Programming

Our program for MuseCon 3 is now online! View the schedules by day & time here and the listing of descriptions here.

While our 2013 schedule is full at this time, we do maintain a waiting list. And of course 2014 is coming up! If you are interesting in contributing please contact someone at programming@musecon.org to discuss your ideas.

If you are new to MuseCon and would like a bit more information, from "What is a Muse" to our general programming operations, we hope you'll find the following helpful as well.

MuseCon Programming Philosophy

Most conventions have "panelists" and "participants" who help out, but the atmosphere at MuseCon tends to invite more. Due to the inspiring nature of our people, you'll most often hear the term "Muse" instead -- like the originals from Greek mythology, our Muses provide knowledge, help, lessons, and inspiration to many.

When building our programming we're most interested in classes and discussions which promote, encourage, and enhance creativity in all forms. Many sessions include "make-n-take" projects and hands-on learning, but these are not required elements. If you have an idea that you think might fit our goals & mission please contact us at: programming@musecon.org and we'll be happy to discuss it with you!

MuseCon is a 3-day convention, with programming running from 1:30 pm Friday until 3:00 pm Sunday. Sessions start every 90 minutes; this allows for 75 minutes of "class time" and a 15 minute "passing period" for cleanup/prep, getting to the next class, and so on. Some people treat this as 60 minutes of class time + 15 minutes of Q&A, while others mix the two components throughout their session. We have scheduled dinner breaks on Friday and Saturday, as well as a lunch break mid-day Saturday. Morning sessions begin at 9 am, and the last 'prime time' block starts at 9 pm. You can volunteer for as many or few as you feel comfortable with. However we do encourage you to make sure you leave some time to be inspired yourself!

If you are offering a class that involves supplies and materials our membership system has the ability (& flexibility) to help out. In addition to simple registration (allowing you to limit attendees and/or know how many kits are needed), we can accommodate options if you want to offer varied colors/styles, levels of kits, and so on. Payments are collected by MuseCon as people register, the funds consolidated, and then checks are written to our Muses, and generally distributed at MuseCon. Note: any class fees are determined by you, the Muse, not set by the convention. MuseCon does not enhance or add to your kit-costs; there is no "service charge" involved. If you'd like to provide the supplies for free you are also welcome to do so.

We do ask that if your class requires a fee you consider the rate set to ensure it will provide obvious value to our attendees (i.e.: physical items, private lessons, etc.; simple speaking fees are not part of our mission). Additionally, you can include a list of supplies in your program description and request that attendees bring their own, though we do request that you have some on hand as there are always people who don't realize they're interested in something until they are at the convention and can't gather the necessary pieces.

Periodically in the month before the convention our programming team will send out head counts so you can prepare properly. Session registration can be closed at a specific time, or left open until the class fills/begins -- whichever meets your needs best. Printouts listing attendees and options will be supplied at Registration when you pick up your badge, though supplements may be needed if your session is still open after that time.

Our registration system can also be used to simply cap the number of participants for an otherwise-free class. As with fee-based sessions the counts will be sent out pre-con, registration can be closed as needed, and listings will be available at the beginning of the convention. If you have other needs or concerns just let us know; we'll be happy to discuss options with you.

While MuseCon strives to be a family-friendly convention, we do realize that not every activity will be safe or suitable for every person. If you feel age recommendations would be appropriate please don't hesitate to include them.

A final note (for the moment): regarding badges and convention registration -- because MuseCon is still a new, fairly small convention hosted by an entirely volunteer-run organization we are unable to offer free or discounted attendance to our Muses at this time (nor to our staff, concom, or board). We very much appreciate the willingness of so many amazing people to share their talents and time and become a part of our project.