Symposium

An annual event held in the Kingdom of Winter's Edge dedicated to teaching and fostering Amtgard-related A&S, leadership, and fighting skills through hands-on classes, workshops, and demonstrations. Fiddles and Valkyrie Nystrom Armstrong founded the Arts & Sciences Symposium event in 2016. Since then it has grown and expanded to include a wide range of classes and activities. Each event has a facebook event page and independent website listing classes and activities. For Symposium V 2020, Valkyrie stepped down as Co-Director and Arco joined the team as Co-Director with Dame Fiddles.

2016: Symposium I

• This event was fairly small in size with ~55 attendees and held ~15 classes.
• Weekend-long crafting tracks: Garbing: sew a linen T-Tunic with an appliqued keyhole neckline lectured by Fiddles & Valkyrie; Leatherworking: create Dagorhir-legal/Amtgard-strong-leather bracers (primary focus on tooling) lectured by Loric; Leatherworking: create a beltpouch (the primary focus is on construction- not tooling) lectured by Khazon
• General Classes: Applique Basics with Fiddles & Valkyrie, Book Wyrms: Fantasy Settings with Riven Asayri, Carving Foam & Plasti-Dipping with Kelda & Cade, Crafting Dragon Eggs with Tenebrae, How to cook like a peasant with Emmelina, Knitting 101 with Donella, Loom Weaving 101 with Donella, Macrame Belt Weaving with Pahyum, Painting Cloth Shield Covers with Rowan, Printmaking Basics with Fiddles, Making Mead lecture with Emma.
• | Facebook event page

2017: Symposium II

• This event grew to <70 attendees with instructors flying in to teach from other kingdoms. The event included over 20 classes and lectures.
• Weekend-long crafting tracks: Advanced Tunic Construction with Lady Armstrong of Polaris, Leather Belt Making with Sir Khazon, Leather Bracers with Loric Al'Denar, Plasti-dip shields with Acorn from the Shield Shop
• Fiber Arts Classes: Amigurumi with Arco, Crochet 101 with Lavender, Garb Fancies: Dagged Trim lecture with Fiddles, Historic & Fantasy Garb Pants lecture with Runa, Hooded Figures: How to Make a Cowl with Runa, Hooping 101 with Charis, How to make and sew a simple T-Tunic and pants with Emmelina, Inkle Loom Weaving with Donella, Knitting 101 with Donella, Macrame Belts Weaving with Pahyum, Needle Felting with Fiddles, Teacup Pin Cushions with Valkyrie, Weaving 101 with Donella.
• Additional Classes: Armor in V8: Kit planning and construction, Ballista: History, math, and science behind a torsion ballista with Frank Avilia, Ballista assembly demonstration with Frank Avilia, Build a Bear Build a Battle-game lecture with Vasherin, Cooking for the Masses with Sir Squire da Page, Making Dragon Eggs with Tenebrae, Planning & Budgeting Feast lecture with Corvina Sharpie, Poi spinning 101 with Mysteria, Poppet Crafting (children's class) with Lavender, The Art of Glass Bead Making (x2) with Melody, Watercolor Painting with Rowan
• Facebook event page

2018: Symposium III

• In order to accommodate the introduction of Kingdom-level tournaments, the event expanded to a 4-day event. Winter's Edge artisan, H.B. Puddin was knighted Saturday evening for order of the Serpent. This year we expanded to include leadership classes with Sir Gorin of Northreach!
• Weekend-Long tracks: Advanced Tunics & Applique with Lady Armstrong; Leather Belts with Sir Loric, Archery: Bow & Arrow Track with Cade, Plasti-dip Shields with Acorn
• Scribal Classes taught by Dame Linden Tul: Advanced Award Design for Scribes, Calligraphy For Beginners, Designing your first award, Hands-on Award Painting, Hands-on Award Design
• 2-D Art Classes: Coptic Book Binding with Fiddles, Drawing From Nature with Fiddles
• Fiber Arts, Garb, & Garb Accessories: Amigurumi Crochet with Arco, Bead Making 101: One Color with Melody, Bead Making 102: Two Colors with Melody, Crochet 101 & 102 with Lavender, Embroidery 101 Covina Sharpie, Embroidery 102: Embroidery for Fighting with Miriam Armstrong Tul, Flower Crowns with Lavender, Historic & Fantasy Garb Pants with Runa, Hooded Figures: How to Make a Cowl with Runa, Macrame Belts with Pahyum, Needlefelting with Fiddles, Teacup Pincushions with Valkyrie, Weaving Sampler Frú Ka'a
• Lectures with Sir Gorin: Leadership Lectures & Battle-gaming Theory, Building a park, shire to kingdom, Fund-raising, Introduction to being an officer, Planning for the future: building an empire, Recruitment and retention, Verbal Judo / Conflict Resolution, Quest Design and Administration
• Performance: Art of the Theatrical: Acting, Singing, & Instrumental Keliance, Drumming 101 Khazon Mander, Poi Spinning Mysteria, Business Management for Crafters Vashiren
• Props & Smithing: Alchemy 101 Ruque, Glitter Fairy Bottles Lavender, Greco-Roman Artillery with Frank Avilia
• Facebook event page

2019: Symposium IV

• This event expanded to host Olympiad tournaments, an overarching Harry Potter event theme, battle games, fighting classes, house parties at night, and an evening dungeon quest. Winter's Edge artisan,Fiddles was knighted Saturday evening for order of the Serpent.
• 40+ Hands-On Classes & Lectures !
• Weekend-Long tracks: Advanced Tunics & Applique with Lady Armstrong; Basic Tunic Track with Runa, Fairy Track with Lavender and Jade, Scribal Track with Linden Tul, Siege Engines with Frank Avilia,
• Event website that lists all lectures and activities.
• Facebook event page
• Olympiad Bid Proposal

Current 2020: Symposium V

• Facebook event page
• Event Website