ContactJuggling.org

One of the organisers from the British Juggling Convention got in touch with me yesterday. She's looking for people to put together some contact juggling workshops for the BJC in Southend in April.

Sadly, I won't be able to make it this year, but I think it's an excellent idea - quality contact juggling workshops aren't as plentiful as they should be at a lot of conventions. With that in mind I thought I'd check and see if I can find anyone else who might be interested. So if you're going to the BJC and are up for running a workshop, or know someone who might be interested, do let me know.

I would be happy to if some one wanted to by my plain ticket, other wise I don't think I would be able to make it.

Alas, I think the only offer of payment is a beer or two from the organisers.

that be a s**t offer

Not considering doing it for the love then?

FREE BEER!?!??! Aaaahhhh.. If only I was a Bro..

Does it include a free ticket to the convention and free beer?

When is BJC anyway?

They will pay performers to perform, but they won't pay teachers to teach.
:hmmmmmm:

I always thought volunteering was a big part of juggling conventions. Plenty of people perform without payment, at open stages or renegades.

@ Elsie: No beer, no ticket. The dates are 11th – 15th April it's in Southend (has airport flights to Holland and Spain), It's the 25th anniversary and the public show performers announced so far include, The Gandinis, Matthias Romir, Tonny Pezzo (IJA champ./Shoebox tour) and headlining Françoise Rochais.
Pre reg. ends 15th feb.

Similar to iMark I've been approached to ask around the diabolo scene to find people who will offer workshops.

Within a couple of days of asking I had around 10 volunteers offering at least one 1hr workshops in a good variety of techniques/disciplines across the ability range and from vanilla diaboloing to more leftfield rarely seen stuff. I'd argue at least 2 of the workshops offered so far are being ran by the best at their field of diaboloing in the world.
The people offering workshops include hobbyists, people who make a good portion of their living through providing workshops, and performers (from street, the European cabaret scene and a former solo performer from Cirque du Soleil).
Not one asked me about a comp ticket, not one asked for a fee, the only 'demand' I got back was if I could see if It would be possible to arrange a workshop time in the afternoon rather than morning.

The orgs (Afaik all volunteers themselves often to the level of paying to attend) are asking if people, who are planning on attending, would be willing to provide workshops in the best tradition of paying it forwards (and back). The BJC is rarely short of workshops overall come the event itself, prearranging these workshops allows for easier allocation of workshop space and also brings up duplications ahead of time rather than all that having to be dealt with at the workshop board during the event. It also offers sub communities (CJ, devilstick, diabolo etc.) a chance to arrange more targeted workshops/trickswaps/meetups amongst themselves to make their time at the event better.

Hi everybody

I Really can't promess anything, as I live in Belgium and have no precise idea of what I'll do in April, but I've never been to a juggling convention, am dying to, and have been wanting to go to England for a long time...

So if I make it, I'll do everything I can for CJ, I love teaching anyway... But still, we'll see in a few weeks

Have a good day all

So how many other services at a BJC are being provided 'for the love'?

The Venue?
The security?
the traders?
the publicity?
The Gala Performers?
the catering?

I'm sure they all love their line of work too...

Would you pay to do your job?

I taught a workshop last year, I wasn't prebooked to do so. I did it because so many people at the event asked me to, that is doing it out the kindness of my heart, for the love, as it were. I didn't do it for the event, i did it for the people, as requested by the people.

It did however add to the event, enriched it by supplying a little extra of the teaching element, that people expect at conventions. The organisers showed me no love for doing it... not even a thank you... Workshops take organising and hard work and stress too. shouldn't that be rewarded?

I if were to offer, fair play, take advantage. If I am expected to do something, it should be worth my while to do so.

Sorry Ed, I never intended any offence with my "doing it for the love" comment. It was intended in jest, and it certainly wasn't meant to belittle any of your efforts over the years for the community. I have nothing but the greatest respect for all you've accomplished and I didn't mean to imply you wouldn't give, or haven't given, your time freely.

I wish I'd been clear that they were looking for volunteers from the outset. I just assumed that it was taken for granted that workshops were run by volunteers (not that volunteers were taken for granted). I don't believe the organisers are expecting anything from anyone, rather they're hoping that people will be willing to donate their time to help others (my inference, I should be clear).

I've no idea how conventions are organised, or how the money is allocated, but I certainly believe there are many teachers out there, yourself included, who are no less worthy of recompense than any of the roles you mentioned. The whys and hows of that are a bit beyond me, however.

wow people is sensitive; whats with all the frustration with your big uk jugglefest?
I always try to teach workshops at these things; its awesome to spread the knowledge of contact with people who are excited and eager to learn. THATS THE WHOLE POINT, right?!?!? to grow this stuff; work collectively to make something even more awesome in the world than whatever existed last year.
<am tempted to skip piryokopi rehearsals and go now, because SOMEBODY need to deliver some goodness to the already amazing british contact scene. Pich would be angry though, and i'm scared of Pich when he is angry>


I would give iMark bonus points if i was allowed to

So you're paying your own travel to and from the IJA, you're paying for your own Visa, you're buying a ticket for the convention are you?

Hmmmm.



Not trying to argue with people here (and sorry I came across that way Mark) just trying to make people see the flaws and unfairness in the system...