All About Balticon Program Tracks
To help those who are new to the Balticon experience, we offer the following information about program offerings:
- A “Panel” is a moderated panel discussion, typically including three or four participants and a moderator. A panel discussion may or may not include an audience question and answer or comment segment.
- A “Round Table” is more loosely moderated than a “Panel” and usually includes four to seven participants. Round Tables do not usually allot time for audience interaction.
- A “Presentation” is a lecture by one or more presenters, which may or may not include a demonstration or audio/visual component. Presenters may, at their personal discretion, include audience members in their demonstrations and/or end their presentation with a question and answer segment.
- A “Workshop” is a hands-on experience, and includes working materials and/or hand-outs. Crafts and art workshops may or may not include up to a $5.00 materials fee.
The schedule for Balticon 49 has not been finalized, but webgoblins are updating it as information becomes available. You can look at the Balticon 48 pocket program HERE for an example of what might be in the works.
Balticon Program Track Descriptions
| Back to Index | ANIME PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
While Balticon is not an anime convention, we certainly recognize the importance of anime in sciencce fiction/fantasy community culture. The Balticon Anime Program Mini-Track offers 4 to 6 program hours of discussion panels and presentations
See the Anime Program Schedule on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | ART PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Art Program Track brings you over 20 hours of presentations, demonstrations, workshops and discussion panels with our artist guest of honor, art show and artists alley exhibitors and other artists participating at Balticon. Attend a workshop to learn a new techinique. Watch artists, using the “ELMO” to project onto a screen, create work right in front of you. Listen to presentations about art history or about artist’s personal experiences in the industry. Attend discussion panels about topics ranging from how to sell your art, to how to keep your head straight and still get the work done, to who’s who in science fiction and fantasy art.
Artists who have a workshop, demonstration or lecture they would like to present, or an idea for a discussion panel they would like to moderate or be a panelist for, should contact the Art Program Coordinator to get the ball rolling on your participation.
See the Art Program Schedule on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | CHILDREN’S PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
Balticon, on Saturday, Sunday and on Monday morning, presents 18 hours of entertaining, educational, fun programming for children from toddlers to pre-teens. Program items include magic, music, dance, crafts projects, art, storytelling and costuming. If you would like to be a presenter or facilitator for a Balticon Childrens’ Program hour, please contact coordinator Eta Hack about your idea.
See the Children’s Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for details.
| Back to Index | COSTUMING PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
Balticon offers costuming panels, workshops and presentations. We try to schedule quite a bit of that before the Masquerade so that novices can pick up some last minute coaching if they want it. However, the Masquerade post-mortem is a not-to-be-missed event!
See the Costuming Program Schedule on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | FAN PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
Balticon’s Fan Program Track includes events such as the SF Trivia Contest, panel discussions on getting the most from your convention experience, examining lifestyle choices, looking at ways to be involved in fandom, demonstrations of some of the hobbies fans get involved in and discussions about various aspects of topics such as space war, private enterprise in space, and more.
See the Fan Program Schedule on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | FILMMAKING PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Balticon Filmmaking program track was conceived of and introduced at Balticon 44 by film festival director Jonette Butler with these dual primary missions:
- To provide a forum wherein talent, producers, directors, special effects technicians and others involved in making independent science fiction, science fact, fantasy, and horror films can meet each other and discuss their trade;
- To provide opportunities for Balticon members to meet folks involved in independent filmmaking, learn about the filmmaking process from those who are out there doing it and see their work in screenings throughout the weekend.
The Filmmaking Program continues at Balticon 49. See the Filmmaking Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | GAMING PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Gaming Program Track includes introductory presentations, explorations of old and new board games and card games, panel discussion and open discussion forums. Please contact the Gaming Program Coordinator if you are interested in presenting a workshop or demonstration or sitting on Gaming Program panels.
See the Gaming Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | LITERARY PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
Balticon Literary Program Track participants with qualifications as authors, editors, publishers, reviewers and long-time fans will explore varied themes in SF, Fantasy, Horror and mixed-genre literature through panel and round table debates and discussions, workshops, presentations, author readings and personal autograph session interactions. Balticon is, at the heart of it all, a literary convention. It is therefore fitting that, with multiple literary program tracks (Editors, Readers, Writers, and Small Press Publishing), this Literary Program Track forms the core of Balticon programming.
See the Literary Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Literary panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | LITERARY PROGRAM: EDITORS TRACK | Back to Top |
This sub-track track is geared to seat professional editors in the panelist seats and on the presenter’s podium. Some of these program items will target an audience of writers and some will target an audience of professional and aspiring editors. Danielle Ackley-McPhail coordinates this literary sub-track.
See the Literary: Editors Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Literary: Editors panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | LITERARY: PUBLISHING | Back to Top |
We are trying very hard to provide programming for small press publishers at Balticon. Through our Small Press Publisher Presents items, we hope to be able to offer small press publishers the opportunity to present their “line-up” to fans at Baltcon, just as the “big houses”do at WorldCons. Fans will have chances to win prizes, get first glimpses of cover art and hear about the publishers’ upcoming books before they’re released. You will also find this sub-track hosting discussion panels about publishing topics.
See the Literary: Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Literary: Publishing panel Small Press Presents details.
| Back to Index | LITERARY PROGRAM: READERS TRACK | Back to Top |
In the Readers sub-track, with readers and fans as its target audience, everything from philosophical debates, story telling, book reviews, science speculation and historical perspectives will flow. Reviewers and Fan group members will review and discuss work and its place in the genre to help you find new literature suited to your taste. Audiences will have opportunities to cheer panelists on as they produce story ideas on the spot and panelists will evaluate audience efforts to do the same. Whether your personal fascination is with hard SF, fantasy or horror, there will be plenty of panels for you to attend.
See the Literary: Readers Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Literary: Readers panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | LITERARY PROGRAM: READINGS | Back to Top |
Author and editor program participants are invited to give readings of their work. Check the Readings Schedule to find out when your favorites will be presenting their work. We will again be using the 3-readers per program hour format this year. Readers can all sit at the table together, or may elect to take turns at the table, and will decide themselves the order in which they will read.
See the Literary: Readings Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for the Readings Schedule.
| Back to Index | LITERARY PROGRAM: WRITERS | Back to Top |
In the WRITERS TRACK, professional instructors will offer lectures and workshops on developing and enhancing writing skills. Panels of professional and aspiring writers will discuss how they got where they are, where they want to go, and share tips and tricks and experiences.
See the Literary: Writers Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Literary: Writerss panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | MUSIC/FILK PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Music/Filk Program at Balticon offers many hours of musical and comedy entertainment and education. In addition to a fantastic schedule of concerts, the Music Program Track offers workshops, jam sessions, panel discussions and 3 nights of Open Filk.
THE BALTICON 49 CONCERT SCHEDULE will be posted in April, 2015, on the Schedules page.
| Back to Index | NEW MEDIA PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
There’s a whole wonderful world of non-traditional media available and, as we did last year, we’re bringing you more than just podcasting. Come and meet local artists and writers from the world of web comics and many other fascinating people leading the new media explosion. Learn more about what’s available in independent new media and how to turn it to your advantage. Dont let your work be lost in the shadows: find your audience! Balticon was the first con to run new media programming and have its own dedicated podcast, which makes ours the longest running new media track.
See the New Media Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for New Media panel, presentation, and workshop details.
| Back to Index | PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Performing Arts Program has been a successful new mini-track experiment at Balticon for the past three years. We hope to again be offering 4 to 6 hours of workshops and performance opportunities, but the former coordinator has stepped down and we need someone to take over!
| Back to Index | SCIENCE PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
Balticon 49 offers over 30 hours of original science programming. Meet the scientists and attend fascinating presentations and panel discussions.
See the Science Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for the Science Program Schedule.
| Back to Index | SKEPTICS PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Balticon Skeptics Program offers presentations and discussions exploring topics through skeptical thinking methodologies. This may include debunking of urban myths and other rumors, examination of flaws in scientific method as applied to claimed results, etc.
See the New Media Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Skeptic program details.
| Back to Index | TEEN (AGES 13-19) PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Teen Program Track includes workshops, open chat forums, panels and round table discussions for fans, readers and writers aged 13 to 19. Literary and art professionals will offer information and coaching as well as act as moderators for some panels and round tables.
See the Teen Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for Teen schedule details.
| Back to Index | TV, FILM AND VIDEO PROGRAM TRACK | Back to Top |
The Film and TV Program track offers opportunities to compare and contrast current and past film and television offerings, celebrate favorites with other fans, compare literary and film versions of works, and discuss the trends in SF entertainment.
See the TV, Film and Video Program Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for details.
| Back to Index | WORKSHOPS | Back to Top |
Balticon brings you a variety of workshops in the Anime, Art, Children’s, Costuming, Gaming, Literary: Writing, and Filmmaking program tracks. Thus Workshops schedule includes workshops in a variety of program tracks. If you like your con experience to be all workshops, all the time, see the Workshops Schedule (AVAILABLE SOON) on the Schedules page for the complete picture.