STOKED!
/
Canadian Clay Symposium
March 25th, 2023
When the fully planned 2020 “Canadian Clay” themed Symposium was put on hold due to Covid restrictions, the organizing committee began working to re-imagine the 2023 event, “STOKED!” We looked at virtually all aspects of the Symposium from the selection of presenters considering diversity and inclusion, through to scheduling times and even attendance options.
Our decisions have created some noticeable and, in our view, valuable and timely changes at STOKED! You will notice:
● Presenters:
o STOKED! keeps the Canadian Clay theme by selecting all Canadian presenters to reflect our cultural and artistic diversity. A full listing of STOKED! Presenters, their bios and images of their work is found on the website: canadianclaysymposium.com under the “Presenters” tab.
o We are excited to include two dynamic Canadian Emerging Artist Presenters at STOKED! These recent graduate artists bring fresh perspectives and are names to watch. You get to see them first!
● Watching demos:
o Three large presentation areas will house the artists’ demos, the James Cowan Theatre, the Studio Theatre and the conference room - (Studio 103).
o There are three demo sessions in the day but not all of the same duration. Some artists may plan to show a different process each session, while others will tie session times together to tackle a larger project through the day.
o Presenters will work their demos in pairs, sharing the time and space. You can easily learn from both to gain more information from your sessions.
● A new option for attendance:
o In-Person: As always, attendees can enjoy the opportunity to be there live, to plan the day and then change plans if something catches their eye, attend presentations with the ability to ask questions of presenters, visit with old friends or make new connections. Attendees may wander through Shadbolt and enjoy displays and exhibits as well as the regular attractions and exhibitions: The Road Show, the Mug Wall, a BC Potters’ Guild Show, a K-12 Show, A Presenters’ Show, an Honoree Exhibit, the Mobile Contemporary Ceramics Gallery, watch a live Podcast for “The Kiln Sitters”, and browse the Trade Show.
o NEW! Online Option: STOKED! now includes a new experience option for our first online Symposium. Parts of STOKED! will be livestreamed allowing participants to watch presentations from home in real time. The livestream includes four of the six presenters: Cathi Jefferson and Marissa Alexander will be live-streamed for their full morning session and Steven Heinemann and Sami Tsang will be live-streamed for their afternoon sessions. Questions may be asked through a comments section and a moderator will convey the questions to the presenters to answer live. Online viewers will also see the Honoree presentation as well as the Keynote Address by KC Adams.
● A new focus for the Keynote Address:
o The Symposium Keynote Address has in the past been delivered by one of the artist presenters. For STOKED! we chose to look at the Keynote conceptually, celebrating the diversity Canada offers and to consider both clay and art as vehicles of change.
o KC Adams is a Winnipeg-based Anishinaabe, Inninew and British artist whose work explores Indigenous axiology. She is a creator, an educator, an activist, a community member and mentor. We are proud to host her as the STOKED! Keynote Presenter.
● The Details
o Coffee service is provided, but no food service. Please bring your own lunch. o Registration is open now and the Early Bird tickets are selling fast.
o EARLY BIRD PRICING is available to the first 140 in-person and first 30 On-Line registrants. In-person and online pricing for both Early Bird and Regular attendance is found on the website along with full registration information: canadianclaysymposium.com/registration
o Satellite Workshops with some of our presenters will take place before or after the Symposium at Shadbolt or through local Potters’ Guilds. These opportunities will be listed on the website: canadianclaysymposium.com/events
Newsletter #1: Stoked Intro.pdf (click to download this article)
