The Power of Words ConferenceThe Power of Words Conference Information
Conference Focus: The Power of Words calls out to all those who use writing, storytelling, performance, singing, songwriting, spoken word, integrated or expressive arts, collaborative arts, archival arts, or any other form of the written, spoken or sung word for individual, community and societal growth and change. We also invite you to consider yourself Transformative Language Artists: people who know the power of words to break silences, foster greater vision, and celebrate what we can create on our own and collectively through words aloud or on the page.
Why Is This Conference Different From Other Conferences? Many conferences provide participants with ample and pertinent information, which we also cover in this conference. Yet the Power of Words is unique on several counts: 1) We provide sessions and events focused on the written, spoken and sung word to foster a community of people who work with diverse forms of the language arts; 2) We bring together presenters, performers, and participants, from different races, backgrounds, ethnicities, experiences, and communities; 3) We build into the conference integrative experiences (in small groups and large sessions) for you to make sense of what you’re learning as you’re learning it; and 4) We emphasize right livelihood, listening to and following your calling, and finding better balance between serving your community, developing yourself in your work and arts, and self-care.
Registration:
Accommodations & Meals:
Staying Off-Campus: For staying off-campus, we recommend bed and breakfasts, hotels and motels in nearby Barre (10 miles), Montpelier (12 miles), or near Marshfield (5 miles). Montpelier is the state capitol, and there are many choices of accommodations there, and Barre is also close by with several options; One of the closest choices, which also offers a discounted rate to Goddard visitors, is the Marshfield Inn (3 miles from campus) at . Please see www.travel-vermont.com for further lodging information.
Please note that if you’re staying off-campus, you are responsible for making all your travel arrangements, including transportation.
Pre-Conference Amherst Writers & Artists Writing Group Training We have partnered with Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) so that AWA can offer the writing group training method developed by Pat Schneider and described in her book, Writing Alone and With Others. This intensive four-day training, from Sept. 8-12, will teach you the principles that distinguish Amherst Writers & Artists from other approaches, and will train you to lead writing groups for writers of all levels and from diverse backgrounds. $1500.00 covers the training, housing on campus meals, a copy of Pat Schneider's book and training materials, as well as a six month free membership in AWA's Affiliate Program. Some financial aid may be available. NOTE: You must register for the training through AWA (this is a separate registration than registering for the conference). AWA will handle all training, food and lodging arrangements for you: 413-253-3307, www.amherstwriters.com.
Transportation: For those flying in who would like to share taxis or rental cars, or those who would like to car-pool, please check our travel information box on the registration form. The closest airport is Burlington International Airport, about 40 miles from the college. Please contact Anyway-Everywhere Taxi –802/878-3623 or everywheretaxi@yahoo.com to make arrangements. For those taking the train or bus, plan to arrive in Montpelier (12 miles away), and please correspond with Denise Whitesides-Skeeba to arrange for someone to pick you up.
Scholarships & Work-Study Positions: We have a limited number of work-study positions, partial scholarships, and through the Roxanne-Florence Fund, partial scholarships for people of color. Generally, we cannot award more than half the registration fee, and recipients are also responsible for their room and board, travel, and any pre- or post-conference workshops. If you are interested in applying for a work-study position or scholarship, please write to TLAconference@goddard.edu.
Fall Foliage: Late September and early October is often the peak of fall foliage, and the views are particularly magnificent in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where the collage is located. The Green Mountains, covered predominantly with maples, are often brilliant this time of year. Be sure to plan a walk on one of the college trails while at the conference. This colorful time of the year also features colorful weather: bring clothes to take you from days in the 60s-70s, and nights in the 30s-50s. Learn more at VermontVacation.com.
Individual Consultations: This year we are proud to feature one-on-one time to visit with our artists-in-residence to discuss your work, creativity, community outreach, and more. Sign-up sheets will be posted at the conference to meet with:
Art Show and Artist Playdate: Cynthia Ross’s show will be on display in the gallery throughout the conference. She’ll also be around during the conference to show you how to make Soul Houses, collages, draw or just play with color, image and texture. Cynthia Ross is grounded in 25 years of painting, and in more recent years, sculpture, theatre, puppet theatre, singing, and creative writing. She says, “In art, we can see the results of our thought and action in the forms we create. Taking those just a step further, we begin to see the forms of the society and culture within which we live as something in which we not only participate, but also upon which we each individually have an effect.”
Massage: Massage is available with Robert-Jon Benet (for additional, but modest fee).
Free Time: On Saturday and Sunday, we’ve blocked off free time to allow you time to relax in an Adironack’s chair near one of the gardens, make art with Cynthia Ross, consult with the other special artists, get a massage, walk one of the many trails through the historic Goddard woods, visit with new and old friends, take a nap, or just relax.
Sharing Resources: All conference participants are welcome to distribute and sell any products relating to Transformative Language Arts, such as books, CDs, artwork, t-shirts, etc. Please contact us at TLAconference@goddard.edu for more information.
Cosponsors: We welcome organizations, businesses and institutions to cosponsor our conference for a reasonable fee. Please see our cosponsor page for a list of current cosponsors, and visit www.tlanetwork.org/conference for information on how to become a cosponsor today.
Professional Hours and Poetry Therapy Certification Hours: We are happy to provide you with whatever documentation that you need for professional hours upon request. Poetry Therapy trainees may earn peer hours for all workshops facilitated by someone certified in poetry therapy, and didactic hours for many other workshops and conference events. To learn more of poetry therapy training, please see NFBPT.com.
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