Collegium brainstorming

[hrj]

So clearly it's time to start thinking of a class to teach at West Kingdom Collegium in late April. I'm already involved in one proposal for a panel-discussion sort of thing on strategizing compromises in fabric choice for historic costuming. But I'd like to do something else on my own. I can't fall back on my usual "what new thing have I learned lately?" And my mind always goes blank trying to remember what people have said they'd like me to teach (either repeaters or new classes). I suppose I could do one of the shorter slide-show classes that I put together for the Vallejo Music Theater lectures last fall. The one on problems and sources in researching medieval Welsh costume has some more broadly applicable methodological themes. But I always get stuck trying to think what people might like me to reprise from older material. It's sort of like being at a bardic circle or filksing and have someone say, "Sing something!" If I don't have any new material, it's all pretty much the same to me and I have no clue what people might want to hear if I don't get a more specific request.

Comments

[nibuca.livejournal.com]

I liked the "Look, here are pieces of fabric cut out like the finds.. you find an 'apron dress' in this" and "Fabric socks"

:)

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I did socks at the last collegium -- too soon for a repeat!

The "archaeological basis" class was fun, but I'd want to change it around it I were going to teach it again. The first time around it was all about getting people to doubt more and ask more questions, but to keep doing it, I'd want to add a more constructive layer. (Some day I'm interested in doing an in-depth review of the evidence on early Norse costume, but that's way more than a single collegium class.)

But thanks for the suggestions!