Registration for the 18th International Symposium in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, is now open. The Symposium will be be August 6-11, 2018. Registration details can be found at www.internationalhandbells.org.
According to Symposium convenor Carmel Daveson, “The Symposium will open formally as the tropical sun sets on Monday 6 August 2018 and will conclude with the Gala Dinner on Saturday night, 11 August 2018.”
For the first time, the International Handbell Symposium will offer, as a concurrent event, an International Handchime Festival. Both these events will be preceded by an International Handbell Symposium Youth Festival, targeting youth ringers up to level 2+ and running from August 3-6.
The Symposium also offers a Non-ringing Delegate Programme that includes daily tours to some fantastic locations in the area. The non-ringing delegates will tour during the day and then join the ringing delegates for dinner at the convention centre.
Of the Symposium logo, Daveson says it, “represents a number of key elements that are true to the North Queensland culture and environment of Australia. The colour palette encompasses the hues of the coral that are found deep beneath the ocean of The Great Barrier Reef. The presence of our spiritual connection with our indigenous culture is also depicted in this logo. Traditional dot art painting is replicated as a pattern on the base of the logo, to show a solidarity and respect to our First Australians. Coral grows upwards from the base reaching the Daintree Rainforest fern. The draping fern is symbolic, showing us that the rainforest meets the reef.”