Bash. I can present on several size acceptance topics as well as do a stretch class. I'm able to come to the entire bash and there's a direct flight out of Rockford, IL to Orlando. If there are some additional ways to help out, I'm willing. I'm so excited!! If there is a direct way to call you or vice versa, please let me know.
Thank you,
Lisa Breisch, Psy.D.

[GregW]

These workshop ideas sound good and I'm sure that this bash will be a lot of fun. Theme Parks are to Orlando as Gambling is to Las Vegas...so if you like that, then you might want to spend some extra time in the area. FL is my home state and I lived in the Orlando metro area for 2.5 yrs. before moving to Louisiana and I iiked everything about it except the traffic - but that won't affect y'all.

Specifically regarding workshops, I noticed that Cathy posted on here and she has given some good and well-attended seminars in the past. I believe she's chaired BBW dating sessions (women only) and FA question-and-answer sessions (for men only). And probably several others that I can't remember exactly... One thing that was covered was a way to get someone off the floor with a table or blanket- it is just simple leverage-based physics but it works, and was put to use "for real" at one event I attended last year.

Melissa and I won't be there this year (time constraints) but we would like to attend in the future. She teaches water aerobics and yoga for large women year-round part-time and has offered a bunch of workshops at events. And she usually gets a small-but-dedicated group.

I'll definitely be following this event and I hope to make it eventually.

[superodalisque]

inspired by Black Jack's post :

how to pamper your goddess/god: aka i can't reach please do it for me;) a fun BBW/FA BHM/FFA seminar on leg shaving, chins shaving for BHMs, toenail painting, foot care, expert suntan lotion application, massages etc... hey i wonder if Jess is coming, maybe she could give it?

just in case someone needs an excuse to reach out and touch someone;)

[Smite]

Dang, if I had money and was attending i'd totally volunteer for that BHM workshop as a presenter. Maybe if we have a north east one :(

[Eclectic_Girl]

Thanks for being patient, folks - we're close to announcing the workshop schedule and I am super-excited about the way they turned out.

My intent is to have a panel of discussion leaders at most of them for diversity's sake, so I may be hitting some of you up to help. Especially those of you who I know are not shy about voicing your opinion. :)

More to follow soon....

[AnnMarie]

I'm soooooo excited!!! :D

[Duniwin]

Me too, I can't wait! :D

[supersoup]

i can't wait to see what you've come up with!

so exciting!

:D

[blackghost75]

I so can't wait:)

[Eclectic_Girl]

You'll find the schedule here (http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1165555#post1165555).

This thread will now be locked, so we can consolidate discussion in one place.

Excited!