SLOW DATING+
MEET MEN WITHOUT THE MASKS
2026 Dates Coming Soon
Gay Men
Ready For Something New?
Imagine this…
Instead of swiping, messaging, pic swaps and ghosting, you meet men face-to-face in ways that feel warm, alive and real.
Instead of small talk that goes nowhere, you have conversations that spark curiosity, laughter and depth.
Instead of dates that feel like job interviews, performative and pressured, you enter a space where you can soften, melt the masks and be more your true self.
And instead of squeezing connection into rigid dating boxes, you explore the full spectrum:
Friendship, intimacy, sensuality, creative collaboration and romance. All of it on the table, valid, meaningful…
SLOW DATING +
This is the opposite to speed dating.
Speed dating feels like:
”I need to meet someone. Who do I fancy? Am I good enough? Who’s looking at me?”
Slow Dating+ feels like:
”I’m meeting men without pressure. I’m part of something. I’m learing. I’m really connecting. And this is fun!”
This is a sober, daytime experience that removes the urgency of “finding the one”.
It’s about meaningful connection, in whatever form it unfolds.
You may leave with a:
New friend
Lover
Creative collaborator
Deeper understanding of yourself
A sense of belonging
Slow Dating+ is a half-day sanctuary where hearts open, conversations deepen and connection flows naturally.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Arrival
You’ll begin by settling into the space with a warm welcome, light introductions and a gentle landing into presence. The atmosphere is relaxed and intentional, designed to help you arrive fully and feel at ease from the very start.
The Mask Melts
Through playful connection exercises, we gently soften the layers we so often wear. These moments ease nerves, create shared ground and bring everyone into the room together through laughter, warmth and common humanity.
Guided Conversations
You’ll move into rotating group dialogues guided by prompts that go far beyond surface-level small talk. These conversations invite curiosity, creativity and honesty, allowing you to feel seen more deeply while also seeing others in a more expansive way.
Play
Simple, engaging games are woven throughout the experience to spark joy and lighten the energy. In play, performance naturally falls away and a more relaxed, authentic version of yourself begins to emerge.
Reflection
Through guided visualisation and journaling, you’ll explore what you truly want — not only in relationships, but in your wider life as a gay man. This is space to connect with desire, direction, dreams and the kinds of relationships that genuinely nourish you.
1:1 Connection
Intentional pair moments give you the opportunity to explore themes of intimacy, friendship and masculinity in a contained and thoughtful way. These exchanges are carefully timed — long enough to feel someone’s energy beyond surface conversation, yet spacious enough to keep the experience flowing naturally.
Embodiment
A gentle guided movement practice helps you reconnect to your body and release tension. Everything is accessible and supported, focused on presence rather than performance.
Closing Circle
We close in circle with reflections and appreciations, creating space to acknowledge what has shifted and what you’re taking forward into your life.
Optional Hangout
After the formal structure concludes, you’re welcome to stay and continue conversations informally, allowing connections to unfold organically and without pressure.
Hi, I’m Gary Albert…
For my entire adult life I struggled to find my place in the gay community. I never felt accepted by the tribe. And more importantly I found it hard to accept them.
Mostly, this has been down to feeling different. To being sensitive. To being someone who thinks and feels deeply. And these days I just don’t enjoy clubs, bars, booze and even tho I’m on the apps, they do my f’ing head in. And I have an allergy to surface level connection. This has created a lot of challenges in dating, sex and love. Added to that, my relationship goals do not necessarily always fit into the traditional mould.
I need more. I need something deeper, more honest, more raw and real. And I’ve struggled to find these qualities in the gay ‘community’.
The more gay men I speak to, I’m hearing that you all feel the same too. We are ready for something new, something different, something that aligns with who we really are.
So I decided to do something about it! They say ‘create the thing you want to see in the world’.
Slow Dating+ for gay men who are ready to meet without the masks.
The Slow Dating+ Solution
Slow Dating+ is a transformative, fun and joyful half-day experience that honors the sacred art of getting to know gay men more deeply and fully; mind, body, heart, soul and spirit. Drawing from the principles of the original Pleasure Medicine workshop and ecstatic dance for gay men, we create a safe, conscious container for authentic human connection to unfold naturally. We learn through our original essence… play.
🎲
Connection Games
Games and exercises that bypass the small talk and invite you into meaningful dialogue, playful interaction and genuine discovery of each other. Everything is facilitated and guided step-by-step — so if you’re nervous, we got you!
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Embodiment
Embodied expression through movement that allows your fuller self to be seen and felt without the words. Moving beyond mental connection into somatic resonance and playful joy with a live DJ set. It’s all very simple and straight forward and guided, so no nerves necessary.
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Live Music
Nothing creates connection and a vibe like live music. Peppered with mini-performances that give you a focus, something to discuss and a magical heart-opening ambiance offering a focul and connection point.
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Conscious Container
A beautifully held space by a facilitator with over a decade of experience as a therapist, embodiment worker and somatic intimacy coach. Vulnerability is held and honored, boundaries are respected and every form of connection is celebrated — romantic, platonic and creative…
✍️
Guided Sessions
Gentle journeys through visualisation, journalling and inner visioning that help you connect with your desires and intentions, creating clarity about what you seek in relationships, connections and life as a gay man in general! Then chances to share in small groups.
🎭
Meet Without The Masks
The whole experience is designed to gently let the masks we wear slip away. To let ourselves be seen in more truth and authenticity. To allow connection and bonds to form naturally. And to allow yourself to be surprised as you get to know others in new and unique ways.
BOOK NOW
SLOW DATING+ is much more than just an old fashioned dating event.
It's also a half-day experience and workshop, a place where you'll actually learn and grow.
And it's a community that you can stay a part of.
You can go to any old gay speed dating event for around £30. But you're in and out (hence the 'speed' bit!) they're not much fun let’s be honest, you don't really learn anything except how to talk fast, and there's no community!
SLOW DATING+ is a place to slow down, soften, take the pressure off, have fun, learn something about yourself and others and dive deeper.
SLOW DATING+
There is nothing fast about this.
You'll leave knowing not just who people are on the surface, but how they move through the world, what lights them up, how they express joy and what truly matters to their hearts.
You will feel more deeply known, understood, seen and witnessed.
And whether you find your soulmate, a creative collaborator or a kindred spirit friend, you'll have had a wonderful day and learned lots.