Meet Auckland's New Anti-Seminar Workshop Series

From the folks behind the Everything's Fucked discussion series.
Annie Hollister-Jones
October 27, 2017

If you're a PowerPoint junkie who prefers to spend your time cooped up in a stuffy room, eating warm mini quiches and listening to a monotone voice more boring then a buzzing fridge, stop reading now. However, if the above makes you want to wash your skin of any trace of seminar secretions, do read on.

Skull Sessions (otherwise known as the anti-seminar) are a string of unconventional workshops run by creatives for creatives, designed to actually teach you something. Gone are the days of creating a pile of rubber shavings on your desk to preserve your sanity. Katie Kerr and Samuel Walsh, the organisers of the events, say they are, "hoping to provide an alternative platform for professional development, one that fully immerses attendees in an intimate, hands-on environment devoid of PowerPoint presentations, portfolio talks or stuffy conference rooms."

Dominic "Tourettes" Hoey, will kick off Skull Sessions on November 3, with Love Letters, Treasure Maps and Ransom Notes. The rapper, poet, and published author will cover everything from the guts of creative writing, to the secrets of failure and how to outclass writer's block.

The second session I Can't Draw Horses on November 24 is led by Toby Morris. Best known for his Pencilsword series, he will explore why good ideas always matter and why perfection doesn't. The third workshop is planned with Bruce Connew (New Zealand photography royalty) on November 17. Furthermore, to really wet your paintbrush, there will be a second round of Skull Sessions in February. Spoiler alert: it will feature "no men" and "less white people".

Workshops are split into morning theory sessions and afternoon practical sessions, where you will be served a learning smorgasbord of historical and cultural references, lightbulb moments, field trips and even a cheeky bit of kai.

Classes are $300 and purposefully limited to ten participants so a wiggle-on is required for anyone who is keen to attend. They will be held at Strange Haven, 281 Karangahape Road. If you want to know more information or to simply check that you won't be blindsided by a cold mince pie, contact Katie or Sam at [email protected].

Published on October 27, 2017 by Annie Hollister-Jones
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