Yes, but you must have already registeredThere is NO onsite registration on the days of the conference. The Conference Fee will apply to day attendees, and we are so pleased that there are two free (and wonderful!) public events this year (on Friday night and Saturday night). Everyone is very welcome at both of these presentations (so invite all your friends!). .
All meals are included through an arrangement with the Hilton (Thursday dinner through Sunday lunch). We did this to encourage lots of opportunities to consult informally and to facilitate the kind of group intimacy a closed campus affords. There will be options at each meal for vegetarians, and you are encouraged to be in touch with us if you have specific dietary needs.
With our current resources, maximum capacity is around 100 participants. We may find that it would make sense to either increase or decrease our numbers in the future. It is our hope that the smaller size of the conference will contribute to the social and spiritual intimacy and the depth of consultation.
Early on, we realized that we couldn’t do everything well. For this year we’ve decided to concentrate on networking and adult workshops. Of course youth are more than welcome to come and participate in the general program.
I can only come if I bring my children. What do I do?
We are happy to arrange child care for those who require it, but there will be no scheduled children’s program. Please contact us at wings@innisfree.com if you need child care.
This is our second Wings to the Spirit Conference, and we are still considering every feature of this event as an experiment, to try to find out if YOU want to continue this process and if so, how? An annual conference might be a wonderful idea, or we might all decide that smaller, regional meetings can support the ideas and networking that we hope are generated this year. Your involvement in the consultation opportunities that are built into the schedule as well as your evaluation feedback will help determine what happens next.
Three of us live in the general vicinity, but more importantly we have “contacts” at the Hilton Garden Inn that allow us a discounted rate for accommodation and meeting space. We also appreciate that the beach represents a place of relaxation and beauty.
The idea of bringing artists together started as a small seed idea years ago. At least two of us talked about it together often. Somehow 2006/07 seemed to be the year to DO something. The rest of us organically drew together at the September 2006 Tennessee Baha’i School where we decided we would work together to develop this project as an individual initiative.
We know that the arts can play a critical role in conveying the spirit of the Baha’i Faith to those we hope to teach. We have been told:
“The day will come when the Cause will spread like wildfire when its spirit and teachings will be presented on the stage or in art and literature as a whole.”
(Shoghi Effendi, 10 October 1932, to an individual).
We also know that the artistic preparation of environments for Feast, Devotional meetings, and our own homes can facilitate an appreciation of beauty, reverence and celebration.
What Baha'i institution is sponsoring this conference?
This conference is a group "individual initiative" and so is not directly sponsored by any Baha'i institution. However, we have received invaluable assistance from the Baha'is of Gulf Breeze, and are grateful to have the encouragement and support of the Southern Regional Baha'i Council in this endeavor.
We are a group of six Baha’i women in Florida, Alabama and Georgia who share a yearning to create an event that will connect artists, and those who love the arts, with ideas and with each other. We are:
Got a question that isn't covered here? Email us at wings@innisfree.com. We can't guarantee your question will make it onto the FAQ, but we do promise to read every email.
