When did Oz Kink Fest first begin and what was the original idea behind it?
This is the 12th year. The festival evolved from wanting to provide something for people into kink and sexual exploration that could be daring, inclusive and provide the freedom to embrace whoever you are.
What’s in store for 2019? What are some of your marquee events?
This will be our biggest year yet – 60 workshops in ten days by international and national educators. Fetish Expo boasts 60 artisan and kink stores with an amazing array of fashion, toys, leather and latex with added feature of a massive Fashion Show at 4pm.
On top of the performance you also have workshops and exhibitions. Tell us more about this side of the festival.
Partnering with Lucrezia & De Sade, we will present an interactive installation shibari exhibition by world renowned artist Garth Knight. We also have international presenter Lee Harrington from the US who is a trans man delivering a wide range of gender diverse workshops based on sexual exploration.
For someone who wants to perform but isn’t comfortable in doing so due to social pressures, what advice would you give them?
The majority of performers for Oz Kink Fest started performing by attending our events and exploring “playing” in a public space. We run a monthly BDSM club called Provocation and this is where people come to play and be watched.
Oz Kink Fest takes over venues all across Melbourne from Friday September 13 to Monday September 23. Find out more about the event and grab tickets via ozkinkfest.com.
