It’s back! ESWA’s Digital Rights Gathering is coming back in 2026, and this time it’s The W(h)orrors Edition, taking place in Barcelona right after Halloween 🎃
We’re organising a capacity and community-building space by and for sex workers, bringing us together in Barcelona to confront the surveillance, censorship, and digital violence we face online, and to imagine and build the resilient digital futures we deserve. We've also reserved a limited number of spaces for allies working in adjacent digital rights and harm reduction spaces to host sessions.
We're now inviting:
- Sex workers to apply as participants, and/or
- Facilitators, trainers, and educators to propose and deliver sessions
Call for Participants
Are you a sex worker who wants to deepen your knowledge of digital rights, online safety, and community resilience? Apply to join us in Barcelona for:
Requirements:
- Be a sex worker (current or former) who is also a member an organisation from ESWA’s network
- Be available for 3 days (2–3–4 November) of interactive sessions, skill-sharing, and collective learning. Please make sure you're free from **1 November** (travel day out) through **5 November** (travel day home), even if some sessions on your final day are optional to attend.
We offer:
- Full funding — travel, accommodation, and food covered for all selected participants
| Apply as a participant |
Call for Trainers & Session Proposals
Are you experienced in digital rights, online safety, or sex worker-led organising? Do you have an idea for an interactive workshop, skill-share, or creative session on topics like:
👻 Digital (W)horrors
Naming the threats we face online. Sessions that unpack how surveillance, censorship, and platform policy actually work against sex workers: shadowbanning and algorithmic censorship, over-zealous content moderation, law enforcement and third-party surveillance, deplatforming, non-consensual data scraping and retention, and the platforms and policies that enable them.
🕸️ Building Resilience
Practical, hands-on skills for staying safer online. This path is about tools and tactics: open source and privacy-respecting software, how and why to divest from Big Tech platforms, alternative and encrypted communication tools, digital security basics (like protecting your data, devices, and identity), and other harm-reduction strategies for working and organising online.
🔮 Imagining Better Futures
Creative, forward-looking sessions about the internet we actually want. What would a sex worker friendly internet look like? This space is for dreaming up and prototyping inclusive digital tools, platforms, and spaces built by and for sex workers. New apps, alternative social platforms, community-owned tech, or speculative design exercises that help us imagine beyond the platforms we're stuck with today.
🕯️ Resourcing the Group
Sessions that give back to our community, focusing on care and resilience building. This includes writing and reflection sessions, grounding and somatic exercises, tools for self-care and sustainability in activism, and space for radical rest.
Who can apply?
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Sex workers (current or former)
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Allies with experience in digital rights, digital discrimination, digital security, etc.
What we offer:
- Session are 90 minutes long and will be compensated (fee is €300 per session)
- Travel, accommodation, and meals covered
We welcome grounded, political, and creative contributions from those who would like to lead a session!
| Propose a session! |
Please circulate this call widely among your networks. For questions, reach out to [email protected].
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Your support means the world to us!
