Chair's Update
So far so good*. Aka let us try not to speak in cliches
I always struggle with things like this. I look at a blank screen and wonder what a Chair’s Update actually is. Then I reflect on the brilliant work the team are doing. We’re two months out and it’s all starting to come together. Nearly two years of talking, planning and work. Countless conversations around ‘shall we do X’ or ‘let’s approach person Y’ and so on. Hundreds of collective hours doing our best to build the best possible Eastercon we can for all of you.
Right now, I could talk about how much our teams are doing to nail down the logistics, how much we’re doing to make all this happen.
But. The thing is. We all do this for a reason. Not glory or money. We do this because we are a community. We are for some, a collection of friends. And for more it’s not just that. This is where many have found our, well, found families. For better or worse, we are a community that shares not just a love of SFF but a set of values. Tolerance, inclusivity, kindness, empathy amongst others, things that are of ever greater importance. Eastercon is where we all gather in the space where we get to be who we are, without judgement or fear. Hope despite the times, good people. Hope despite the times.
We’re so looking forward to welcoming all of you.
Phil
PS Trans rights are human rights
*I use this phrase partly to annoy my committee. But mainly cos I can’t think of a better one
Programme Update
Very many thanks to all of you who sent in ideas for the programme – we have been enjoying reading all your creative thoughts and putting these together. We have tried to include as many as possible, and to create plenty of opportunities for you to take part. We’ll be talking about hope, fear, laws, and liminality; witches, prophets, robots, and animals; class, religion, climate, and politics; chemistry, archaeology, history, and art; and much much more!
By the time you read this, we will have released many of our proposed panels and other items onto PlanZ, our planning software, so that you can put yourself forward to take part in them. We have assigned some people to panels already, but there are lots of options still to choose from, so please do log in and tell us what you’d like to do, and a little bit about why.
All members are eligible to take part in programme. We have emailed everyone who filled out the programme ideas form with instructions on how to log in and start choosing items, and we also have instructions on the Programme page on the website for anyone who didn’t get that email.
Panels will be open for selection until 25th February, so you have until then to make your choices. We will do our best to include as many different people as possible. Please do note that being on PlanZ isn’t a guarantee that a panel will run, as it depends on the schedule and if enough people want to take part.
We’re contacting people who proposed talks, workshops, book launches, meetups, and similar items directly so we can arrange times for those, and then we’ll ask you to log into PlanZ to confirm your schedule.
Children's Programme
We have various items on programme that are either child-friendly or specifically for children to take part in. In particular, we are planning a session for any child who’d like to give a ten-minute talk (with slides if you want) about something they are passionate about, to a small and friendly audience. We’ve got three volunteers already but room for one or two more! Get in touch at programme@eastercon2026.org to let us know if you’d like to do this.
Also anyone under 16 who would like to be on a panel to talk about a recent book or film they have enjoyed, we’d love to hear from you!
The Art Show will also be celebrating children’s artworks created at the convention, with a display and an event where our Guests of Honour John and Serena will present prizes.
Member Portal
A couple of weeks before the convention we will be opening up our member portal. This will be your one-stop-shop for all the resources you should need during the convention, such as programme guide, maps, readme and more. It will also allow you to join our convention Discord to chat with other members about your latest special interest, as well as talk about specific programme items.
We will email and post on socials when it is live.
Access
Iridescence wants to make everyone’s experience of the convention as good as possible. If an accommodation will make it easier for you to attend and enjoy Iridescence, then please tell us! Please don’t self-exclude. You can email access@eastercon2026.org or update your access requirements in the members’ portal. To reach the members’ portal, click on Register and follow the instructions.
One such accommodation is the provision of mobility scooters at the venue for those members who need one. If you require the use of one and haven’t already let us know, then please email access@eastercon2026.org as soon as possible.
Likewise, we need to hear from you as soon as possible if you need a creche or similar childcare service at the convention. Please email access@eastercon2026.org
We are planning a site visit and accessibility audit similar to those made by the last few Eastercons (Reconnect in Belfast and Levitation in Telford). We hope to share that with you in the next Progress Report. In the meantime, Hilton Birmingham Metropole has a detailed Access Guide.
Blue Badge parking is available at the Hilton, but it is not free or discounted further from the reduced rate secured by the convention.
Volunteers
With 2 months left to go until Eastercon kicks off, if you’ve been thinking about volunteering – now is your chance!
However much you want to do, however much experience you have, there’s space in the team to help out. This can be before to con or at the con, or both if you’re keen! Just reach out to us via volunteers@eastercon2026.org, and we can help find the best spot in the team for you.
For those who’ve had a go before or know what they’d best like to do, we’d be particularly keen for people interested in volunteering in Access/Inclusion, Games, Logistics, Programme Ops and someone keen to help with Volunteer Co-ordination at the con.
If in doubt – reach out! And help make Eastercon (even more) excellent.
Bursary Scheme
Iridescence is really grateful to Glasgow 2024 for their generosity in providing match funding for the bursary scheme. This is in addition to the donations already generously made by convention members.
The scheme is open for one final round of applications, with a closing date of Friday 20 February. Details of how to apply can be found on our bursary page.
We are also still accepting donations for the fund. You can donate when you buy your membership or directly on the bursary page.
Art Show
We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for this year’s Art Show! We will have the work of more than forty artists on display, some of whom are new to Eastercons.
Please note that the show is now full. To join the waiting list, email artshow@eastercon2026.org
- Jackie and Tim Duckworth.
Dealers and Fan Tables
It has been a busy January for the Dealers room. The end of December saw the deadline for completing the Googleform to express interest and may dealers and fan groups showed an interest.
In early January we sent out an email telling those who were successful in securing a spot that they had until the 1st of Feb to confirm they still wanted the place. Most did and now we have what looks like it will be a very bustling Dealer’s space.
In all we have 32 different dealers wanting to sell their wares. They range from well known stalwarts like NewCon Press, Wizard Tower Press and Books on the Hill to smaller traders and single authors. Local writing group, New Street Authors are also making an appearance with a list of books by members and their anthology of stories set in the local area. As well as books, we also have showings from artists, crafters and T shirt sellers like Genki Gear.
If you want to sign up for a future con or join a fan or writing group, we also have stalls from Dublin 2029, Norn Con, Nuremberg, Satellite 9, Edmonton 2030, LAcon V 2026 and an as yet un-named future Eastercon (the mystery deepens). The BSFA and BFS will also be in attendance and the League of Fan Funds have promised something spectacular, big enough to require three whole tables!
Until the next update, I am going to bury myself back into a pile of multicoloured spreadsheet cells while I try to solve the 4D chess that is trying to fit them all into a finite space.
- David Lascelles
Doc Weir Award
Do you know someone in fandom who helps to make things happen, contributing time, effort, ideas and support – often behind the scenes?
That might mean that they’ve already won the Doc Weir Award (you can see a list of recipients , and more information what they’ve done, at https://efanzines.com/DocWeir/). But it might mean you just think they must have done, until you check.
Named in memory of Dr Arthur Rose ‘Doc’ Weir and first presented in 1963, the Award offers some recognition for the community activities
that can seem to go unnoticed. It’s been won by authors, booksellers and many fans: fanzine editors, convention runners, club organisers, and other people who just do stuff; winners have included specialists who contribute in a particular role at every opportunity, people who help out all over the place in a variety of ways, and most points in between. It’s not necessarily an award for conrunning in general or Eastercon-running in particular, although that’s often been included among a winner’s activities. But by long tradition it is voted on and announced at the Eastercon each year.
Christine Davidson, the 2025 winner, will be co-ordinating the voting and presentation this time, and members of Iridescence will be able to vote during the con.
Full info will follow in our next update!
Fan Funds Assemble!
Do you know someone in Europe who would be a great representative of SF fandom, meeting new people and catching up with existing contacts overseas, and telling the rest of us all about it? Could you be that person yourself?
The Going Under Fan Fund (GUFF) is planning to send a delegate to Swancon 50, this year’s Australian national convention, which will be held from 29 May to 1 June. Time is quite tight to hold a race and make arrangements for the trip, so nominations close soon and voting would take place before Iridescence. You can find the latest news and how to get involved at https://taff.org.uk/guff.html
Meanwhile, the European Fan Fund (EFF) has opened nominations for a race within Europe to attend Metropol Con, the 2026 Eurocon, at the beginning of July – see https://effund.github.io/ Nominations are open until 15 March, and voting will continue until the end of April; you’ll be able to vote in person at Iridescence, as well as online, if there are candidates to make a race.
The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) is another step ahead, with a race already under way to bring a delegate from North America to the Eurocon too; see https://taff.org.uk/ for the latest information. Voting will continue until shortly after Iridescence, 7 April, and again you’ll be able to vote there as well as online.
All the fan funds will also be raising money at Iridescence to support these trips, and there’ll be more news in the next progress report. Thanks to everyone who’s already been in touch about donating strange and/or wonderful items for auction or other fundraising; if you’d like to contribute something too, thank you – and please do contact us ASAP at leagueff.uk@gmail.com, to help us manage donations and fundraising at Easter and beyond.
Iridescence Committee
The Chair - Phil Dyson
The Money - Phil Nanson
The Secretary - Caroline Mersey
The Programme - Virginia Preston
The Tech - James ‘JT’ Turner
The Website - James Shields
The IT Wrangler - J C Clarke
The Comms - Meg MacDonald
Current Membership Rates
Adult Attending (18+) £90
Low Income Attending (18+) - £50
Child/Teen (7-17) - £20
Infant (0-6) - Free
Supporting (includes Virtual) - £40
Apocryphal - £2