Approaching GG Deadlines!

With under 10 weeks to go until the next Canadian National Pagan Conference, Gaia Gathering in Montreal, May 20 to 23rd, some key deadlines are approaching that we wanted to remind you about:

• end of early bird registration
• deadline to apply for travel subsidies
• deadline to submit workshop proposals

Also, we also want to take this opportunity to update you on our plans for this year's event! So read on!

Event Overview
The dates this year are May 20th to 23rd (Victoria Day Weekend) and the theme will be "Language to Liturgy." This reflects the cultural diversity of Montreal, and reflects upon how language itself can affect our practices and beliefs.

We will be gathering at the downtown campus of Concordia University where the festivities will kick-off Friday in the afternoon with workshops, a multifaith panel, main ritual and a meet'n'greet. On Saturday and Sunday, we will have three streams of discussions and workshops during the day, as well as an afternoon of sharing chants and music. The stream of academic presentations will take place on Sunday. On Monday we have a brunch and the Annual General Meeting (AGM). We are also considering offering additional workshops or panel discussions.

From Friday to Sunday, we will have a large, sunny vending and socializing space right in the heart of the conference action, as well as an art show on Saturday and Sunday featuring the art works of local Pagan artists and those attending the conference. We are also planning social events and entertainment in the evenings at local pubs and restaurants, as well as unofficial events, like city tours, for out-of-towners arriving early or staying longer.

Our Guest Speakers this year are Lucie DuFresne from the University of Ottawa and Arin Murphy-Hiscock, a Montrealer and Pagan authour. More information about our speakers can be found here. Our invited guests for entertainment on Saturday night are the internationally acclaimed Dragon Ritual Drummers from London, Ontario.

Registration and Early Bird Deadline
Regular registration is $100 for the entire conference, including the Saturday night entertainment which is being paid for by fundraising done by the local Montreal Pagan community. Early Bird registration is $90 and ends on Wednesday March 23rd, 2011. Day passes are also available. Register online here.

Travel Subsidy
As usual, we have travel subsidy funds available for people who want to attend the conference but find the cost of getting there challenging. Montreal is so excited about welcoming Pagans from across the country that they have been fundraising for this fund. To date over $1200 has been raised! Details on how to apply for travel scholarship can be found here. The deadline to apply is March 20th, 2011.

Call for Workshops Proposals
We have several slots available for workshops and invite your proposals. Workshop topics should pertain to Paganism. The topic can be theoretical, practical, or a combination of both. We especially welcome topics pertaining to specialised knowledge or skills that may not be widely available in various Canadian Pagan communities. Gaia Gathering offers a unique opportunity for people who hold these skills and knowledge to share them with peers from across the country, who can then bring the knowledge home to their communities. Details on how to submit a workshop proposal can be found here and here. Deadline to submit your proposal is March 20th, 2011.

Panel and Roundtable Programming
The topics for the panel and roundtable discussions held at Gaia Gathering have always been determined collectively through discussions on our Yahoogroup and blog. This year discussion is also taking place on our Facebook page, as well as through discussion in the host city community. We invite you to join in!

Academic Call for Papers
The call for papers for our academic stream on Sunday went out to academic institutions and academically-focussed groups in December. There has been considerable interest from students, professors, and non-academic-affiliated scholars from across Canada and even as far away as Australia! Details on the call for papers for the Academic Stream can be found here. Deadline for the academic call is March 20th, 2011, to allow for peer review.

Vending
We have a bright sunny space for vending right in front of the conference rooms and beside the university cafeteria. The vending space will be open to non-conference participants. We have about a dozen vendors registered and paid, but still have a few limited spots available. Vending costs $60 per table and you must be registered as a conference attendee in order to vend. More details are available here.

Other Updates
The Montreal Pagan Resource Centre is coordinating an art show to be held in conjunction with the conference. The art show will be held in its own room, which will also house a community altar space for the duration of the conference.

Montreal is very excited about hosting Gaia Gathering and has been holding fundraisers every couple months to help make sure attendees have fun things to do at the conference, to offset registration fees for volunteers, and to contribute to the national subsidy fund. To date over $3000 has been raise. (Yes, you read that correctly). Wow! Fundraisers have also been held in Winnipeg and are planned in Halifax and Toronto.

Stay in Touch
If you want to stay on top of what's happening, please "like" us on Facebook, subscribe to our blog, or follow us on Twitter.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at: gaiagathering@yahoo.ca

We look forward to seeing you in Montreal!