Wendy Cobina DeMos is organizing Vancouver’s first Sacred Sexual Music Festival, which runs April 22 at Venables Hall. Photo Dan Toulgoet
Hug patrols, Netflix and chill and the Wheel of Consent have all been in Wendy Cobina DeMos’s wheelhouse for decades.
She’s now bringing those aspects of sexuality and spirituality to Vancouver with the inaugural Sacred Sexual Music Festival.
Slated for April 22 at Venables Hall, the day-long event combines music, yoga, tantric philosophies, workshops and just about anything else sex-related you can think of.
DeMos’s end game is three-fold: destigmatize sexuality, celebrate the birds and bees in a normalized way and stress the need for consent.
“In some ways I’ve been blessed because I come from a European background,” DeMos told the Courier. “My parents are from Holland. It’s a little bit more liberal. You’re more open with your body, it’s not like ‘Oh my God, I showed a nipple.’ It’s more open and I feel much more healthy.”
Music is the straw that will stir the drink come April 22, with performances by DeMos, Eric Bowers and Delhi 2 Dublin’s Andrew Kim. Billed as a “cosmic throat singer,” Matthew Kocel will also perform, as will the group Lover's Caress and the Mystiques.
The bumping and grinding won’t be confined to music alone, as belly dancing, massages and chair dancing tutorials will also be in the offing.
“I think music and sound are the great unifiers,” DeMos said. “Sound is a vibration, vibration is energy. Music is sacred and sensual. It helps us go deeper and relaxes us. It invites healing and supports sensory and sexual experiences.”
The educational component includes workshops and talks on sexual liberation, sexual healing and even pleasure tolerance.
The hug patrol — it’s precisely what it sounds like — will be making the rounds and participants will be invited to take a spin with the Wheel of Consent.
“It’s just a really profound device that allows people to learn that whether they are receiving, taking or giving, none of these aspects have any judgement. There’s no right or wrong,” DeMos said. “It’s beautiful to be taking, as long you have somebody who is allowing, consent wise. It’s beautiful to be serving someone as long as you have someone on the other end accepting.”
A yoga teacher, musician and writer by trade, DeMos’s desire to bring sexual healing to the masses came by way of happenstance. A relative in her 50s recently denounced sex, suggesting physical intimacy was of no use to her anymore.
“She made it sound like she was more mature by making that choice, so I thought I need to help women like her,” DeMos said.
DeMos’s event is all-inclusive and all-encompassing, save for one major no no. Shame has no place in the Sacred Sexual Music Festival game. The event is open to any gender, sexual preference, race, singles or couples.
“The demographic that I would love to touch are women and men who might be a little intimidated by sex who might come and get new information and start to feel their sexuality is really normal, beautiful and to be honoured.”
DeMos wanted the Sacred Sexual Music Festival to be an all-ages affair, though some vendors will be selling sex toys.
Alas, it’s ages 18 and up only.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $40 at the door. A $150 VIP package is also being offered.
“It’s going to be a delightful day where you get nourished and pampered and you get beautiful affirmations whispered in your ear,” said DeMos of the VIP package. “And one of the musicians will be creating a song for you. He’ll observes your energy, pick up your vibe and create a song on the spot.”
Tickets are available via Eventbrite. For more info, see juicymejuicyyou.com. (Fear not, the link is not NSFW).
@JohnKurucz
jkurucz@vancourier.com
