Foolscap is a new kind of convention.

We bring together writers, artists, fans, thinkers and crafters to create a weekend-long conversation about the things that excite us. Everyone is interesting at Foolscap. By bringing together a community of diverse interests and experiences, we make a space where we all learn from each other.

Why We're Different:
Participatory Programming

At Foolscap, we create the program at the convention.

Before the convention, our programming team creates a schedule and fills in a small number of key events — things like Guest of Honor presentations, a radio play, or our annual auction. We leave the rest of the weekend schedule open, to be filled in at planning sessions held at the convention itself. We won't know in advance everything that will happen, but previous conventions have included programming like PowerPoint Karaoke, How to Fan Without Killing Each Other, and Creative Artificial Intelligence. Take a look at some past schedules to get a sense of the topics that people like you have brought to previous Foolscaps.

Everyone has a voice.

We invite you to propose program items at the convention itself. Once we have all the proposals, everyone votes for the items they'd like to see. We take as many of the most popular items as we can fit in the schedule.

To build programming, all you need to do is show up.

We organize the programming multiple times during the convention, to give more people a chance to get involved. Come with ideas for discussions you'd like to see, something you'd like to share or demonstrate yourself, or just show up at the planning to vote on other people's suggestions. You might find you have a new idea on the spot!

Everyone Is Interesting

Instead of looking for experts and planning the event around them, we welcome everyone to share what they know. We never know what we'll get, but it's always a pleasure to find out together.

We choose our Guest of Honor by looking for someone who will inspire the convention – not someone who is more interesting than other people, but  someone who will spark everyone around them to see new things.

We work to make sure everyone has a voice, so we put effort into moderating discussions. We take care to keep the loudest voices from dominating and to allow even unpopular opinions to be shared respectfully with people who want to listen.

Respectful Discussion

To foster the kind of open communication we want, we've created an Unacceptable Behavior Policy that we work to improve, as well as some common-sense rules. Our aim is to create a space for respectful conversations of any sort, where everyone's voice is valued and everyone's integrity is respected.