SC - Long...How to run a cooking symposium An Tir style

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

Hi all from Anne-Marie
kat asks about running a cooking symposium.
I have taught cooking classes, and organized symposiums, collegiums and
Ithra sessions of all sizes and flavors (including the classes at 3YC). How
we do it here in An Tir may not be how you do it wherever you are, but
maybe you can glean some helpful info from this. Also, please realize that
I tend to plan things within an inch of their lives. i don't like suprises,
and am happiest when I know what's going on.

1. As an instructor I am happiest if I know exactly how many I need to plan
for. This tells me how many handouts I need to have, how many recipes to
have ready and how much food to buy. It also allows me to have a budget and
not take it in the shorts when only three peopel show up for the class.

2. Sometimes a session is run so that there is no pre-registration, so you
have no idea how many students will be in the class, paying the fees. As
the autocrate/organizer/Chancellor, can you cover an difference between
reciepts and clas income? ie, "OK, get supplies for 10 students. If you get
les than that, the event can eat the difference". That way the poor
isntructor won't get stuck with a bunch of costs.

3. Carefully schedule the kitchen and make sure the instructors know what
time is theirs. I've taught classes where I thought I had an oven, but it
turns out the roast fromthe last class was in there, so I had no oven after
all. Make sure the instructors know that their class slot includes clean up
time, and that the kitchen is to be left ready for the next instructor.
Ditto with the equipment/pots/pans/etc.

4. Strongly encourage instructors to provide a handout. If nothing else,
with a bibliography. Ideally, a set of the recipes to be used in class. 

5. Ideally, instructors should be responsible for providing all their own
materials, including grocieries. You'll have enough to do. In one case, I
flew in from Seattle to teach at a Western Collegium, and so one of the
event staff (bless her heart and soul!) did my grocery shopping for me from
a very detailed list (I gave brand names when I could, and if it was wierd
stuff, i just stuffed it into my luggage). 

6. I find that cooking classes work best if you have four hours. This is
time for a short lecture on history, sources, etc, time for reading through
the recipes together and answering questions, plenty of time for cooking
and plenty of time for eating and clean up. I've done them in two hours,
but that's with already reconstructed recipes and me riding shotgun on them
the whole time to keep on track, quick playing with the marzipan and then
eating on their own lunch hour. Lecture classes can be done in any length
of time. I've delivered lectures from 15 minutes to four hours long (ugh). 

7. I highly recommend publishing info on the classes in your newletter, in
a catelog, or something so folks can see what great classes you're offering
and hopefully come. You'll want to include the time, who the instructor is
and a fascinating blurb about the class explaining why you just don't want
to miss this. Oh, and the class fees, if any, and what the student will get
for that money.

I'm sure there's lots more I can say about this...just ask. Oh, and don't
forget to have fun! :)
- --Anne-Marie
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