Empowerment Self Defence

The Spit it Out Festival

Empowerment Self Defence

This workshop is for those who identify as women and non-binary looking to gain the confidence, skills, and power to defend themselves.

Empowerment Self Defence (ESD) is a form of self-defence designed specifically as a key prevention strategy to interrupt, respond to, and heal from interpersonal violence.
ESD is not only about physical techniques, although we ensure all participants have the tools to defend themselves against physical violence. It is also about assertive communication and de-escalation, intuition, and body language, recognising red flags, and empowering women and non-binary people to stand up for themselves, prioritising their psychological and physical safety.

The reasons why we practice self-defence are no joke, but classes are filled with laughter, joy, fun and above all; non-judgement.

The workshop represents a safe place to explore strategies - both old and new - for dealing with harassment and beyond, things that are unfortunately still a reality at many festivals. The number one aim is to leave feeling strong, empowered, and connected - to walk out the door standing a little taller than you did on the way in.

Eilidh (she/her) has been teaching Empowerment Self Defence for 3 years, with a background in PE and humanitarian aid she has taught and led workshops in a wide variety of contexts, for diverse groups. Currently training to be a psychotherapist Eilidh is dedicated to ensuring workshops are truly trauma-informed and feature education and empowerment on how our bodies respond to and store stress and distress. ESD is an opportunity to connect, release, think and move in a non-judgemental entirely self-directed way.

Accessibility

Age: 18+

Traffic Light: Amber

themes of sexual violence, sexism, and domestic violence

Capacity: 10

Venue: Find us on Level 5 with elevator and stair access. The lift is small and holds 4 people at a time. It is not accessible to large wheelchairs. The venue is level throughout. Please look our for signage as you enter the Argyll Arcade from the Buchanan Street entrance.

Community Care

At SiO we don't believe in the idea of a safe space as we recognise in all spaces we can be harmed, triggered or feel discomfort from other people's experiences. Instead, we believe in informed spaces.

To ensure that the SiO festival is an informed, supportive and inspiring place to be, we have created these community guidelines and encourage all those participating in our events to read, follow and adhere to these measures to ensure an optimum outcome for all.

Traffic Lights

To help people emotionally prepare we have introduced a traffic light system to forewarn the likeliness of triggering content being discussed at our events.

Red = WILL provoke difficult conversations

Amber = LIKELY to provoke difficult conversations

Green = UNLIKELY to provoke difficult conversations (not guaranteed)

Please use this system as guidance only and if you have any further questions about the event just get in touch with our festival team at [email protected]

Spit it Out is an award-winning organisation (SCIO) dedicated to opening conversations around consent, mental health and healing through creativity, accountability and community care. We realise the overarching goals of our project through collaborating with our community in delivering free activities and resources. We work to create a lasting change in our community and create a support network among people who have endured trauma and mental health crises through an intersectional lens. More information about SiO can be found on our website or IG; or

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Argyll Arcade, 30 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom