Known World Bardic Collegium Pennsic 42
The Bardic Collegium is a series of Pennsic University sessions addressing concerns of the bards of the Known World.
The Collegium will also host two Practicum sessions (formerly called Master Classes) in which students will perform a piece for a panel of senior bards and receive feedback from them.
All sessions will take place in the bardic arts tent on the PU campus - AS 9. Times vary slightly by session (see below).
(Note that Pennsic is taking place a week earlier than usual this year. Here is the official Pennsic web site; external to this site.)
Collegium Description and Curriculum
Practicums (formerly Master Classes)
Post-collegium Bardic Gathering
Pennsic Performing Arts Alliance * (external to this site)
The PPAA is a portal to all performing arts activities at Pennsic 42.
Faculty and Administration
Provost: Llywelyn Glyndyverdwy (Mark Cipra)
Faculty members for the Collegium and Practicum sessions will be dragooned (VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!), and will be added to the session descriptions as they sign their lives away.
Each of the sessions (with the exception of the practicums) will be a forum or roundtable rather than a panel discussion. The opinions and observations of the "audience" will be welcome throughout the Collegium.
Collegium Curriculum
The Known World Bardic Collegium is a series of panel discussions and roundtables on topics of interest to the bards of the Known World. Each session will begin and end with a bit of time for schmoozing.
The following topics and day-assignments are subject to change, and the actual discussion on any day may well take its own course based on the interests of the session leaders and the attendees. Although the titles are sometimes whimsical, the topics are serious.
All sessions take place at 4-6pm except the meet-and-greet Monday (which begins at 5pm immediately following the Bardic Expo). Note that this year the sessions will run from Monday through Thursday of War Week (not Monday through Friday as in the past).
Monday, July 29, 5-6pm. Meet-and-greet and Ask Doctor Apollo
The annual meet-and-greet and roundtable Congress, a general discussion of issues of current interest to the Known World bardic community. Please stop by to reacquaint yourself with your fellows gathered at Pennsic and join our panel in a discussion of problems and opportunities. Have a specific question about a problem your bardic community is experiencing? Bring it. Our advice is Olympian.
Session Leaders: TBD
Tuesday, July 30. The Crowdsourcing Muse Workshop
You're stuck. It's a great piece, or it could be. But you've got an ending but no beginning, a beginning but no end, or a missing middle. Or you don't know where to take the plot or the imagery. Or maybe it's just an idea and you have no idea what form (song? story? poem? or what kind of song, story or poem?) it should take.
The bards of the Known World will gather to be your collective muse and brainstorm with you.
Session Leaders: Mistress Fiana and Master Dahrien
Wednesday, July 31. Competition and Challenges
We spend most of our effort at the Collegium making nice, friendly places for bards to sing "Kumbaya" together. But competition and challenges are a fact of SCA life. So let's discuss formal A&S faires and structured challenges and competitions - how to run them, how to particiate in them.
Session Leaders: TBD
Thursday, August 1. R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Bards have a hard-earned reputation - but at many times and places that reputation is not one you want to tell Mom about. How does this come about, and what can we do about it?
Session Leaders: TBD
Practicums
The practicums present an opportunity to a limited number of students to present a prepared piece and work publicly with the faculty. Any genre (spoken-word, sung, etc.) may be employed.
Please keep the pieces to five minutes or less, to allow ample time for re-working, comments and possible re-presentation. Your session with the panel will probably last between 10 and 20 minutes.
Students and instructors chosen will be based on the range of material.
Note that for the purposes of the practicum, we are not inviting "audience participation" unless solicited by the instructors.
Students wishing to be considered for the practicum must apply to the provost by email before July 8. Please include the title and a description of the piece you wish to work on, specifying the genre and how it fits in the topic. Also include a brief bardic bio that lets us know your experience level. The bio will not be published.
Friday, July 26, 4-5pm
Session Leaders: To be announced.
Sunday, July 28, 4-5pm
Session Leaders: To be announced.
Post-Collegium Bardic Gathering
Following each Collegium session AS 9 will be the gathering place for bards to group for the night's festivities. Details will be provided soon.