NET Section Drama Competitions

NET Section Drama Competitions:

‘Hands on Stage’ Puppetry Competition 2017/18

Conditions and Regulations

1. Organiser

The Regional NET Coordinating Team (RNCT),Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Section, CDI, Education Bureau (EDB).

1. Aims

The aims of the‘Hands on Stage’competition are to give students an opportunity to:

• use English in a creative and motivating way;
• experiment with script writing; and
• learn about puppet design, puppetry techniques and how to stage a puppet show.

1. Description of‘Hands on Stage’

‘Hands on Stage’ is a competition open to allstudents from Hong Kong secondary schools. Students will work in teams of 4 – 7 to write a script, and stage and perform a puppet performance of 5 – 7 minutes. Thetheme this year is ‘Power’.

1. Schedule of Eventsand Submission Deadlines

1. Expectations
2. Schools:

• may send one or two English teachers to attend the competition briefing sessions in November (optional);
• may send one or preferably two English teachers (one of whom may be the NET) to attend the professional development workshop on puppetry in January (compulsory for teachers new to the competition); and
• send one or two teacher(s) to escort students to the competition in mid-May, 2018 (TBC)
• Teachers will need to:
• attend the briefing if necessary;
• hand out and collect parental consent forms for the NET Section to take images of students for later possible use for educational purposes and for uploading on to the Internet;
• participate fully in all puppetry activities at the professional development workshop;
• use what they have learnt to prepare their students for the competition; and
• ensure that students are escorted to, and supervised at, the competition.
• Students will need to:
• participate fully in any training sessions organised by their teachers in preparation for the competition; and
• participate in the competition by stagingand performing a 5 – 7-minute puppet show at the competition in early to mid-May, 2018 (1 or 2 dates, depending on the number of participating schools; tentative dates pending venue confirmation). Each team will perform only once.

1. Conditions of Entry
2. The ‘Hands on Stage’ entry form must be submitted on or before 5:00pm on Friday, 1 December 2017.Late entries may NOT be considered.
3. As the NET Section competitions adopt a ‘train-the-trainer’ model, schools that are new to the competition are encouraged to send at least one teacher to one of the two identical Briefing Sessionsin November and must send at least one teacher to the ‘Hands on Stage’ Puppetry Competition Workshop in January 2018.
4. If the competition is over-subscribed, schools will be chosen by random draw.
5. Teams that pull out of the competition two weeks or less before their event will not be eligible to enter the following year.
6. A hard copy of the exact team members’ names will be collected on the competition day.
7. A soft copy name list must also be submitted within 3 working days after the competition through Google Forms. This soft copy name list will be used to issue the Certificates of Participation. Teachers are responsible for the accuracy of the names. Certificates of Participation will be posted out to the competition contact teachers within one month of the competition.

1. The Theme of the Puppet Performance
2. Student participants must devise a puppetry performance on the topic of ‘Power’.
3. Each performance must have a title which will be in the following format:

‘Power: …(insert your own title here)’

7.3The subject matter can be fictional or based on a real-life scenario:

e.g. ‘Power: Sleeping Beauty Takes Revenge’ (fictional scenario)

e.g. 'Power: The Underdog Takes it All' (fictional scenario)

e.g. ‘Power: Hato Hits Hong Hong’ (real-life scenario)

e.g. ‘Power: Focus on Fossil Fuels’ (real-life scenario)

7.4Schools must email the topic to the organisers one week before the competition (for the programme). Penalties apply.

1. Student Participants

8.1Each school can usually enter one team.If numbers permit, a second team may be allowed.

8.2A team consists of 4 – 5 puppeteers (performers) plus 1 – 2 student helpers. The team can be made up of students from any year level or a combination of year levels. The student helpers can be used to provide help with the backdrop, props and puppet making. All students involved should attend the performance and receive certificates if the team wins.

1. Performance

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9.1The performance must be between 5 – 7minutes long. A first bell will be rung once at 5 minutes and a second bell will be rung twice at 7 minutes. After the second bell has been rung, the performance must finish immediately. If the performance ceases immediately when the bell is rung at 7 minutes, no marks will be deducted. If the performance is shorter than 5 minutes or longer than 7 minutes, marks will be deducted.

9.2Written scripts are allowed during the performance.

9.3Abackstage narrator is not allowed as part of the performance. The puppets must tell the story through their lines without the use of a narrator. Training will be given on this at the puppetry training workshop in January 2018.

9.4The performers should preferably wear black tops and dark bottoms.

9.5Simple props may be used.

9.6Non-copyright music and sound effects are allowed. Teams must provide their own means to play the music/sound effects.

9.7One or more backdrops must be used.

9.8Apuppetry tent will be provided for all the performances.

9.9Teams must arrive at least 10 minutes before the competition starts. Start and end times will be confirmed later.

9.10No communication is allowed between teachers and their students during the performance.

9.11The audience (teachers and students) must be respectful to the performers throughout. At the discretion of the organisers, marks may be deducted if any team members in the audience cause a disturbance. Mobile phones must be switched off or set to silent mode.

1. Preparation
2. Schools are responsible for all costs associated with making or buying their puppets. Recycling of materials is highly recommended.
3. Teams may use commercial or student-made puppets. Teams using commercial puppets, however, will not be eligible to win the puppet design prize. Where students have made their own puppets, they must sign a pledge form indicating the puppets are their own work with the teacher in a solely supervisory capacity.

1. Adjudication
2. The judging panel may includerepresentatives from the EDB and outside organisations with experience of drama, puppetry and English teaching.
3. The decision of the judging panel will be considered final. No correspondence will be entered into after the results have been announced.

11.3The puppet shows will be assessed on the criteria below:

1. Use of Voice

1. Language

1. Puppetry technique

1. Backdrop and effects

1. Puppet design for student-made puppets only

1. Awards and Certificates

Awards and prizes will be given for each session of the competition.

1. Support Provided by the NET Section
2. The briefing sessions will provide teachers with competition details, explanation ofthe regulations and will include a Q & A session. At least one teacher from an interested school is encouraged to attend if the school is new to the competition or wishes to get clarification on the regulations of the competition.

13.2There will bea mandatory workshopon puppetry on 23 January 2018.Teachers with reasonable expertise in puppetry may also contact Mr Richard COWLER on 3549 8313 for exemption from the January 2018 ‘Hands on Stage’puppetry workshop for teachers. Please refer to the EDB Training Calendar System (TCS) for online application around one month before the event.

13.3The NET Section will provide support to participants. Puppetry tents will be available for loan and puppetry consultations will be provided before the competition. Details will be given at the competition briefing session.

1. Reminder of Submission of Entry and Forms

Entry forms can be emailed, faxed, posted or dropped off in person to the NET Section office:

Attn. ‘Hands on Stage’ PuppetryCompetition

Native-speaking English Teacher Section,

Room 1120, 11/F, Tsuen Wan Multi-storey Carpark Building,

174 – 208 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, NT

Fax: 3549 837

15. Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact Mr Richard COWLER at 3549 8313 or by e-mail at .

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