Act the part
Host: Marieke Frankema
A workshop about refining storytelling and character building through theatre. Stories come in all shapes, sizes and art forms. Whether on stage or on paper, there are structures at the base of every good story. Once you know what they are, you can start playing with them – literally. In this hands-on acting workshop, Marieke Frankema explores the similarities between writing and theatre, uncovering the underlying story structures in a way that’s fresh, clear, and most of all: fun!
Better mental health with stories and fandoms
Host: The Safe Haven
A good story is truly food for the soul! The stories that unfold as we read a book, watch a film or play a game are not just entertaining, they nourish us. And it’s said, you are what you eat. In this workshop, you’ll discover how your favourite stories can help you improve your mental health. Create your own soulfood menu, now and for years to come!
Drabble: a story in 100 words
Host: Sandy Butchers
Writing a complete story in exactly 100 words. Impossible? Not at all!
Sandy Butchers teaches you how to get to the heart of a story. You explore ideas and develop them into a short but powerful opening, middle section and conclusion. After that, the true puzzle unfolds, because it is only a drabble if the story consists of exactly 100 words.
Drabbling is a fun exercise to get into the “creative flow”, but the knowledge behind it is also useful in everyday matters such as writing emails or of course a back blurb for your own book.
TIP: Bring a device you can type on. Don’t you have that? Don’t worry, Sandy will give you a notepad (but you’ll have to manually check your wordcount!)
Draw awesome villains or monsters
Host: Petra Polane
In TV series such as Doctor Who or the comic books such as Marvel / DC you see many different villains. In this workshop we will bring a new monster, demon or villain to life. Which hero will stop him?
Petra Polane shares the basics of cartoon drawing and teaches you how to draw bad characters and turn them into zombies. No talent is required for this, Muahahahaha.
Philosophy of technology for science fiction (and fantasy) authors
Host: Tom Kruijsen
What is technology? Technology is all around us and as much fun as it is to extrapolate this to potential future technologies, how often do we stop think what is actually is? In this workshop we will look at philosophical ideas based on the works of Heidegger and Ihde to help us understand technology better and together we will work to see how these can be applied to make our stories stronger and more interesting.
Don’t worry fantasy authors, most of these concepts can also be applied to magic (although the actual philosophical literature on this subject is rather slim).
Swordfighting
Host: Raymond Brands
The sword is a very commonly used weapon in the fantasy genre. One can read about them in books and see them being used in movies as well as series. And rightly so, I say, because the sword is a very versatile weapon! And I’m not just referring to the types of swords either, I’m also referring to the versatility of techniques used when wielding a sword. So how is a sword wielded properly? What are the do’s and don’ts? Well now I can teach you the basics!
I have been sword fighting since October 2012 and shortly before Covid became a thing I also started teaching. If you are interested in learning more about sword fighting, join the workshop. My teachings are based on the manuscripts as written by the 14th century sword master Johannes Liechtenauer, so it will be historically accurate.
Under my supervision I will have you wielding a sword and practice on one another in small groups of 2 or 3 people. I hope to see you at my workshop, and that we will have fun there. I also hope to impart a bit of my knowledge of sword fighting to you.
Please note this workshop is only for people aged 18 years or older. Participation is at your own risk. Due to safety, all directions from the instructor are to be followed. Failure to do so will result in immediate removal from the workshop.