Polyamory, Consensual Non-Monogamy and Relationship Anarchy

When: Sunday 21st February 2016, 10am – 6pm

Where: No 70 Oxford St, Manchester, M1 5NH

Tickets: £5 - Available on Eventbrite

Many people feel drawn towards building intimate relationships that include mutual arrangements on emotional and/or sexual non-exclusivity. This event will explore questions regarding consensually non-monogamous ways of life, from academic, cultural and political perspectives. Consensual non-monogamy can be based on many different styles of intimacy, including (among others): open relationships (build around a primary couple), negotiated loving multi-partner relationships (often called polyamory) or approaches that refuse to make any distinction between sexual, romantic or platonic relationships (referred to by some as ‘relationship anarchy’).

This event will to bring together leading researchers, activists and community organizers to stage a discussion around relationship diversity, exclusion, visibility, relationship ethics and the practical challenges of living in non-monogamous or polyamorous relationships and families. The day will consist of a series of brief talks and discussions, an information fair with stalls and a ‘human library’ of people who are ready to answer your questions about what ‘poly’ means to them personally.

Speakers and Panel members include:

• Dr Meg John Barker (Writer and activist; Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University; Psychotherapist and Co-Founder of Poly Counselling UK)
• Dr Robin Bauer (Acting Professor of Social Work, The Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Stuttgart (DHBW Stuttgart, Germany), Brussels/Belgium)
• Grant Denkinson (Counsellor/Psychotherapist, Co-Founder of Poly Counselling UK, Academic and Polyamory Community Organiser, Leicester, UK)
• Gesa Mayer (Associate Researcher, Hamburg University of Applied Social Sciences, Germany)
• Convened by Dr Christian Klesse (MMU)

Christian Klesse teaches Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University. His main areas of interest include sexualities and intimacies, gender and sexual politics, transnational LGBTQ activism and the cultural activism around Queer Film Festivals.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to disability equality. If you have any access requirements, please let us know via 0161 247 6710 or email us at h.darby@mmu.ac.uk before you arrive to help us to make sure that your visit to the event is as enjoyable as possible

This event is part of Humanities in Public's SEX strand. For more information click here.