Mistress Alicia Langland, Chancellor of the Æcademy, reports on the doings at the fall session held on November 12, A.S. 51.

No matter whether you were hungry for a smorgasbord of classes or an all-day tuck-in, the recent Æthelmearc AEcademy and War College, hosted by the Shire of Nithgaard, surely had something of interest.

Some of the highlights on the menu included:

• An all-day scribal workshop on Italian White Vine, a soup-to-nuts series that covered design, gilding, painting, and calligraphy. Some of the students had never held a paintbrush before, yet they left the class with a breathtaking piece-in-progress.

• A four-hour hands-on build-your-own-trebuchet class included a field trip outside to see a trebuchet in action.

• Two classes on brewing – one for beginners, one for advanced students – were followed in the afternoon by a two-hour roundtable hosted by Lady Elska á Fjárfella. A dozen brewers happily spent time tasting and discussing samples of their craft.

• Fiber and textile arts classes were so abundant that they nearly filled two entire tracks! Classes on everything from spinning, knitting, and tablet weaving to bookmarks, silk banners, and printed textiles made it difficult to choose which to attend and which to miss.

• Youth-friendly classes made learning accessible and fun for children of all ages (these classes even attracted adults unaccompanied by minors!). Young scholars made Italian desserts, played period games, created a Viking pouch, and printed designs on fabric. One of the classes – Period Games for Youth — was taught by Their Highnesses’ pre-teen sons, Douglas and Timothy the Younger.

• The large indoor gym provided space all day for small-group and one-on-one instruction in the martial arts. On one side, fencers honed their skills with the blade while on the other, heavy fighters squared off to teach and learn.

For those who craved a smattering of learning, the schedule included topics to tempt almost every taste. Accessories, Embroidery, Food, Literary Arts, Music, Soap-making and more were represented. Make-and-take classes as well as history and service-oriented classes were offered.

Many of the classes had never been offered at Æcademy before. For some teachers, this was their first time teaching at Æcademy; for a few, this was their first-ever teaching experience.

A testament to the excellent offerings on the schedule and to the event staff’s terrific publicity, attendance was nearly double what was expected.  Kudos to the event staff – particularly the kitchen crew – for being so welcoming and accommodating.

Following the end of classes, Their Majesties capped the day with a court that had everyone in stitches. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

We hope you will reserve Saturday, June 17, 2017, and plan to attend the next session of Æthelmearc Æcademy and War College, which will be held in the Shire of Angel’s Keep (central New York / Auburn NY).