Preparing for War of the Wings 2017

War of the Wings is a 4-5 day long camping event in the Society for Creative Anachronism, and one of the bright spots on the calendar of events for the Kingdom of Atlantia.  We talk about what makes this event so popular, and all the ways that try to get involved.

From Bardic circles, to sitting at Troll welcoming the attendants, to the Masked Ball Dance, we discuss the activities that we have planned and how to make the most out of this great event.

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Episode 18: Fall University 2017

In this episode we return to the Fall University of the Kingdom of Atlantia, part of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This is one of our favorite events and we enjoyed it immensely, discussing everything from the site, to the classes, to the new skills we learned. Universities are the place where you learn the skills you need for crafts within the SCA, where you practice medieval arts like dance and music, and its where all arts and science begin.
But here, we also talk about what it takes to be a good student and a good teacher at a University class. We delve into thorny theoretical questions about how to respond when you know more than the teacher, and why being a good community member means being a good student.

Episode 17 Rip Rap Revisited

We look back at the recent event we attended with the Society For Creative Anachronism (SCA), a historical re-creation society. This event, the Rip Rap War, holds a special place for us because it was hosted by our local Barony, so we are not unbiased.

Nevertheless, we turn our critical gaze on all the good and bad that we experienced over the weekend. We examine everything from the martial field, to the Arts and Sciences competition, to the closing Feast and come away with a very favorable impression.

Episode 16: Rip Rap War

In this episode we take a look at what kinds of things draw us to an event in the Society for Creative Anachronism, and how we find that information. We take the example of the Rip Rap War, an event given by the Baronies of Marinus and Tir-Y-Don, and talk about our anticipation of, and expectations for, this creative event.

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Episode 15 Arts and Sciences Revisited

We look back to Pennsic 2017 and how we need to start now the preparations for next years visit to Pennsic. We talk about how we put the House Book to use this year, both to document the event, and also to give ourselves suggestions for next year. Then, we begin a discussion of the Arts and Sciences within the SCA (The Society for Creative Anachronism). As always, we look for ways to encourage it, from making it more accessible and inclusive, to offering more help at events, and welcoming all comers.

Segment one:
1:27   50 week town run.  Don't wait until July to begin preparing for Pennsic.  Spread it throughout the year

4:00  Put your Pennsic gear away packed.  Put them away ready to be used again.

7:10   What didn't I have at Pennsic that I missed?  Encampment border, banners, defining the boundaries of our camp.

9:30  Shopping will continue during the off season.  Collecting business cards, Pennsic merchants' websites, can continue shopping without pressure.

Segment 2
11:55 Fall SCA season begins

12:55  Pennsic is a preparation for the rest of the year, and the events throughout the rest of the year are preparations for Pennsic.

14:00  The House Book of the Golden Tree.  Documenting our group camping at Pennsic.  Capturing the recipes and menus we used.

17:00  We have now developed a full year of activities on the SCA calendar.  We pick the events that we like, and there's a lot to choose from.

19:52  When we attend an event, we should plan to enter something in the Arts and Sciences Competitions

Segment 3
20:50  Take full advantage of the internet and Facebook to find out what's coming up.

21:30  Some A&S competitions seem very limiting.  Organized around a restrictive theme.  And there haven't been many entries.

23:30  Competition vs Exhibition. The spirit of competition seems to be off-putting to creative people who just want to create.  What about an Arts exhibition that welcomes all entries, regardless of the construction technique.

27:00  What about A&S competitions that are divided into categories, from the most historically accurate, to modern materials and techniques.  Arts and Sciences should welcome all comers.

29:00  Have a A&S researchers consult table that helps people establish their documentation.  Suddenly you're teaching again.  Showing seamstresses and tailors how to research on the internet.  You get to choose the level at which you want to participate.

34:00  Participation at an event is the key to getting the most out of them.  Where was the Arts and Sciences table?  Why is it so hard to find? 

Episode 2 - Preparing For Ruby Joust

This episode was first published on May 12, 2016 - nearly a year ago.  I am re-posting this as part of a hosting migration so I can keep the links to all the episodes in one place.

In this episode, we discuss our preparations for an upcoming Kingdom-level event with the Society for Creative Anachronism called The Ruby Joust.  We talk about our experiences at this event last year, and what we'd like to change this time.

In many ways, a camping event like this one is one of the classic SCA experience.  It's a place where all the individual components of persona, garb, encampment, arts and performance all come together.

Link to download episode

Episode 7 - The Ides of March

This episode, we talk about the transition from winter SCA events to the beginning of the spring and summer camping event season.  We also wrap up our discussion about the role of the University in the SCA, and how it has inspired us.

MP3 download link:  Episode 7 - The Ides of March

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Episode 2 - Preparing for the Ruby Joust

mp3 download link:  Episode 2: Preparing for the Ruby Joust
May 12, 2016

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Description 

 In this episode, we discuss our preparations for an upcoming Kingdom-level event called The Ruby Joust.  We talk about our experiences at this event last year, and what we'd like to change this time.

Episode 1: Henry V - from the road

mp3 download link:   Episode 1: Henry V 2016
April 31, 2016

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This podcast was recorded on the road, traveling to and from a performance of Shakespeare's Henry V on the campus of Old Dominion University.  The performance was part of an ODU sponsored celebration called Shakespeare: 400 Years After.

The recording quality is improving but more needs to be learned.  The intention here is to explore the format and learn the technique, and our development is ongoing.

The podcast follows our previous formula.  We talk about our expectations on the way there, and after the break, give our immediate reactions following the performance.