SESSION 1
LIVE: 9AM - 10AM
AUSTEN’S GLOBAL FASHION INDUSTRY: COMMUNITIES, CRIME AND COLONIES
Presented by Hilary Davidson
The world of Regency clothing in which Jane Austen lived and wrote depended on networks of people and material connections. Far from being an isolated island of fashion, Britain’s style brought together a huge range of legal and illegal interconnections that reached around the globe. This talk explores some of the surprising ways clothes were made, traded, smuggled and influenced, and traces these international links back to the heart of the Austen family. Personal and official connections played important roles in getting fashionable goods to Britons, either across the Channel or across the world. As clothing and textiles often originated in colonial and neighbouring areas, the ‘foreign’ had far-reaching influences on everyday British dress.
SESSION 2
LIVE: 10.20AM - 11.20AM
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP: EXPLORING AUSTEN’S LITERARY LEGACY
Presented by Bonnets at Dawn
Join Lauren and Hannah from the podcast Bonnets at Dawn, as they talk about the authors that inspired Jane Austen, and how Austen influenced the work of other classic women writers including Elizabeth Gaskell and Anne Brontë. Audience members are encouraged to don Regency attire and participate in a make your own bonnet challenge using shower caps, ribbons, tin foil, flowers, and any other materials one might find around the house. Have your material ready, work as you listen, and send us pictures of your improvised bonnet - prizes will be awarded by our Bonnets at Dawn guest judges. (Tag us on Instagram: #AustenCon2020 and #BonnetsAtAustenCon2020)
SESSION 3
LIVE: 11.40AM - 12.40PM
AUSTEN AND LANDSCAPE
Presented by Jo Russell-Clarke
An introduction to the landscapes of Austen’s writings. These rich and precise descriptions are important as contemporary records of a significant era in English garden history. But they are also effective literary props; settings that are powerful counterpoints to the drama and emotional state of the characters. This includes a fun drawing session! Along with using whatever painting and drawing materials you have to hand at home, some prepared base drawings will be available beforehand to download to enable you to interpret and recreate scenes from Pride and Prejudice. Prizes awarded for the most faithful and most witty pictures.
SESSION 4
LIVE: 1PM - 2PM
PERFORMING TO STRANGERS - READING NEURODIVERGENCE IN PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Presented by Hannah Aroni and James Matthews of A_tistic
Join Hannah and James as they consider what it might mean to read both Mr Collins and Mr Darcy as autistic, and talk about their work creating a neurodivergent retelling of Pride and Prejudice. We'll be looking at the text as a study of social survival strategies in the piranha pool of the English aristocracy; an examination of the interplay of deliberate rebellion and unintended discordance; and an opportunity to consider how we might understand neurodivergence before it had that name. Get ready to reconsider how you think about romance, autisticness, and maybe even the essence of interpersonal relationships!
SESSION 5
LIVE: 2.20PM - 3.20PM
AUSTEN-TWISTED CABARET AND BURLESQUE
Presented by Bradley Storer, Sonia Marcon, Lore Burns, Stephanie Rose and Creatrix Tiara
Melbourne performers bring their unique perspectives to themes in Austen’s work.
SESSION 6
LIVE: 3.30PM - 5PM
BEGINNER REGENCY DANCE LESSON
Presented by Jane Bullock
Regency dancing is the perfect socially distanced activity! Fun and energetic, can be practised in your living room with no one else around, to get you ready for the next ball. This session is perfect for beginners and newbies.
Clear a space, grab your water bottle, and put on your flat, non-slip dancing shoes!
Australian Eastern Daylight Times