P a g e 1 District Talent Expo Rules 1. Each participant must have turned 13 years of age, but no older than 19, on April 26, 2019, in order to be eligible for District Teen Talent Expo. 2. Each participant must have turned 5 years of age, but no older than 12, on April 26, 2019, in order to be eligible for District Kid Talent Expo. 3. The National Talent Expo is being held Irving, TX from June 24 27. Students who wish to qualify for the NTE will be required to compete according to the national rules. National rules can be downloaded at this link. https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/11d8b0_78930d5ecb8f4b10943f2cb4ed25ecfa.pdf 4. Only ONE entry per person per minor category is allowed on the District level. Students are permitted to compete in multiple minor categories that are of the same major category. For example, a student can compete in both Human Video and Theatrical even though they are both under the major category of Drama. However, a student cannot compete in two separate Human Video entries. 5. Each participant must submit a District Talent Expo entry form with a fee of $10 per entry to the District Youth Ministries office by the date of competition (payment at the event is fine). Group entries only require a single $10 fee, not $10 per person in the group. 6. The District Youth Office does not provide refunds for cancellations. 7. A participant may be disqualified if he/she fails to appear at the designated time and place for his/her performance. 8. Performances are limited to 5 minutes. The only exceptions are Short Film which will be limited to 7 minutes and Human Video which will also be limited to 7 minutes. 9. Participants must be present at the orientation meeting before the beginning of the competition. 10. The District Talent Expo maintains a high standard for its participants. Students involved in this expo should be committed to the ministry and should represent Christ in their behavior and actions. It is our desire to leave a positive impression at the facilities and on the people with which we work. Therefore, any participant showing disrespect for people or property in the whole city will be disqualified and dismissed from the District Talent Expo and any expenses incurred from damages will be the responsibility of the parties involved. 11. Participation is limited to the performance of Christian music and/or themes. If there is a question regarding the Christian message or Christian theme of a
P a g e 2 presentation, the District Youth Office suggests you make a different selection. Presentations deemed as not Christian or Christian themed will be disqualified at the discretion of the District Talent Expo committee. 12. While we agree to and believe in freedom of expression and diversity of opinion, the participants in the District Talent Expo shall, in their presentation, take full consideration of areas of decency, modesty and Christian values. The student must be fully aware of the appropriate appearance for each performance. Costumes are welcome for theatrical performances but must not be offensive or compromise Christian values. 13. Contestants will be judged in 5 different areas. Each area is worth a total of 20 points, creating a maximum score of 100 points per judge. Each contestant will be judged by 3 Scoring judges (creating a maximum score of 300 points), and 1 Technical Judge who is responsible for monitoring all rule infractions. Any rule violation will incur a one-time 15 point overall deduction. A one-time 15 point overall deduction will also be issued for any time violation.
P a g e 3 //// ART & DIMENSIONAL ART A. Art painting (oil, water), sketching (pencil, chalk, etc) 1. Art entries can only be created by one person (group art is not allowed). B. Dimensional Art wood, metal, ceramic, etc. 1. Dimensional Art entries may be created by 1 or more persons. C. Photography 1. All entries must be photographed by the participant and must have an appropriate theme but do not have to be overtly religious in subject or theme. All entries must have been photographed within the last 365 days from the date of competition (April 26, 2019). 2. We recommend putting the photo in a frame. D. Graphic Design 1. In the Graphic Design category, the following mediums are accepted: advertisement, business card, newsletter, poster, billboard, brochure, web page, logo 2. All Graphic Design entries must be printed (high-resolution-at least 300 dpi) and put on display. Entries must be no smaller than 8 by 10 inches and no larger than 24 by 24 inches. Students should submit the best representation of their design. //// CHRISTIAN BAND A. Christian Band 1. Participation is limited to the performance of Christian music and must not exceed 5 minutes. 2. Original songs are not required, but originality is encouraged. 3. Band entries are may consist of two to ten participants. All participants must be within the age limits of the competition. Not every vocalist must play an instrument nor every instrumentalist vocalize the song. 4. Judging shall be based on both vocalization and instrumentation of the song.
P a g e 4 //// CREATIVE WRITING A. Poetry & Short Story 1. Poetry must be from 12-20 lines. 2. The essays for fiction and non-fiction Short Story must have a Christian theme and be between 500 1250 words in length. B. Song Writing 1. The music composition and lyrics must be original. 2. No more than two songwriters. 3. Students must submit a CD or MP3 file, as well as lyrics of the song performed with musical accompaniment. Production quality and performance quality will not be judged. //// DRAMA A. Theatrical Drama 1. Props are allowed but must be carried on/off stage by the participants and nothing that could leave a residue on stage may be used. This includes but is not limited to: aerosols, pyrotechnic devices, confetti, liquids, etc. 2. Groups are limited to a maximum of 10 performers. B. Human Video 1. Solo entries are not allowed. 2. No speaking parts are allowed. 3. Groups are limited to a maximum of 20 people. 4. The Human Video technique of lip sync should be present in the majority of the presentation. 5. Props are allowed but must be carried on/off stage by the participants and nothing that could leave a residue on stage may be used. This includes but is not limited to: aerosols, pyrotechnic devices, confetti, liquids, etc.
P a g e 5 //// DRUM & PERCUSSION A. Drum & Percussion 1. You will be allowed to use an accompaniment track only. You are not allowed to have other musicians on stage with you. //// INSTRUMENTAL A. Instrumental Solo 1. An instrumental soundtrack may be used. No vocals or accompaniment will be allowed. B. Instrumental Ensemble 1. Instrumental ensembles may consist of two to ten participants. //// INTERPRETIVE DANCE A. Solo & Group Dance 1. Time will begin at the beginning of movement or music. 2. Group entries are limited to 15 persons. 3. Choreography will be based on and should convey the intended message of the piece. 4. Neither choreography nor costumes should at any time compromise Christian ideals (i.e. be suggestive, vulgar, revealing, etc.) 5. Hand-held streamers, ribbon, banners, or flags are permitted but must not become the focal point of the presentation at the expense of recognized and legitimate dance technique. No other stage props are permitted.
P a g e 6 //// PUBLIC SPEAKING A. Persuasive Speaking 1. Limited to one person. 2. The participant can pick any theme, but the presentation must be Christian in content. 3. The participant may use outline note cards if needed. 4. Participants may use visual aids supporting their presentation. Media equipment will be provided (Projector, screen and computer.) All video presentations must be provided in Microsoft Powerpoint using CD or flash drive and must be handed in during registration. B. Christian Stand-up Comedy //// SHORT FILM 1. Limited to one or two persons. 2. Costumes are welcome but must be appropriate as stated in the overall rules. 3. The participant may use outline note cards if needed. A. Short Film 1. Opening credits must include the title of the film and name of directors/editors. 2. All directors and editors must be within the age limits. 3. The entry must be digitally submitted.
P a g e 7 //// VOCAL The participant may or may not choose to use accompaniment music. Only the vocal performance will be evaluated. If the participant chooses to use live music, accompaniment is limited to a single instrument. A. Vocal Solo Female B. Vocal Solo Male C. Vocal Solo Spanish (Male & Female) 1. The entirety of the performance must be in Spanish. 2. This category is not separated by gender. D. Vocal Ensemble 1. Background vocals are not allowed for vocal ensemble entry soundtracks. E. Christian Rap 1. No more than three participants. 2. The majority of the song must be rap. 3. Background vocals may be used for chorus only during solo performances.