Growing Awareness Through Touch

About this event

What happens when touch is no longer something we perform, but something we allow ourselves to feel?

In this workshop, touch becomes a way back into the body. Drawing from Shiatsu, internal arts and our therapeutic practice, we explore intentional, consensual and slow touch—and what it can reveal about presence, vulnerability and masculinity.

Through guided exercises, we will explore:

- Grounding & consent — creating safety through boundaries and group agreements.
- Breath & self-touch — reconnecting with sensation, breath and the body.
- Partner touch — exploring giving and receiving intentional touch, without focusing on technique.
- Reflection & sharing — noticing what emerges around touch, vulnerability and masculinity.

We move between individual awareness, partner practice and group reflection. The session is fully clothed, with most touch focused on the arms and back.

For men and male-identifying individuals.
Part of the Laboratory for New Masculinities, a free workshop series by Kunstinstituut Melly & Brotherflow.

About Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a Japanese form of bodywork performed through clothing, using pressure, stretching and gentle movement to support body awareness and relaxation.

Facilitators

Pedro Lechuga-Farías is a Shiatsu therapist and social psychologist. His practice brings together therapeutic touch, body awareness and creative exploration, with a particular interest in vulnerability, relationships and cultural narratives.

Joost van Veen is a Shiatsu therapist with a background in experimental film and visual art. His work is informed by a lifelong interest in nature, history, alchemy and Eastern philosophy, supporting people in becoming more attuned to their bodies and what emerges through that process.