1. art and entertainment
2. books and literature
3. poetry

Talent Time 2015 Rules
In order to enter the Talent Time competition,
participants must agree to be bound by the following
rules and indicate acceptance while completing their
registration. KAGW reserves the right to solely
determine eligibility for the reasons stated herein or
on any other reasonable basis. KAGW also reserves
the right to make alterations to the rules at any time
and participants must agree to abide by the most
recent version of the rules. Participants are
accordingly advised to refer to the rules document
before the competition and review the rules document
available on the KAGW website periodically.
Kerala Association of
Greater Washington
[email protected]
2015
Competition Events ................................................................................................................................ 2
Arts and Literary Events .................................................................................................................... 2
Performing Arts ................................................................................................................................... 2
General Rules ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Rules specific to Individual Items......................................................................................................... 5
1.
Public Speaking – English ...................................................................................................... 5
2.
Public Speaking – Malayalam ............................................................................................... 5
3.
Poetry Recitation – English .................................................................................................... 5
4.
Poetry Recitation – Malayalam .............................................................................................. 5
5.
Painting - Water color.............................................................................................................. 6
6.
Pencil sketching ....................................................................................................................... 6
7.
Essay writing – English ........................................................................................................... 6
8.
Poetry writing – English .......................................................................................................... 7
9.
Story writing – English. ........................................................................................................... 7
10.
Classical Music (Carnatic) – Single ...................................................................................... 7
11.
Non Classical Music (Cinematic) – Single ........................................................................... 7
12.
Classical Dance – Single ........................................................................................................ 8
13.
Cinematic Dance – Single ...................................................................................................... 8
14.
Folk Dance – Single ................................................................................................................ 8
15.
Non Classical Dance (Cinematic/Folk) – Group ................................................................. 9
16.
Instrumental Music .................................................................................................................. 9
17.
Fancy Dress.............................................................................................................................. 9
18.
Little Prince and Little Princess ........................................................................................... 10
19.
Spelling Bee ........................................................................................................................... 10
20.
Reel Deal .................................................................................................................................11
21.
Let’s be CrafTee ......................................................................................................................11
22.
The Great Debate .................................................................................................................. 12
Appendix A – Complete set of Spelling Bee rules. .......................................................................... 13
Appendix B– Complete set of Reel Deal Rules ............................................................................... 15
Appendix C – Complete set of Debate Rules .................................................................................. 17
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Competition Events
Arts and Literary Events
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Public Speaking – English
Public Speaking – Malayalam
Poetry Recitation – English
Poetry Recitation – Malayalam
Essay Writing – English
Poetry Writing – English
Story Writing English
•
•
•
•
•
Painting Water Color
Pencil Sketching
Let’s Be Craftee
Spelling Bee
The Great Debate
•
•
•
•
•
Non Classical Dance Group (Cinematic)
Instrumental Music
Little Prince/Princess
The Reel Deal
Fancy Dress
Performing Arts
•
•
•
•
•
Non Classical Music (Cinematic)
Classical Music (Carnatic)
Non Classical Dance Single (Cinematic)
Non Classical Dance Single (Folk)
Classical Dance Single
General Rules
1.
All participants must complete an online registration form available at www.kagw.com and
submit the mandatory registration fees by the last date for registration.
2.
3.
Only one registration form should be submitted per participant.
For all group events, the group leaders must register themselves first and provide the names
of all the members of their group in the comments/notes field. In addition to this, each
individual in the group will also need to register separately.
Registration forms without registration fees and those submitted after the deadline will not be
accepted. However organizers at their discretion may accept registrations after the last date
for an additional fee (walk-in registration fees). Please refer to General Rules # 7. Please be
aware that walk-in registrations are highly discouraged.
The last date for registrations
4.
5.
a. Monday, March 16th 2015 at 11.59 PM for Talent Time Day 1 events to be conducted on
Saturday, March 28th 2015.
6.
7.
b. Monday, April 6th 2015 at 11.59 PM for Talent Time Day 2 events to be conducted on
Saturday, April 18th 2015.
Organizers reserve the right to extend the deadline for registration for selected or all events.
Any extension of the registration deadline will be announced through the KAGW website.
Registration fees:
Early Registrations
a) $20 – KAGW Members for up to 4 competition events.
b) $30 –KAGW Non-Members for up to 4 competition events.
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c) An additional $5 registration fees will be charged per participant for each additional
competition event. This applies to both members and non-members.
Walk-in Registrations
a) $40 - Walk-in registration fees for up to 4 competition events. This applies to both
members and non-members.
b) An additional $10 registration fees will be charged per participant for each additional
competition event. This applies to both members and non-members.
Please note: Walk in registrations are highly discouraged.
8. Organizers reserve the right to cancel a whole event or a specific category within the event if
there are less than 4 participants for that event/category.
9. Competitions will be conducted based on the following categories:
• Participants below 1st grade (Fancy Dress and Little Prince/Princess event only)
• Category 1 – 1st grade to 3rdgrade
• Category 2 – 4th grade to 6thgrade
• Category 3 – 7th grade to 10th grade
• Category 4 – Above 10thgrade (no upper limit) – (qualified to participate in selected
events only. Please refer to General Rules #9)
10. The only events open to the Category 4 are
a. Reel Deal
b. Let’s be Craftee
c. Non-Classical Group Dance
11. For administrative purposes, categories are determined based on the grade/class in which the
participant is currently studying. The participant’s actual age will not be considered to
determine their category.
12. Category for group events will be decided based on the grade/class of the oldest participant in
the group.
13. False representation of the category will result in disqualification of the participant/team.
14. Participants can only participate in one category. However participants may opt to participate
in a higher category. Under no circumstances will they be allowed to participate in a lower
category. A participant cannot contest in multiple categories for the same or different
competitions. A participant must enroll under the same category for all the competitions they
participate.
15. There are no separate competitions for male and female participants (except for Little Prince
and Little Princess competition)
16. The male participant (irrespective of the category) who gets the maximum points will be
declared the “Kalaprathibha”.
17. The female participant (irrespective of the category) who gets maximum points will be
declared the “Kalathilakam”.
18. Points earned in group events and the Spelling Bee competition will not be considered for
“Kalaprathibha” or “Kalathilakam”.
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19. Points are allocated for individual events as follows:
– 5 points
• 1st place
nd
• 2 place
– 3 points
– 1 point
• 3rd place
20. In case of a tie in total points, the participant who got the maximum number of 1st places will
be awarded the title. In case there is a tie in the number of 1st places, the number of 2nd places
will be counted.
21. If an event has less than 5 participants in a category, the points earned by the participants in
that competition will not be counted for “Kalaprathibha” or “Kalathilakam”. However they will
still be awarded for their accomplishment in that event.
22. The participants contesting for “Kalaprathibha” and “Kalathilakam” are required to participate
in at least one ‘Arts & Literary’ event and one ‘Performing Arts’ event.
23. Participants should provide the music for their events to the organizers before the day of the
event. Check the detailed rules for the date and format in which music needs to be provided. It
is also advised that participants carry with them their own Karaoke or Song CD on the day of
the event.
24. Organizers will not be responsible for malfunctioning CDs. Participants are advised to keep a
backup CD with them.
25. Participants should bring their own supplies (dance costumes, water color, pencil, pen, etc.)
required for their events.
26. The organizers will provide the paper for written competitions, painting and pencil sketching.
Participants are not allowed to use their own paper.
27. Participants must adhere to the time limits specified for each event. Completing the
performance within the allotted maximum time will be a judging criterion for all the events.
28. Participants should report at least 10 minutes before the beginning of the event at the
stage/venue. Participants who arrive after the conclusion of their event will not be allowed to
participate and their registration for that event will be deemed cancelled and the registration
fees will not be reimbursed. The participant may still participate in other events for which they
have registered provided they show up on time.
29. Participants shall not receive any communication from the organizers if they fail to report at
the venue on time.
30. KAGW reserves the right to publish poetries, essays, stories, paintings and drawings
submitted in the competitions on the KAGW website or in KAGW newsletter and the Onam
Souvenir.
31. KAGW reserves the rights to revise the rules at any time.
32. Judges’ decision shall be final
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Rules specific to Individual Items
1. Public Speaking – English
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
Participants in category 1 - 3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Topics for the event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
Participants may speak on any one of the published topics of their choice.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 4 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
3rd minute.
Participants are encouraged to speak without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not
using written aids.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Content, Language, Voice
Modulation, Posture and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
2. Public Speaking – Malayalam
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.
2.6.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Topics for the event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
Participants may speak on any one of the published topics of their choice.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 4 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
3rdminute.
Participants are encouraged to speak without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not
using written aids.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Content, Language, Voice
Modulation, Posture and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
3. Poetry Recitation – English
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Participants may recite English poetry written by a poet of their choice.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
4th minute.
Participants are encouraged to recite the poem without written aids. 5% of the marks will be
for not using written aids.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Pronunciation & Voice
Modulation, Memorization, Tune, Presentation, and their adherence to the time limit
specified above.
4. Poetry Recitation – Malayalam
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Participants may recite Malayalam poetry written by a poet of their choice.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
4th minute.
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4.4.
4.5.
Participants are encouraged to recite the poem without written aids. 5% of the marks will be
for not using written aids.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Pronunciation & Voice
Modulation, Memorization, Tune, Presentation, and their adherence to the time limit
specified above.
5. Painting - Water color
5.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
5.2. Paintings should only be in water color. Use of other mediums and color pencils will lead to
disqualification.
5.3. KAGW will provide the paper for this event. Participants must bring their own water color,
brush and other necessary items.
5.4. Theme for the event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
5.5. The participant will pick a theme from the list of published themes on a lottery basis when
he/she reports for the event.
5.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
5.7. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Originality, Creativity, Color
Combination, Quality of Work, workspace neatness and their adherence to the time limit
specified above.
6. Pencil sketching
6.1.
6.2.
6.3.
6.4.
6.5.
6.6.
6.7.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Only lead pencils should be used. Use of color pencils will lead to disqualification.
KAGW will provide the paper for this event. Participants must bring their own pencils and
other necessary items.
Theme for the event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
The participant will pick a theme from the list of published themes on a lottery basis when
he/she reports for the event.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Originality, Clarity of Expression,
Quality of Work, workspace neatness and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
7. Essay writing – English
7.1.
7.2.
7.3.
7.4.
7.5.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Topics for this event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when
he/she reports for the event.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Structure & Organization,
Content, Language, Style and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
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8. Poetry writing – English
8.1.
8.2.
8.3.
8.4.
8.5.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Topics for this event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when
he/she reports for the event.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Theme, Emotional Appeal,
Language, Rhythm, and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
9. Story writing – English.
9.1.
9.2.
9.3.
9.4.
9.5.
10.
Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
Topics for this event will be published on Friday, March 13th 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when
he/she reports for the event.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Plot, Characterization, Setting,
Style, and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
Classical Music (Carnatic) – Single
10.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
10.2. Accompaniments are not permitted. However use of “Thampuru”, “Thampuru” CD or shruti
box is allowed.
10.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 6 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
5th minute.
10.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Shruthi, Layam, Sahithyasudhi,
Thalam and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
10.5. In case a sound track is used – The track should be mailed to [email protected] by
Saturday, Apr 4th 2015: 11.59 PM.
10.6. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Classical_Music_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> “with X – being the category of the
participant (1, 2, 3,).
11.
Non Classical Music (Cinematic) – Single
11.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event.
11.2. Any Indian film song (including semi classical and non-classical) is allowed. However
classical “Keerthanam” from a movie is not allowed.
11.3. Film songs in any Indian language is allowed.
11.4. Participants are allowed to use Karaoke CD.
11.5. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
4th minute.
11.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Shruthi, Layam, Sahithyasudhi,
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Thalam, Synchronization to the Karoke music and their adherence to the time limit specified
above.
11.7. In case a sound track is used – The track should be mailed to [email protected] by
Saturday, Apr 4th 2015: 11.59 PM.
11.8. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Non_Classical_Music_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> “with X – being the category
of the participant (1, 2, 3,).
12.
Classical Dance – Single
12.1. Participants in category 1 - 3 are eligible to participate in this event.
12.2. Any form of Indian classical dance is allowed.
12.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 8 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
7th minute.
12.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Abhinayam/Bhavam, Mudra,
Adavu/Chuvadu, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
12.5. The sound track should be mailed to [email protected] by Saturday, Apr 4th 2015: 11.59
PM.
12.6. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Classical_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> “with X – being the category of the
participant (1, 2, 3,).
13.
Cinematic Dance – Single
13.1. Participants in category 1 - 3 are eligible to participate in this event.
13.2. Participants can dance to any film song (including western, semi classical, non-classical or
regional).
13.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 3.5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of
the 3rd minute.
13.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Abhinayam/Bhavam, Mudra,
Adavu/Chuvadu, Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified
above.
13.5. The sound track should be mailed to [email protected] by Saturday, Mar 21st 2015:
11.59 PM.
13.6. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Cinematic_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> “with X – being the category of
the participant (1, 2, 3,).
14.
Folk Dance – Single
14.1. Participants in category 1 - 3 are eligible to participate in this event.
14.2. The dance is required to be in folk style. Dancing to a folk film song is not permitted.
14.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
4th minute.
14.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Abhinayam/Bhavam,
Adavu/Chuvadu, Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified
above.
14.5. The sound track should be mailed to [email protected] by Saturday, Mar 21st 2015:
11.59 PM.
14.6. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
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convention “Folk_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> “with X – being the category of the
participant (1, 2, 3,).
15.
Non Classical Dance (Cinematic/Folk) – Group
15.1. Participants in all categories are eligible to participate in this event.
15.2. A group must have a minimum of 4 participants. The recommended number of participants
in a group is 10.
15.3. Any song (including cinematic, folk, western, semi-classical, non-classical, regional) is
allowed.
15.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 4.5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of
the 4th minute.
15.5. Song CDs should be labeled with the participant’s name, category and participant chest
number. The CDs should be handed over to the registration desk in the morning of the day
of the event.
15.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Rhythm & Steps, Co-ordination,
Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
15.7. The sound track should be mailed to [email protected] by Saturday, Apr 4th 2015: 11.59
PM.
15.8. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Non_Classical_Dance_Group_Cat<X>_<Group #> “with X – being the category
of the participant (1, 2, 3,).
16.
Instrumental Music
16.1. Participants in category 1 - 3 are eligible to participate in this event.
16.2. Competitions will be held separately for String and Wind categories. Examples of string
instruments include guitar, violin, viola etc. Examples of wind instruments include key board
(tone set to organ), recorder, flute, saxophone etc.
16.3. Participants must bring their own instrument of choice. A 32 key piano will be provided by
the organizers at the venue.
16.4. Automatically generated rhythms/ music and music fed into the memory of the instrument
cannot be used to support the performance. Any use of such aids will lead to disqualification
of the participant.
16.5. Maximum time allowed for this event is 3 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the
2nd minute.
16.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Timing, Complexity of Notes and
their adherence to the time limit specified above.
17.
Fancy Dress
17.1.
17.2.
17.3.
17.4.
Fancy dress is an individual participation event.
Only participants below first grade are eligible to participate in this event.
Halloween costumes are not permitted.
Participants should come onto the stage in their costume and wait for the judges to
evaluate.
17.5. Conversation is allowed but not mandatory.
17.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 minute.
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17.7. Participants cannot be accompanied to stage by parents.
17.8. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Creativity, Overall Presentation
and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
17.9. In case a sound track is used – The track should be mailed to [email protected] by
Saturday, Mar 21st 2015: 11.59 PM.
17.10. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Fancy_Dress<Chest #>“.
18.
Little Prince and Little Princess
18.1.
18.2.
18.3.
18.4.
The Little Prince and Little Princess is an individual event.
Only participants below first grade are eligible to participate.
There will be separate competitions for boys and girls.
The winner in the boys’ category will be titled “Little Prince” and the winner in the girls’
category will be titled “Little Princess”.
18.5. Participants are required to come to the stage, introduce themselves (name, age etc.) and
present a talent.
18.6. Participants can choose a talent of their choice – some suggestions are storytelling, rhymes,
beautiful smile, singing, dancing etc.
18.7. Participants are encouraged to dress up for the occasion. Any kind of dress is permissible.
18.8. Age of the participants will be considered while evaluating them. Judges’ decision (on age
appropriate presentation) will be final.
18.9. Maximum time allowed for this event is 2 minutes.
18.10. Participant cannot be accompanied to stage by parents.
18.11. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Style, Talent, Dressing and
Overall Presentation.
18.12. In case a sound track is used – The track should be mailed to [email protected] by
Saturday, Apr 4th 2015: 11.59 PM.
18.13. The sound track should be in “.mp3” format and should follow the specified naming
convention “Little_Prince_Little_Princess_<Chest #>“.
19.
Spelling Bee
19.1. The event will be held in the following categories:
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Grades 1stto 3rd
Grades 4th to 6th
Grades 7th to 8th
Please note that the Spelling Bee categories are different from the categories for other
events.
19.2. There will be two rounds in the event:
• Preliminary written round
• Final spelling round
19.3. The top 10 contestants from the Preliminary written round from each category will be
selected to the Final round.
19.4. The participants will be given a pre-published list of words only for the Preliminary written
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19.5.
19.6.
19.7.
19.8.
20.
round. The words will not be called in the same order as provided in this list.
No cell phones, cheat sheets or any other form of prompting aid is allowed for this event.
Bee Master’s decision is final.
The points earned from this event will not be counted for “Kalathilakam” or “Kalaprathibha”.
Please refer to Appendix A for complete set of rules.
Reel Deal
20.1.
20.2.
20.3.
20.4.
This event involves creating a short film.
The event is open to all participants of all categories.
The length of the film can vary from 8 to 10 minutes.
Video of the film should be uploaded to YouTube. The YouTube account used to upload the
video should belong to someone above 13 years, the legal permissible age for creating
YouTube accounts. In case the video is being submitted by a group of participants, all
younger than 13 years, the video upload should be done by a parent.
20.5. KAGW has all the rights to the video once uploaded.
20.6. There is no specific topic for this event. The participants can use their own imagination and
creativity to produce a short film that exhibits a strong social message and value.
20.7. A link to the video along with a copyright affidavit should be submitted to
[email protected] by Saturday, March 28th 2015 at 11.59 PM. If children below age
15 years are participating in this event, a Parent permission letter signed by the parent
should be submitted along with the submission of the video. The chest number and the
names of the participants should be included in the email for reference.
Please refer to Appendix B for sample parent permission letter and copyright affidavit.
20.8. The group will be judged without considering the age of the participants in the group.
20.9. The team should have the rights for the script and music used in the film. Each team should
submit an affidavit suggesting that there are no copyright violations involved with the film.
KAGW is not responsible for any copyright violation issues.
20.10. The names , photo clip and call signs for each registered participants appearing in the film
and each team member working behind the scenes should be provided to the organizers
and included in the video.
20.11. The points earned from this event will not be counted for “Kalathilakam” or “Kalaprathibha”.
20.12. The following awards would be given for this event :Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Story, Best Editing and Best
Cinematography.
20.13. Please refer to Appendix B for complete set of rules.
21.
Let’s be Craftee
21.1. This event involves designing a T shirt.
21.2. Participants in all categories are eligible to participate in this event.
21.3. KAGW will provide the material T shirt for designing. The participants have to design the T
shirt using the decorations they bring.
21.4. Participants can bring the following items for their work: Glitter Glue, Fabric paint, yarn,
ribbon, designer masking tapes, lace, beads and small glass mirror. Usage of any other
items e.g. sewing machine, iron box etc. is not allowed.
21.5. There is no specific theme for this event. The participants may use any of their pre-planned
designs. However the participants are not allowed to bring any design sketch to the venue.
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21.6.
21.7.
21.8.
21.9.
22.
Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour.
The points earned from this event will not be counted for “Kalathilakam” or “Kalaprathibha”.
Grading criteria will include workspace cleanliness by participants.
Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria – Originality, Creativity, Color
Combinations, Overall Presentation and their adherence to the time limit specified above.
The Great Debate
22.1. The Debate Team should consist of two members.
22.2. Topics for the debate will be published on Friday, April 3rd 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW
website. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the
responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
22.3. Each team will pick a topic to speak FOR or AGAINST from the list of published topics on a
lottery basis when they report for the event. Each team will get 3 minutes to present their
case study.
22.4. Being a group event, the points earned from the debate competition will not be counted for
“Kalathilakam” or “Kalaprathibha”.
22.5. Please refer to Appendix C for complete set of rules
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Appendix A – Complete set of Spelling Bee rules.
Eligibility:
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Grades 1st to 3rd
Grades 4th to 6th
Grades 7th to 8th
Please note that the Spelling Bee categories are different from the categories for the other events.
Participants will be assigned to a specific category by the organizers based on the grades provided in
the registration form. Each participant will be given a chest number.
Preliminary Written round:
1. The written round will consist of 25 words for each category.
2. 75% of the words (or 18 words) will be from a pre-published list of 100 words; 25% (or 7
words) will be from a non-disclosed list. List of words will be published on the KAGW web site
3 days prior to the event on Tuesday, April 14th 2015 at 11.59 PM.
3. The 100 words in the pre-published list for each category will be decided by organizers.
4. The Bee Master will pronounce each word twice, the meaning and example sentence will be
stated once. A maximum of 45 seconds will be given for each word.
5. Only the top 10 contestants from each category will qualify for the final round. In case of more
than one participant getting the same mark, the marks obtained for non-disclosed words will be
used to break the tie. If a tie still exists the organizers reserve the right to qualify more than 10
participants to the final round.
Final Spell Round:
General Rules
1. Bee Master will call each participant by their chest number at which time the person will need
to step forward and wait for their word.
2. No word list will be provided for the final round.
3. No cell phones, cheat sheets or any other form of prompting aid is allowed during the event.
4. Bee Master’s decisions are final.
Timing
1. The participant should complete spelling the word within 30 seconds of getting the word.
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2. Participant may use the 30 seconds to repeat the word, ask for a 2nd time pronunciation or ask
for the word meaning within this time period. Words will not be repeated more than twice.
Spelling Procedure
1. The Bee Master will pronounce the word.
2.
The participant will then pronounce the word and spell the word, and pronounce the word
again SAY-SPELL-SAY format (eg. Sport – S P O R T – Sport)
3.
The participant must:
Pronounce the word before spelling. This is to ensure that the student has heard the
correct word.
Spell the word orally. Participants will not be allowed to write the word before spelling it.
Speak clearly and loudly.
Retracing
1. Having started to spell a word, a participant may stop and start over, retracing the spelling from
the beginning. However, in the retracing, there can be no change of letters and their sequence
from those first pronounced.
2. If any letters and/or their sequence are changed in the respelling, the participant will be
disqualified.
Spell-off Bee Elimination
1. When a participant misspells a word, he/she immediately drops out of the contest. The next
word is given to the next participant.
2.
When the participants are reduced to two, the elimination procedure changes At that point, when one participant misspells a word, the same word will be passed on
to the second participant
If the second contestant spells the passed on word correctly, she/he shall be given one
more word from the Bee Master's list. If the second participant spells this word also
correctly he/she shall be declared the champion of the Bee.
If a participant correctly spells the word passed on to him/her and fails with the new
word given, the misspelled word shall be referred to the other participant.
If the other participant then succeeds in spelling the word passed on to him/her and
correctly spells the next word from the Bee Master's list, then he/she shall be declared
the champion.
If both spellers misspell the same word, both shall continue in the contest, and the one
who first misspelled the word shall be given a new word to spell. The pattern will
continue until one of the participants is declared as the champion.
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Appendix B– Complete set of Reel Deal Rules
Eligibility:
There is no age restriction. Judging will be done as one group without considering the age of the
participants.
Video Format and Topics:
Video uploaded to YouTube.
There is no specific topic for this event. The participants can use their own imagination and creativity
to produce a short film that exhibits a strong social message and value.
Maximum length:
8 - 10 minutes
Rights:
KAGW will own non-exclusive rights to all videos submitted for the contest. This implies that by
submitting a video the participating team grants KAGW the right to use the video in any lawful manner.
However, the team shall still retain the original rights to the video and can use it for any purpose
including selling the video or publishing it elsewhere. The team selling or using the video for other
purposes cannot void the rights of KAGW to use this video.
Copyright of script and music:
The team should have the rights for the script and music used in the film. For example, please do not
add music by Boney M unless you have Boney M’s permission!
KAGW is not responsible for any copyright violation issues. Each team should give an affidavit that
there is no copyright violation. The format of the affidavit is given below:
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I <<< (Name of the team leader) affirm that the team has the rights for using the script and music
used for this film. Kerala Association of Greater Washington is not responsible for any claims of
copyright violations.
Winners:
The following awards would be given for this event: - Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best
Director, Best Story, Best Editing and Best Cinematography.
Submissions:
Please upload your movies to YouTube and give access to [email protected] to view it.
Please also send the YouTube link along with the parent permission letters (for participants below age
15 years) and copyright affidavit to [email protected] on or before the submission deadline.
Submission Deadline:
Saturday, March 28th 2015 at 11.59 PM
Other rules 1. Any camcorder or digital camera can be used in addition to mobile phones. The camera cannot be
of professional grade. The camera specifications should be submitted along with the video.
2. The maximum number of participants that can be registered under one group is 10. They can be
associated in any role, including but not limited to producers, directors, actors, screen writers,
lighting experts etc.
3. Non registered participants can also be involved but they will not receive prizes.
4. Only the registered participants will receive prizes.
5. The names, photos and call signs for the registered participants who appeared in the film and the
team members who worked behind the scenes should be provided to the organizers and included
in the video.
6. If children below age 15 years then a permission letter from their parents must be submitted at the
time of submission of the video. Suggested format for the permission letter is given below:
I, <<< (Name of the parent), grant permission for my child, <<< (Name of the child), to
appear in a video titled <<< (Name of the movie) by <<< (Name of the director). The video
was uploaded by someone more than 13 years old who is legally eligible to open YouTube
account.
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Appendix C – Complete set of Debate Rules
Eligibility
The debate is open to the following age categories:
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
1st – 3rd grade
4th – 6th grade
7th – 10th grade
Team Structure
Each team should consist of two members. The same two members must participate in all debates.
Though not mandatory, it is encouraged that both team members speak during the debate.
Format
Topics for the debate will be published on Friday, April 3rd 2015 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW website.
Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the
participants to check the KAGW website for updates.
The structure of the debate will be as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Each team will be called to the stage in a pre-determined order and will pick their topic to
speak FOR or AGAINST from the list of published topics on a lottery basis.
The presenting team will be given 3 minutes to present their best argument in support of their
topic. It’s not mandatory that both team members have to speak during the presentation.
After the presenting team has provided their argument, each of the opposite team will be given
a minute to rebut the arguments presented.
A minute will be given to the presenting team following the rebuttal from each opposing team to
counter the rebuttal.
After each opposing team has been given a chance to rebut, the presenting team will be given
an opportunity to provide their statement of conclusion.
The format is illustrated using the following example –
Teams – A, B, C: 3 teams registered for the Debate competition in category 3
Topics – Topic 1, Topic 2, Topic 3
On a lottery basis Team C is selected to go first. They will select on lottery basis - a topic from the list
of topics given above. Assume selection is Topic 1: case – AGAINST.
- Team C will present their case - AGAINST Topic 1 for 3 minutes.
- Team A will get 1 minute to provide a rebuttal to the arguments put forward by Team C.
- Team C will get 1 minute a respond to the rebuttal put forward by Team A.
- Team B will get 1 minute to provide a rebuttal to the arguments put forward by Team C.
- Team C will get 1 minute a respond to the rebuttal put forward by Team B.
- Team C will then get a 1 minute to provide their statement of conclusion.
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Team C will sit and the next team on lottery basis is called forward – Team A and they will select on a
lottery basis their specific topic. The format mentioned above will continue until all teams have had a
chance to present their own respective topic.
NOTE – Topics will be re-used if the number of teams exceed the number of topics (FOR and
AGAINST).
Judging
Three judges will be present at each debate. No team member must communicate directly or
approach the judge under any circumstance. The decisions made by the judges are final.
Each team will be judged equally on the quality of their argument and their ability to refute the
arguments of the opposing team as well as the quality of the rebuttals against the defending team.
Judges will award a maximum of 100 points per debate. 40 points for the strength of the case
presentation, 25 points for the strength of their counter rebuttal to the opposing team, a total of 25
points for the strength of rebuttals against each defending team and 10 points for the strength of their
conclusion
If both the teams score the same marks the judges together will decide the winner. The team which
gets majority votes from the judging panel will be the winner.
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