ayA Con
áyA Con is a comic and arts festival celebrating nerd culture and cultural heritage. Held at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building in the heart of Denver, Colorado. This year the dates will be from October 4th through October 6th with an educators day on the 4th. All are welcome to join us in a full weekend of connection, art and Indigeneity hosted by North American Indigenous peoples!
Our event focuses on sharing perspectives, celebrating differences and connecting through a shared love for art and nerd culture! We cultivate relationships and community building through opportunity and place holding. Our festival highlights comics and storytelling, illustration, traditional arts, fashion, performance and more!
Schedule:
Saturday October 5th, 2024
Panels & Drop in art activities
10am Sensory friendly art making:
Drop in for a relaxing morning of sensory friendly art making with Nicholas Haag from the Denver Art Museum.
11am Exquisite Corpse:
Do you like to write or draw? An Exquisite Corpse is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Become your own doctor Frankenstein by dropping into this activity!
12pm Designing Creatures and Costumes for the Multi-Verse:
Learn all about the process, challenges and joys of designing creatures and characters for Meow Wolf.
1pm The World Needs Your Story: A crash course on professional writing and publishing
This panel will discuss the basics of the various areas aspiring authors need to know: developing voice, polishing your work, researching agents, queries, the various publishing models, market research and book marketing, and staying sane while you do it all. In the interest of time, each of these topics will be covered in brief with resources on how to find out more. Participants from all backgrounds are welcome.
2pm Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse Rez Style:
Ever wondered what would happen if a zombie apocalypse broke out? Join special guest Johnnie Jae in this gritty panel about survival.
3pm Viscera of Emotion: Horror as a vehicle for the Indigenous Experience
Film boards and organization have provided support for Indigenous filmmakers, but this has largely been in support of documentaries. While documentaries can present facts, fiction-- particularly horror--allows audiences to sink into what the late Mi'kmaq director Jeff Barnaby called the "viscera of emotion in the moment." Using an analysis of Native horror films like Slash/Back and Blood Quantum, this panel will explore how the horror genre is particularly well suited to addressing and exposing audiences to the realities of the Indigenous experience, as well as way for Native creatives to reclaim our histories and stories.
4pm Cosplay Craft hour:
Drop in for some simple cosplay crafts and accessory making!
Outdoor Stage Performances
11am - Chimaltonalli Danza Azteca
2pm - Indigenous Corperation 5280
4:40pm - Butane Bison
5pm - Dead Pioneers
