Nonprofit Shibari

Money is not always the motivation for doing something. As any volunteer will tell you, sometimes people do things without asking or expecting financial gain. They do it because they believe in what they do. And, also, because they want to “spread the message”, and make more and more people aware of it. That’s exactly the case with Mark Nilssons and his Nonprofit Shibari. We interviewed Mark, and here’s what he said.

Mark Nilssons was born in Chicago to Swiss parents. Very early in his life, he discovered he had a taste for all kinds of deviations and alternative practices. This came as no surprise, since his own parents practiced BDSM even before marrying. (This has led Mark to believe that he was conceived under “unorthodox” circumstances.)

Nilssons began experiencing with ropes since he was a teenager. He showed extraordinary talent. However, he wasn’t satisfied working in a studio. He didn’t want people to come to Shibari, but rather, he wanted to bring Shibari to people. That’s why he began performing outdoors.

Moreover, when he realized the level of myths, prejudices, and misconceptions surrounding bondage, he decided that he would devote his efforts to showing people what Shibari is really about. With this in mind, he decided not to charge the public that attended his street exhibitions.

And that’s how Mark Nilssons became a street performer, and the father of Nonprofit Shibari. He doesn’t ask other performers to follow his example. Each artist is free to charge whatever they think is fair for their work. But he wouldn’t change his free-of-charge street Shibari for anything else in the world.

Mark says that the best part of his work is when someone truly understands bondage after seeing his Nonprofit Shibari. “That’s when prejudice loses one member, and we gain a person who, even if they may never practice bondage in their lives, will from now on appreciate it as a form of art.”

What do you think of Mark Nilssons’ Nonprofit Shibari? Do you think it is a good idea?