Whatcha Doing? Or: Event Styles & You.

If you’re new to the world of living history, or just beginning to expand your event participation, you may run into some terminology regarding different types of activities. It can sometimes feel like a whole new dialect! Here’s a brief summary to get you started:

Mainstream: Let’s get this one out of the way first, because it has both indistinct and spurious connotations, and isn’t one you’re going to hear a lot these days, due to the “indistinct” problem. What it does have:

• Costumed participants, though there will not generally be a written set of material culture guidelines, and historically accuracy will vary widely with participants based on their knowledge and comfort level.
• Spectators, who will or will not expect interaction with costumed participants. Spectators may have to pay an entry fee, or not, depending on the event.
• Registration fees for participants, typically; these fees usually go to provide amenities like portalets (and hopefully, servicing!), potable water, sometimes even firewood.
• Registration is often by larger-club group registration, without accommodation for solo citizens or citizen-only groups.
• A variety of generic and specialty impressions, of varying degrees of research, as well as some who do not choose to undertake any impression or demonstration or interactions at all.
• Some standardized activities, such as 2-3 pre-planned military skirmishes each day, and things like a “ladies tea” or fashion show, and a dance (misnamed a “ball”) in the evening.
• “Mixed” camping settings are common, with families in military areas, and military roaming without period paperwork; there may or may not be any expectation of maintaining historical material culture in camping areas or foodways.
• No expectation of maintaining impressions or interpretive voice when public visitors are not present.
• Vendors often present; misnamed “Sutlers”, and found to have widely varying product accuracy, largely catering to spectators or participants who may not be concerned with historical accuracy.

In the 1990s, and into the new century, the term “mainstream” was sometimes used pejoratively to describe public events that did little to interpret accurate historical information. These events do still exist.

However, and gladly, there are many more options for historical events!

Timeline Events

• Open to the public, who may or may not pay an entry fee.
• Participants may pay a fee to cover site use, insurance, and amenities. Registration may be individual or by groups. There may or may not be written material culture expectations.
• Some specialty impressions, demonstrators, or presenters may receive a bounty, honorarium, or financial consideration for their participation.
• Individually-selected impressions, interactions, and demonstrations along a timeline of eras, either within a narrow time window (such as pre-1869 Western Emigration), or along an extensive span.
• Generally no over-arching event scenario, though there may be a theme to the event, such as showing homefront life, or celebrating a holiday through the eras; the overall theme unites the displays and interactions for the public.
• Most interpretive voices are acceptable (first, second, and third); public interaction is expected, and within scenario or impression groups, first-person interactions and short scenarios may be expected.
• Timeline events run the gamut of extremely accurate history, all the way down to “doing stuff that’s sorta loosely inspired by history in public.”
• Vendors may be present, but will generally be there to serve the needs of the visiting public and souvenir market, with some items for historical people; may or may not be juried.
• Related to timeline events are what I call “Smorgasbord” events: dealing within a specific and limited time-frame, but very open-ended as to styles of interaction, specifics of impression and demonstration, and material culture expectations. Smorgasbord events are ideal for “carpe eventum” situations, wherein a small group of like-minded folks coordinate an event-within-event with a first-person scenario for their own enjoyment and often for public education. The historical accuracy of such carpe eventum runs the gamut, dependent upon the specific small group.

Conferences & Conventions (& Retreats)

• Open to living history enthusiasts, academics, writers, makers, and the public
• Conferences with presentations and workshops will not generally have historical dress required (or even encouraged, when space is tight), though there may be some special costumed events as part of the conference schedule. Basically: if there’s a modern folding chair and powerpoint presentations, it’s a conference setting and modern clothing is going to be just fine.
• Conventions may have more scope for historical dressing, even when historical activities are not being done in the historical clothing. There’s an element of See And Be Seen to strolling a convention or exhibit hall, after all!
• Conferences and conventions will typically have a higher participation or entry fee, to cover the event expenses with a smaller number of participants. There may be extra workshops or experiences for which there is an additional cost.
• Vendors are often present; some events jury vendors (vetting for historical research and application, and specifying which wares an individual merchant can bring). Others do not jury vendors. If you know the standards of the organizers are high, and the vendor spaces are juried, conferences and conventions can be amazing places to view top-notch material culture and make really informed buying choices.
• Special events related to the experience can run the gamut from costumed historical activities (picnics, dancing, dining, garden or house tours, etc) to historic preservation efforts (modern clothing expected) and historic skills experiences (which may be a mixed bag for clothing–some modern, some historic.) Event organizers will generally be quite clear as to the expected clothing needs for different experiences at the event.
• Well-planned conferences and educational weekends are very clear on their offerings, the realities of the program and facilities, and whom the program target; most recognize that we are all beginners at something, and are designed to meet both entry-level and advanced interests.
• Smaller retreats are often sponsored by small groups of like-minded individuals who lead or bring in an instructor for a long weekend of learning and practical experience. These are typically modern settings, modern clothing, and no first person expected from participants–they are learning events, not interpretive events.

Semi-Immersion Events

• May or may not have a public attendance and interaction component; the visitors may or may not pay an entry fee.
• Participants usually expect to help cover costs (potable water, sanitation, shared food, shared event amenities). Registration is generally individual or by families, and will usually involve submitting photos and descriptions of individual impressions for approval well before the event.
• Semi-immersion events depend upon the participants’ mutual suspension of disbelief to overlook modern intrusions to the historical setting.
• Generally, first-person interpretive voice is expected when interacting with fellow participants and visitors.
• There may be limited to no “off-stage” areas or times; participants should expect to use accurate historical material culture and processes for all personal needs (exclusive of some things like keeping insulin at safe temperatures; these medical accommodations fall into the “be considerate and discreet” category).
• An over-arching event scenario unites all impressions and interactions; this scenario will require individuals to adapt their typical range of impressions to suit the interpretive needs of the event.
• Roles are often functional, serving the interpretive goals as well as the material needs of the participants. Active cooking and cleaning, hauling, harvesting, tool-mending, gardening, manufacture, and other life tasks are common.
• Semi-immersion events tend to have extensive pre-event planning and support, and can be a wonderful entry to history-heavy experiences for newer living history enthusiasts. The support of more experienced participants is extensive and… supportive.
• Vendor presence is not typical; some semi-immersion events have a separate area for food vendors for the visiting public, but it should not be in the historical area.

Immersion Events

• Typically individual registration is required, and fees go to cover shared amenities. Registration is generally limited and targeted at those who are known to enjoy and be skilled at full immersion.
• These events do not have a visible public visitor component, though they may be held in typically public spaces and require some willing suspension of disbelief to ignore modern intrusions, though usually, modern intrusions are deliberately eliminated or reduced as much as possible.
• No backstage or off-hours; participants maintain their impressions and personas round-the-clock. Medical accommodations are handled in the “considerate and discreet” manner of semi-immersion events.
• An over-arching scenario guides and molds all impressions and interactions; organizers may give individuals differing goals and motivations to help spark natural interactions through the event.
• Roles are almost always functional, serving the material needs of the participants and scenario. Impressions are carefully planned to create a coherent community for the event.
• Generally no vendor presence, unless in the form of an actual historical livelihood bartering or trading historical currency forms within the scope of the event scenario.
• Event scenarios, impression vetting, and research support is something that happens early and often.
• Immersion events are most often a once-off. While there may be a series of linked immersion events over time, it is not typical to do the same scenarios in each, and there may never be a repeat of the specific set-up.

Invitation Only

Here’s the way to get an invitation to an invitation-only event: contact the organizers and ask for an invitation. They’ll generally respond with extensive information and a request for descriptions and images of your impression, and will require the same from every participant.

Invitation Only doesn’t mean it’s an exclusionary event group; it simply means registration is highly individualized, and designed to create a very compatible and cohesive event community.

The Really Special Events

This is a whole ‘nother bag of cats related to immersion and invitation-only events, wherein a small group plans a first-person experience that involves historical settings and activities in as much of an historical way as possible.

These typically have higher individual registration costs, as they factor in shared rental of a historic property, catering, and experiences. There is not generally a public interaction or interpretive component, but first-person impressions are normal and sustained.

Event framework might involve hiking and recreation, travel, community-building, crisis experiences, or other fairly deep “experiment in history” components, which then inform the individual’s future interpretive communication.

Pre-event research and support are common.

Even if the event is repeated, the activities, mix of personalities, and details will generally change each time, to keep it fresh and interesting.

Summing Up

When it comes right down to it, no one style is the be-all, end-all of event structure! What matters is whether or not the event has clarity about itself, and whether that structure is something that sounds like your idea of fun.

If you love demonstrating a craft or art, but don’t like play-acting, then timeline and smorgasbord events are a fantastic fit for you!

If you like to “live in the past” and don’t want to deal with communicating in sound-bites to the public, immersion and small “boutique” events are more your game.

If you don’t much want to do public interaction or first-person with others, but you love learning about the past, a wide array of educational conferences, conventions, and retreats is right up your alley.

Get clarity about the sorts of things you call “fun”, find events that share that clarity, and dive into your own history!