REGION V GENERAL GUIDELINES for the TECH/DESIGN EXHIBITION ENTRIES
and specific “REGIONAL” Competition Guidelines

Regional vs. National Designs
Students may enter tech/design work in either the Regional Awards or the various National Award categories.  National Awards include:  Barbizon Awards for Scenery, Lighting and Costume; National Sound Design; and Alcone Makeup Design. Where possible, the Regional Awards will follow the National Guidelines, so students with a Regional entry in Scenery, Lighting, Costume or Sound Design should also visit the KCACTF National website. www.kcactf.org.  For other categories see below.

General Entry Criteria
All design materials must be labeled with the play title and playwright; act and scene; and the student designer's name.
Wherever possible the name of the designer's college or university should NOT be visible on the front of any materials.
The designer's return address should be on the back of each item of the entry.

PLEASE NOTE:

• A concise statement of the idea or intent of the project should be included for all projects.
• All entries should include as much documentation on process as possible. Where appropriate, it is recommended that students include sketches/ drawings/diagrams showing progression from initial idea to final product.
• The regional festival, its hosts and volunteers are not responsible for items lost or stolen from the display area or its environs.

Response and Judging Criteria
For the regional competition, students may present their designs for realized as well as non-realized productions (“paper” projects).  These can be from your school or other venues (such as summer work), but must have taken place during the 2009 calendar year.  KCACTF participating or associate productions may be entered at the regional level, but are then no longer eligible for Barbizon or other National considerations. 

Regional entries are possible in the following areas: Scenery, Costumes, Lighting, Sound, Graphics/Poster Design, Allied Crafts and Technical Projects at either the graduate or undergraduate level.

The purpose of these awards is to provide a venue for interaction with others in the region and to share in the design and technical production of shows, projects and craftsmanship that are not entered in the National competition.

Through a formalized and competitive exhibition setting we hope to encourage outstanding theatrical production throughout our region. We especially seek to provide feedback, critique and response from working professionals, as well as recognition of excellence for student practitioners.
Entered work will generally be judged on the basis of concept, approach and process in support of a successful production, as well as the final product. This reflects the National guidelines, on which competitions in Scenery, Lighting, Costume and Sound Design are patterned.
Students entering work in these areas should visit kcactf.org. Link to: Students / Design and Technologies / Guidelines and Formatting

The sections for Barbizon entries, the KCACTF Award for Sound Design Excellence, Alcone Company Makeup Award and the National Stage Management Fellowship outline additional specific requirements.

There are competitions that do not have a comparable national award. The categories of Graphics/Poster Design, Allied Crafts, and Technical Projects present a unique opportunity for students to present their talents and craftsmanship as well.

The guidelines for these Awards will still follow basic protocols regarding presentation and display, including appropriate labeling and space limitations. There will still be an emphasis placed on process and effective interpretation. However, these awards will also be assessed on technical proficiency, instructive potential and organization/layout.

Other Categories
* Graphics/Poster Design - includes Posters, Programs, Mailing Cards and other publicity collateral.
* How is this design unified within itself and with the production?
* Does the design/product serve its purpose?
* Allied Crafts - includes unique prop or costume construction, wigs, masks, puppets, scenic drops.
* What made this project unique?
* Is enough information provided for someone to repeat my process?
* Technical Projects - including technical direction books, unique creation of lighting, sound, pyrotechnic or special effects.
* Are there supporting visuals to help someone understand the complexity of a Technical Direction project?
* What are some other potential applications of the effect created?
* Would this be easy to replicate?
* All entries should ask the question: How might others in the region benefit from my display?
If you have any questions please contact Region V Vice-Chair for Design and Technologies: Sheila Tabaka at sheila.tabaka@smsu.edu

Pre-Registration
Only bona fide students are eligible to register for these awards.
A bona fide student is:
a) an undergraduate student who is registered for a minimum of six semester hours or nine quarter hours at the time of production;
b) a graduate student who is enrolled for three semester or four quarter hours at the time of production;
c) a continuing part-time student who is enrolled in a regular degree program at the time of production.
Students interested in entering their works in either National or Regional competitions need to complete the online entry form prior to 5:00 pm, Wednesday, January 13, 2010 in order to meet the Pre-Registration Deadline. Please note that Pre-Registration online is REQUIRED. 

Exhibition Space
Region V has determined that exhibition space for each project will be a vertical format of 48 inches by 48 inches or the minimum allocation suggested by the Kennedy Center of 16 square feet, plus a small table if requested in advance through the D & T Vice Chair.

Check In and Set Up
Participants are encouraged to arrive during the assigned check-in time, which is based on whether or not the student has pre-registered.  If for some reason your work has not been pre-registered, there is a period at the end of the check-in times to still do so.  Your work will be subject to space and availability at that point.
You are responsible for setting up and hanging your own materials. If you are unable to attend the festival and/or the set-up, your project may be hung for you. It is solely your responsibility however, to arrange for your project materials to get to the festival and be returned to you. If, for some reason, the project does not come in at required dimensions and thus cannot fit into the space, the staff reserves the right to select which pieces, if any, might be displayed.

The Festival 42 (2010) deadline for registering online has past.