Join us for this year’s Bardic Symposium! Symposium meets from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM during War Week, Monday through Friday
Provost, Bardic Symposium
Cerian Cantwr (cerian@minstrel.com)
Deputy Provost, Bardic Symposium
Aibhilin inghean Daibhidh (aibhilind@gmail.com)
Monday: Finding Friendly Audiences
Meet your fellow bards. While many of us already know each other, this will give newcomers a chance to match names to faces. Some areas of the SCA are more bardic-friendly than others. How do you search for eager audiences, but avoid or extricate yourself from where bardic isn’t wanted? How can a kingdom/region/group be encouraged to be more bard-friendly?
Tuesday: From Lightbulb to Lyric
Inspiration is a tricky thing and a blank sheet of paper may be your most implacable foe. How do you take that initial flash of an idea and start putting words to it?
Wednesday: Practice & Performance
Your audience never sees all the advance work that goes into making a good performance. My squire brother’s ROTC instructor once told him of the 7 P’s: “Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” That applies equally well to us. What techniques/rituals help you in rehearsal or right before you go on?
Thursday: Creating Bardic Events
There have been a number of bardic-centric events. Discuss what we’ve learned from previous and current ones. How might existing events be improved? What new ones should we try to create?
Friday: Bardic History in the SCA
The more things change the more they stay the same. Over the years, bardic has played many different parts in the SCA. Reflect on what it’s been, how it’s changed, and where it might be going. What should we be doing to help it get there?