Traditionally, there is really only one way to gain higher art awards in Amtgard, that is by entering an Arts and Sciences (A&S) Tourney. Unfortunately, these are not everyone's cup of tea. From logistical problems to higher levels of anxiety, to entrants outright quitting the game or their art from unkind feedback. 

From this unease born the Showcase, which is a lower-stakes art exhibition, but lacks the feedback that is valuable from the A&S Tourney.

I propose a third option. To be run either online or in-person. The Feedback Forum is a chance to show off your artwork, even your works-in-progress to experts within your craft. These are informal talks in small groups or one on one, where valuable skills, connections, and support within our community will be forged. The goal of this is to pass on valuable tips and provide feedback to people who are new to a craft, or are looking to better their craft, for either entry into the two other types of exhibitions. Think of this as a more informal mentorship that may last for only a video call, or a chat in person, or an entire lifetime. If you believe that information and skills should be hoarded and never shared or passed to others, this is not going to be the right place for you.

The Feedback Forum consists of two types of people:

Scholar:

This is the person seeking feedback, who is open to learning tips and advice from people who have expertise within that field. You should bring your artwork or work-in-progress with you to the Feedback Forum, and be open for both positive and areas-for-growth feedback. 


Counselor: 

This is the expert. They have a lot of experience in creating artwork in a given field, entering tourneys, and judging experience. This does not mean that they are highly-awarded, however. Awards are subjective, and dependent on location, and many people fall between the cracks and do not get awarded for their work (EVERYONE NEEDS TO RECOMMEND PEOPLE FOR AWARDS!). You do not need to be a Master or Serpent Knight to be a Counselor. What you should be is open to helping our A&S community grow by helping others, and finding joy when others succeed. We do not need more gatekeepers. You should bring an open mind and be ready to give feedback face-to-face.


You Can be Both a Scholar and a Counselor

Just because you have expertise in one craft does not mean you should stop seeking knowledge in other crafts. Everyone should be a life long learner.


This whole idea is part of the Online Academy of Knowledge which holds periodic online (via zoom), and generally recorded classes on a variety of subjects.