Back to the Eternal Question:

[femkes_follies]

Providing that whatever site we obtain for RUM this fall has room for a display, what SORT of format for an A&S display/competition would you find most interesting...

Laurel-sponsored categories: We'd need to solicit Laurels to participate. The Laurel dictates the category, then commits to providing a prize or tokens as he/she sees fit and commits to providing written commentary for each entry.

A specific time period or culture - which would rotate with each successive RUM.

Persona Pentathalon - 5 items related to your persona, from at least 3 different dvisions.

Event Presence Pentathalon - 5 items from 3 different divisions to enhance the period nature of your camp or daycamp. These items need not be period in and of themselves, but rather not-obviously-mundane solutions. So - not so much criteria-based as it is a Craftspersons Faire on steroids.

Picture Perfect - recreate something from period art. A costume, the food items from a still life, an object, whatever.

Heraldic Display - Present a suite of items that use heraldry - banners, seat cushions, sugarplate, sewing boxes, purses, portraits. Whatever.

Thoughts or additional suggestions?

Comments

[gwacie.livejournal.com]

Those all sound really great!

I think the Laurel-sponsored display might be an especially good one since it can be limited focused and the entrants know at least one Laurel will see their work ;)

I always like limited focus stuff, it's a great chance for folks to try something new too.

Heraldic displays are fun because so many folks already have stuff with their heraldry and can show it off. :)

Anyway, more A&S Venues is always a good thing!

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Well, I know who to "hit up" for Laurel sponsors. ;-)

I rather like limited focus stuff, too - though I don't want to shut anybody out.

So, I'd like it to either force the entrant to focus - like lifting Atlantia's Perona Pentathalon - or rotate the focus from RUM to RUM so that something for everybody comes up at least periodically. I'd also take suggestions on WHAT to rotate, if you have them.

I know a fair few people don't participate in Faire because they don't like the format.

And, just in trying to drum up a site for RUM, a lot of people in the region have expressed that they've shelved competition projects or Pentathalon plans because Kingdom Faire is just too far away. So I'd like to provide a venue that will be reliably available as a place to show your stuff that will move around from location to location, with a format different enough to also appeal to those who don't care for how Faire works.

[jillwheezul.livejournal.com]

As an old dog having seen all these in play, I personally think the most FUN ones are the picture perfect entries. It allows for a range of participation, it's creative and the documentation part can range from easy peezy (got a picture) to doctoral level. Something for everyone! Also it allows for the populace to do a visual rating and have an appreciation for an item that doesn't necessarily require a lot of background since the source piece is easy to identify. You'd get lots of costumes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

What I also like about this format is that it gives the opportunity for the judges to teach beyond the 'I took a picture and just made what I thought it was' to how to actually research the item from the visual inception point. Frankly, I think that is what most of the newer people do, and because they get skerrit of the "documentation" they never try to go further. That's why I'd make a picture the 'minimum' documentation, and points are added after that just to get folk to play. One thing I've never seen happen was to appoint a group as a resource bank for entrants - especially first timers who want advice on where to look for more info. Perhaps start an e-group for interested parties, or a web-page where you can sign up for a mailing list if you are interested in playing? That way you sneakily start to collect a group of people interested in A&S in your area...

This isn't a championship, is it?

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

It's not a championship, just a "come play."

I wonder - if I could set up a form on the event page for pre-reg and do either a mailing list or "assign a mentor" sort of thing?

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

I love the picture perfect idea that you laid out earlier or I guess technically later, but I saw these posts in reverse order. Love, love, love it!

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

So, if we have room, I have your go-ahead to organize it?

Cause I think it sounds like fun.

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

Yes! As soon as I know we can make it happen, I'll need a blurb to put up on the web page.