Spinning & Weaving Week is an international celebration of the craft that takes place annually the first week of October (October 4 - 10, 2027).

The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s (HGA) mission is to educate, support, and inspire the fiber art community. Each year, hundreds of fiber enthusiasts from around the world gather virtually for a week of learning, inspiration, conversation, and creative exchange through panels, talks, shopping, fashion shows, studio tours, networking events, and more. 

Art Sparks Sessions are taught by both internationally recognized fiber arts instructors and emerging voices bringing fresh perspectives to the field.

About Art Sparks Sessions

Art Sparks Sessions are sample classes or mini-workshops designed to introduce participants to a specific idea, technique, material, tool, or process in a focused and accessible format.

These Sessions cover hyper-specific topics and are often used to:

• introduce participants to a new art form, technique, or piece of equipment, 
• explore a focused skill or creative concept, 
• share a unique process or perspective, or 
• offer a condensed unit adapted from a larger workshop or online course. 

Sessions may be adapted from existing workshops, online courses, or teaching materials.

Art Sparks Sessions are offered in two formats:

• 30-Minute Sessions 
• 1-Hour Sessions 

Because participants join from home, we encourage proposals that adapt well to the online format and create an engaging virtual learning experience.

Sessions are presented in a webinar-style format. While participants will not appear on camera, instructors can engage with attendees through live Q&A and chat interaction.

Instructor Policies & Session Guidelines

Proposal Evaluation Criteria.

Proposed Sessions will be evaluated based on overall quality, relevance to the industry, well- defined focus and objectives, practical applications of material, relevance and timeliness of the topic, originality of material, and educator qualifications (including level of speaking experience and expertise). 

Session Focus

All Sessions must be educational in nature. Sessions intended primarily to advertise or sell a program, product, or service will not be accepted. Instructors are expected to comply with all applicable copyright laws when selecting materials and images for their Sessions and are responsible for obtaining permission for any materials shared in connection with HGA marketing or event content. 

Non-Compete

HGA does not restrict instructors from teaching the same Session outside of Spinning & Weaving Week. However, instructors should be aware that offering identical content elsewhere may affect participant enrollment.

Enrollment Expectations

All Sessions require a minimum of five registered participants and may be subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not met.

Technology

Instructors should have a reliable internet connection, clear audio, adequate lighting, and a presentation setup suitable for virtual instruction. While professional audio and video equipment is welcome, a laptop camera and microphone with good lighting and clear sound are sufficient.

Spinning & Weaving Week Sessions are hosted within an online event platform. All instructors will be required to participate in a brief online training session approximately 1–2 weeks prior to the event.

Materials 

Complimentary digital handouts such as worksheets, written instructions, diagrams, drafts, supply references, or other supporting educational materials are encouraged. Handouts may be included with the proposal submission and will be made available for participants to download in advance of the Session.

Recording

All Art Sparks Sessions will be recorded and made available to registered participants on the event platform for 90 days following Spinning & Weaving Week. Participants will not be able to download recordings; however, instructors should be aware that some attendees may choose to watch Sessions asynchronously rather than attend live.

Scheduling

Sessions will be offered Monday–Sunday between 10:00 AM and 9:00 PM Eastern Time. Sessions will be scheduled based on instructor availability as provided in the application. HGA will make every effort to minimize conflicts between Sessions; however, due to the structure of the event, concurrent programming is expected.

Membership Requirements

All Spinning & Weaving Week instructors must be current HGA members upon notification of proposal acceptance and must maintain membership through the duration of the event.

Instructor Compensation & Benefits

1. Honoraria will be paid at a rate of $100 per 60-minutes of instruction ($50 for a 30-Minute Session and $100 for a 1-Hour Session). All Sessions will require a minimum of 5 registered participants or they will be subject to cancellation.
2. Complimentary Spinning & Weaving Week Registration includes daily admission to the Marketplace LIVE, Panels, Thread Talks, and Studio Tours.

How To Apply

If you do not already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to create a free account. Click on "continue" at the bottom of this screen, and then choose the "create account". You CANNOT log into Submittable using your Handweavers Guild of America member credentials. After you have created your account and logged in, please click on the original submission link from your payment confirmation email. This should open a new window where you will now have access to the submission form. After filling out all required field, click submit at the bottom of the page.

For a video tutorial please click here

If you have any questions before submitting, please feel free to contact us at (678) 730-0010 or HGA@WeaveSpinDye.org