Finding a Local Community

Rope practice is grounded in the physical world. Sharing rope in person with a group of peers open up possibilities that online learning can’t match. Not everyone has the privilege of having an established community nearby, but if you do or have the possibility to travel, we highly recommend checking it out. Or maybe you’ll be like me and start your own! Communities are not always easy to find, you can try finding local shibari school or bdsm space with google, but many of them are hidden. Here are a few tips:

• Check shibari events map
• Join Fetlife and search for groups in your area
• List of Rope Spaces in North America
• For USA and Canada, check this directory group
• Fetlife lists for Japan – Venues – Classes
• Hitchin’ Bitches is a group for female-identified rope riggers, rope tops, and/or dominants, with chapters around the world, all listed here.
• SaaraRei’s lists of venues she recommend
• akuaku’s list of rope places in Tokyo

Here are some additional spaces, the one marked with a star* I have personally visited or know people there and recommend. Always use caution when meeting with new people.

Africa – If you know more African communities, do let us know!

• South Africa
  • Cape Town – Embodiment Rope Space *

America – Note: most larger cities have a rope group in America but many aren’t listed. Each country in central/south America have at least a rope group and most states in the US have more than one. Please send links if you have them.

• Argentina
  • Buenos Aires – Club Soguita Shibari *
•  Canada
  • Alberta, Calgary – Calgary Rope *
  • Ontario, Kitchener – Kitchener Waterloo Rope Social *
  • Ontario, Ottawa – Core-Ottawa *
  • Ontario, Toronto – Toronto Kinbaku Salon *
  • Quebec, Montreal – Tension *
  • Quebec, Quebec City – Rendez-vous cordiaux *
• Chile
  • Santiago de Chile – Tension
•  Columbia
  • Bogotá – Shibari Night Bogotá
•  Cuba
  • Havana – BDSMKuba
• United States
  • Several locations – Ropecraft
  • California, Los Angeles – Devil Mask Society *
  • California, Los Angeles – LA Rope*
  • California, San Francisco – VoxBody Studio *
  • California, San Jose – Nocturnal Events
  • Colorado, Denver – Studio Friction *
  • Colorado, Denver – Very Engaged Rope Bottoming
  • Connecticut – Stamford – Tethered Together
  • Florida, Orlando – The Woodshed *
  • Florida, Tempa Bay – Tempa Bay Ties
  • Georgia, Atlanta – Rope Bite Atlanta
  • Indiana, Indianapolis – House of eight buddhas
  • New York, New York – Queer Rope Social *
  • New York, New York – Temple New York *
  • Texas, Dallas – Bondage Expo
  • Texas, Dallas – DFWBound
  • Texas, Dallas Fort Worth – Texas Rope Group
  • Utah, Salt Lake City – Salt Lake City Kinbaku *
  • Virginia, Gainesville – Kinbaku Odyssey *
  • Washinton, Seattle – Full Circle Kink *
• Bonus: List of Rope Spaces in North America
• Bonus: fetlife directory group for USA and Canada

Asia – Many communities in Japan, China, Taiwan, Russia, Manilla not listed yet, please send links if you have them.

• China
  • Hong Kong – Kokoro Studio
• Japan
  • Tokyo/Hamamatsu – Kannawakai *
  • Bonus: akuaku’s list of rope places in Tokyo
  • Bonus: Fetlife lists for Japan – Venues – Classes

Europe – Lots more communities in Europe, please send links if you have them.

• Belgium
  • Antwerpen – Shibari Lounge *
• Czech Republic
  • Prague – Subspace *
•  Denmark
  • Copenhagen – Kinbaku Lounge *
• England
  • London – Anatomie Studio *
  • London – Studio Yukari
• France
  • Bretagne et Pays de Loire – Association EDO
  • Paris – Atelier Simonet *
  • Paris – Port d’attaches
• Germany
  • Berlin –  Karada House *
  • Berlin – IKSK *
• Netherland
  • Amsterdam – RopeLounge *
  • Rotterdam – Ellipsis *
•  Spain
  • Barcelona – Espacio Nos *
• Switzerland
  • Basel – Tying with Friends

Oceania – If you know more Oceanian communities, do let us know!

• Australia
  • Adelaide – Shibari Adelaide *
  • Adelaide – Peer Rope Adelaide
  • Logan (Brisbane) – Evil Girl HQ *
  • Melbourne – Melbourne Community Rope
  • Sydney – Studio Kink Sydney *
• New Zealand
  • Auckland – Auckland Rope Dojo

Do you participate in a local community and want to list it here?

• Make sure with the organization that they are ok being listed here
• Post in the comment: organization name, location (country, province/state, city), one link
• We’ll regularly add the suggestions to the index
• If you have many links, pick one or make a linktree
• Only rope groups/space/communities or recurring events like conventions, this is not for self promotion of individuals unless vetted.
• Doesn’t have to be rope specific space as long as there are rope events
• See your organization and don’t want to be listed here, write at ebimcknotty@gmail.com and we’ll remove it
• I reserve the right not to include a space that has bad reputation or looks predatory, but I will not be reference checking all the submission, do let us know if there is a problematic space
• Have another space list you curate? Happy to add it to the list of lists

Or return to Resources to explore different knowledge sources.