The Light Between - An update
As winter thaws in upstate New York and plants begin pushing forward toward a productive summer, the North American Youth Section is also moving forward with big intentions for the coming season. Members of the 2025 'The Light Between Youth Conference’ planning team have just finished our third in-person gathering, bringing together collaborators from all over the United States to finalize the offerings of the August conference.
Held close to the woodfire stove in the upper level of the Free Columbia workshop, new posters were drawn, songs were sung, coffee drunk, cookies crumbled, and perhaps a bit too much time was spent laughing while trying to film important footage.
The purpose of our recurring in-person gatherings is to cultivate a space for us to reconnect with the intention of the conference. The shared thread that runs through all the members of the NAYS is expressed simply in the subtitle of the conference: Questions, Craft, Community.
In the modern age, it is not uncommon amongst young people, ourselves included, to experience a yearning for these 3 elements of life. By inviting Orland Bishop, a speaker who has inspired and provoked deep thought in each of us, we aim to make meaningful questions and conversations more accessible to everyone attending.
In addition to the offerings from us as craftspeople, the conference will feature workshops led by professionals in their fields, including blacksmiths, ceramicists, and many others. These workshops will allow opportunities for participants to experience the morning's questions through their hands, their actions and their creations.
And the third, and arguably most important element of the conference, is community. One of the most called-for qualities of today’s youth. Ultimately, this conference, and everything we put into it, holds no value if it’s not brought together in community. In song and dance, in sharings laughter, support, and even opposition.
It is in this spirit of community that we’re reaching out to you, hoping that you will share this gathering with anyone you think might be inspired by it—or who could inspire others with their presence. We are also actively working towards a fundraising goal of $7,500 in our GoFundMe to support travel costs and ticket fees of those in need and welcome any financial support, be that in the form of a donation or sharing the fundraiser with someone who may be able to contribute.
Learn more and support us here.
Thank you!