Closet Con

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Closet Con is a small fan-run slash convention held in the UK.
Though held irregularly, it may be the longest running slash con.
Its primary focus is K/S and Star Trek fandom, but the convention organizers stress that they will include "Highlander, Sentinel and as many fandoms as we can cram in. Please let us know what you want to see in the Closet Con programme."Convention Ad for ClosetCon 8 on the Village Press website.
The convention lists the following activities: "There will be video, music video, discussions, panels, entertainment, a special fan guest (or maybe two) extensive sales tables and our welcoming afternoon tea on Friday. As this is a charity event, (any surplus funds will be donated) we shall be trying to raise as much for our charities as we can. Our famous dress-up dinner will take place on Saturday evening (included in the Con price)."
==Con Reports==
There are many, lengthy con reports in The K/S Press.
==1987==
The first con was held at Somerville College Oxford.
==1988==
The second con was held at Nottingham University - guest Kate D.
==1988: Con Reports==
 
==1990==
The third con was held at Leicester University - guest Kathy Resch.
==1991==
The fourth con was held at Leicester University - guest Kathy Resch.
==1993==
The fifth con was held at Leicester University . 
*The title of the con was Enterprise 93 (to avoid any reference to slash)
*Special guests were Barbara Storey and Vicky Clark, the editors of Nome. There were a number of writers, too. The whole con was about 70 people.
*Most attendees were from England, some from Scotland, and 4 from Germany.
*3 men attended
*There was a zine auction. Unfortunately some of the owners did not know and/or did not disclose they were selling pirated copies (ex. a pirated version of Daring Attempt 7 was sold for 15 pounds). This did not go over well with some attendees.
*An original of Courts of Honor went for 53 pounds (more than $ 80)
*Other zines that were sold: copies of Nome and an original of Mirrors of Mind and Flesh.
*The zine library had around 150 zines and was located in a room with oak panels and big windows with low window sills overlooking a botanical garden. Most of the zines were K/S, but they had a few Pros and B7.
*There was a raffle
*On Saturday there was a dress dinner
*Songvids were shown - in addition to Star Trek there were several Holmes/Watson vids, along with a tape of Nimoy's and Shatner's 25th anniversary tour
*Panels included: what makes a good K/S (or slash) story., the Wave Theory, "Tomcat Kirk - fact or fiction" (in which fans tried to prove with many scenes that Kirk is not really interested in all the women he gets in the episodes) and "The role of Spock" (the female qualities in Spock and why so many women identify with him).
*There was a theme cake with a little marzipan Kirk and Spock, a t-shirt contest, a treasure hunt (based on clues from K/S stories); and a caption contest about a picture of Nimoy and Shatner embracing. 
*The convention charity was an AIDS fund and two other health organizations.
==1995==
The sixth con was at Leicester University - guest Jenna Sinclair.
 
===1995: Con Reports===
==1997==
The seventh con was at Leicester University - guests Jenna Sinclair, Sheila Clark, Valerie Piacentini. There was a nine-year gap between this one and the next one in 2006.
===1997: Con Reports===
==2006==
The eighth ClosetCon 8 was held July 21-23, 2006 at Leicester University nine years after the previous one. The Fan Guest of Honor was Killa.
From a fan's convention report: "The original Closet Con was a purely K/S based fan con, but over the years they have widened their fandom fun to cover most other fandoms. Sentinel, Stargate, SGA were all obviously popular (couldn't find another Ozzie, unfortunately *bah*) and it was good to see a few of the Brit Sentinel fans (waves to Marion) who are always fun to be around. We had the usual discussions that inevitably happen at fan cons; writing, characterisation, fandom survival etc, and while they are always wonderful to sit through, I don't think anyone involved believed we'd come to any real conclusions other than we all have very different ideas about fandom! LOL! I was suckered into watching 'Boston Legal' by L, and now I'm haunted by slashy visions of Bill Shatner and James Spader as Denny Crane and Alan Shore in bed together. I think I should be either ashamed or afraid, or possibly both, but the visions won't go away...:) I remembered just how much I loved K/S way back, and how I used to devour those old zines. Some of the zines now look terribly dated, but hell, so do I:) Watched songvids until our eyes bled, talked smut until we were hoarse, and laughed until it hurt, so all in all, a good con!"K9's Closet Con and other musings, dated August 12, 2009.
==2007==
From an announcement in a 2007 The K/S Press: 
* JULY 18th - 20th 2008, We had so much fun at Closet 8 we decided to do it again! Our venue is Beaumont Hall of Residence Leicester University, a lovely old house set in stunning botanical gardens. here will be talks, panels, discussions, music videos, viewing rooms, competitions, raffles, zines to buy, hopefully a guest and anything else we can dream up. Closet is mainly K/S but all fandoms are very welcome and the programme will cater for everyone. All proceeds go to our charities. Accommodation is in the modern guest rooms next to the Hall. Package includes all meals from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. (No more hunting for something to eat when you’d rather be at the con!) Friday afternoon features our welcoming afternoon tea with theme cakes. Saturday features our dress-up dinner. The convention package price will be something in the region of £190 (not including registration). Prices will be confirmed at the beginning of 2008. Registration £35.00 Closet is an enormously friendly con. Come by yourself or bring a friend (or more!)"
==2008==
ClosetCon 9 was held in July 18th - 20th 2008.
==2010==
Promotion for Closet Con Ten (2010) included an email from founder Rosemary, which states, in part:
: "as so many people are new to us, I thought I ought to explain a bit about it. CLOSET is a K/S con which started in 1987 and since then we have run 9 of them, 7 at Beaumont Hall of Residence Leicester University, Leicester UK. This will be number 10! . . . We are the longest running slash convention. We called it CLOSET because wanted to be discreet; people often had jobs and contacts that called for privacy. At the University we are known as Media Writers!" Email forwarded to Yahoo group Zinelist from Rosemary which was reposted, with permission, on various LJ communities.
Other planned events announced:
Panels
*Would you read K/S if it didn't have any sex in it? 
*How did you find K/S? 
*What is your reading history - stayed with K/S for ever and ever or moved away. Why - for both? 
*How do you like it - sex of course - slash of course - K/S of course or whatever
*What makes your ovaries dance? If it's not Nimoy is it Spock? 
*Pink Slash Flamingos ... or not? The panel takes a last look at Denny and Alan (Boston Legal), Kirk and Spock. The Flamingos get married but is it slash?
Competitions: 
*The Bare Chest Game
*Spot the Missing Scene 
The fanzine library will be made available and there will be showings of Star Trek episodes, the Star Trek: Reboot, and gay/lesbian themed films.
There was also some discussion as to whether this would be the last Closet Con.
The art auction raised 800 pounds for charity. Caren Parnes' art brought in 180 pounds alone. The funds were split 3 ways between Breast Cancer Care, Macmillan Nurses and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
==2014==
Closet Con was scheduled for 26th - 28th September 2014 in Northampton, UK but was canceled due to low participation.
== References ==
Category:Slash Conventions
Category:Star Trek Conventions
Category:Kirk/Spock
Category:1987 Conventions
Category:1988 Conventions
Category:1990s Conventions
Category:2000s Conventions
Category:2010s ConventionsCategory:Conventions in United Kingdom