PSi will be offering a fuller picture of 2021 in our next update to registered members. For now and in this forum, I am sharing a placeholder peek into what we’re working on during these unprecedented times.
The 2021 Rijeka conference team and stream curators are working towards a visionary blended conference event that will be scaled and scheduled in response to continuing pandemic developments. PSi is furthermore collaborating with our Working Groups to facilitate a rich program of activity in the coming year (overseen by the Working Group Directors Jennifer Nikolai and Bruce Barton). The planning of these activities is in development and subject to changing circumstances, so please do keep an eye out for updates and opportunities in the first months of the new year.
The PSi community is made up of our valued members, and we recognize that many are facing challenging circumstances during the pandemic. PSi is thus offering a Pay-What-You-Can Annual Membership fee option for 2021. Note that all participants in PSi events (at or in between conferences) are required to be registered members of the organization. Please visit psi-web.org “Get Involved” to become a member or renew your membership.
The PSi Board of Directors is working behind the scenes to adapt our organization to a changing future. Since the summer, two committees have studied:
1) transglobal approaches to race and antiracism (facilitated by Sean Metzger), and
2) innovative approaches to blended and online knowledge exchange (facilitated by Pil Hansen).
Thus prepared, the Board of Directors and members of the Futures Advisory Board have completed a fast-tracked strategic planning process that involved the following actions: consulting with individual stakeholder groups; mapping the strengths, potentials, and challenges of the organization; identifying strategic priorities; and developing new initiatives that act on these priorities over time. (This process was led by Pil and supported by the PSi planning assistant Kath Blair.) PSi is looking forward to sharing our vision for renewed and inclusive forms of engagement with PSi members in 2021.
Pil and Jazmin Llana (Vice President) are also working with PSi’s future conference hosts to navigate pandemic and post-pandemic realities.
Finally, Pil and Chris Wenn (Website Director) engaged Web Designer Neil Christensen to reconstruct PSi’s website in a more stable form. The newly built site is now online and fully functional. More pages will be added by Caitlin Main (Website Editorial Assistant) as they are developed.
Wishing you all the best in the New Year,
Pil Hansen
President, Performance Studies international
Pil