SAVE THE DATE!

YouthFest 2024 is scheduled to take place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2024.

We thank Roleystone Theatre for kindly hosting YouthFest 2024.

Further information will on entries, tickets and scheduling will be announced throughout 2024.

Rules for YouthFest

Section One: GENERAL

DEFINITIONS: For the purpose of the Festival. “Youth” is defined as being eighteen (18) years of age, or younger, at the time of the Festival. There will be two youth category sections:

• One for actors up to and including thirteen (13) years of age as at the date of the Festival.

• One for actors up to and including eighteen (18) years of age.

NOTE: In the case of performances which include a mixed age group the decision on which section (Junior or Senior) the play is to be entered is calculated and the age of the oldest actor in the cast.

Directors in the YouthFest may be any age.

1.1. ENTRY: Entries are due by the date published on the ITA website.

1.2 FEE: a non-refundable fee of $30 (thirty dollars) must accompany each entry.

1.3 LATE FEE: A late fee of $10.00 (ten dollars) will be levied on any late entries, ie received after the official closing date—see website.

1.4 SCRIPTS: A copy of the script must be made available to the festival adjudicator and/or festival director upon request. If a script is required, this request will be given at least one week prior to the opening of the festival.

1.5 PROFESSIONALS: No professional actor, director, club, group or organisation may compete in the Festival.
A professional actor is defined as one having earned more than half their income from acting in the year preceding the Festival, with the exception of full time students.
A professional director is defined as one having earned more than half their total income from his/her activities in teaching production/direction at a tertiary level or in continuous work in live theatre as a director.

School Drama Teachers are NOT defined as ‘professional directors’ in this context so may enter and direct a production from their school/group/club.

1.6 PROGRAMME DETAILS: These must be submitted by 3 weeks prior to the festival date – See website. Such information including scenic information will be printed in the programme. Entrants are requested to check their supplied information very carefully and to notify the Festival Director immediately of any changes. The ITA will not be responsible for incorrectly supplied information.

1.7 PUBLICITY: entrants may be required to provide publicity photographs, information or materials relating to the play. These would be requested and submitted together with the programme details.
ie: photographs of cast, information on author/play, or poster

1.8 SCHEDULING OF PLAYS: The schedule of plays entered will be arranged by the ITA, giving due consideration to the type of play, running time, distance travelled by the entrant etc. all entrants will be notified not less than two (2) weeks prior to the Festival (earlier if possible) of the date/time of their performance.
Entrants are requested to notify the ITA as soon as possible (three (3) weeks before performance at the latest) if they wish to avoid certain days/times, i.e. if there is likely to be a clash with their own seasons, school events. 

1.9 COMPLIMENTARY SEATS: Two (2) free seats per entry will be available for each play entered to their performance. All directors will receive a free seat to the whole Festival. Actors & Crew will be admitted to any performance if there are vacant seats available.

1.10 THE ADJUDICATOR’S DECISION will be final in all aspects, no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.

1.11. BREACH OF RULES: Any breach of these rules, whether deliberate or negligent may result in a disqualification.

Section Two: THE PLAYS

2.1 TYPE OF PLAY: The dramatic work offered by the entrant must be a piece that is intelligible to the audience without prior written/oral explanation be it:

• A dramatic work featuring a cast of two (2) or more players

• A One-Act play

• A single extract from a longer play

2.2 CHOICE OF PLAY: When deciding on the choice of play, entrants should give consideration to the size of the stage, the possible limitations of the backstage area and to the fact that only a basic lighting rig will be available.

2.3 PERFORMANCE RIGHTS: If the entered play is subject to copyright it is the responsibility of the entrant to obtain permission for the performance and to pay the appropriate royalty fee in advance. The entrant is required to certify that this has been done, a disclaimer is part of the entry form and must be acknowledged before any entry will be accepted.

NOTE: All alterations to a script must be approved by the author or his/her representative or estate. Proof of copyright compliance must be able to be supplied upon request by the ITA.

2.4 ADJUDICATOR’S COPY: If requested, each entrant is required to provide a copy of the script, submitted in the version in which it will be performed—ie including any changes/editing. If a script is required, this request will be given at least one week prior to the opening of the festival.

2.5 CAST SIZE: There will be no upper limit on the number of cast members in any dramatic work entered, the minimum number in a cast shall be two (2)

2.6 LENGTH OF PLAY: No play entered shall take less than ten (10) minutes or exceed fifty minutes (50) minutes performance time, including any time taken to change scenes during the course of the production.

Section Three: STAGING

3.1 SETTING THE STAGE: No production shall take more than ten (10) minutes to set and five (5) minutes to strike the set.

3.2 TIME PENALTY: Any entry not complying with the above time restrictions as set in 2.6 and 3.1 will be ineligible for the Best Director or Best Production awards

3.3 SET/STRIKE THE SET: Only three (3) people, one of whom may be the director, in addition to the cast, shall assist in the setting and striking if the set.

3.4 STAGE FURNITURE: The Festival organisers will NOT be able to provide any stage furniture. The entrants must provide any required furniture.

3.5 STAGE PRESENTATION: all entrants must use the black curtains, tabs and legs provided as the basis for their setting, but they may also bring such additional scenery as is considered essential for the production.

3.6. FESTIVAL STAGE MANAGER: The Festival Organisers will appoint an overall Stage Manager, whose decision on all backstage matters shall be final and binding on all entrants. The Festival Stage Managers can be found on the ITA website once appointed.

3.7 FESTIVAL LIGHTING TECHNICIAN: A lighting technician appointed by the Festival organisers will be responsible for control of the lighting desk under the direction of the stage manager of the entrant or their assistant.

3.8 SOUND EFFECTS: Entrants will responsible for their own sound effects. A USB with effects on its must be provided at the technical rehearsal.

3.12 BACKSTAGE RESTRICTIONS: No visitors, no alcohol and no smoking will be allowed backstage or in the dressing-rooms at any time.

3.13 TECHNICAL REHEARSAL: The Festival organisers will provide a technical rehearsal period of 15 minutes per entry just before the performance, at which time entrants may:

• Discuss lighting needs with the Festival technician

• Check sound levels and sound effects with the actors

• Check the stage dimensions, entrances/exits, wing space and storage areas.

• No actual rehearsing of the entry will be permitted, however actors will be allowed to try out the acoustics by reciting a few lines of text.

• NOTE: All entrants are required to provide 2 copies of the script as it is to be performed to the Festival Stage Manager, at the technical rehearsal.

• The decision of the Festival Stage Manager shall be binding on all technical matters.

3.14 ARRIVAL TIME: All cast and crew for a production are expected to be in attendance at least half an hour before the beginning of the session in which they are performing. Plays will be expected to perform (15) minutes after the conclusion of the preceding play and participants should be aware that plays may not always run to the predicted schedule.

Any play unable to perform at its allotted time may be disqualified.

In the event that a production is unable to perform in its allotted time there will be a twenty (20) minute grace period prior to the set up time of the following production if required.

In the event of a genuine emergency, an entry may swap its allocated place in the running order with another play from the same session if both parties are amenable. These arrangements are NOT the responsibility of the ITA.