VICTORIAN BUSH POETRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (31st March-3rd April) 2016
INFORMATION SHEET
The MFSR Bush Festival Poetry & Music Competition started in 1995 & is now regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the country. We are delighted to announce that in 2016 the Victorian Bush Poetry Championships will again be included within the MFSR programme of events (with $5000 in prizes & trophies ‘up for grabs’).
Championships aim: “To foster & encourage the growth of Bush Poetry (& Yarns) in Australia”. Entries for all sections should be about Australia, Australians and/or the Australian way of life and have good rhyme & metre.
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Judges for our 2016 Written and Performance sections will be, Senior judge Graeme Johnson, (The Rhymer from Ryde, NSW), Ray Essery (NSW) and Robyn Sykes (NSW). They will be joined for our Performance sections by Carol Reffold (Vic), Rhonda Tallnash (VIC) & Geoffrey W. Graham (VIC). (We thank them and the rest of our team of volunteers for their dedication to making our event a success).
In the Open Performance sections (Classical, Modern, Original Serious & Humorous, Yarnspinning & “MFSR” Recitation) there is a limit of one entry per person per section with a $10 entry fee. *NB* There is a maximum of 20 entrants in each performance section. The 3 Finalists will recite Banjo Paterson’s epic “Man from Snowy River” poem at Banjo’s Block on Friday evening. We’re also looking for an original performed poem about Jack Riley, Corryong or ‘Banjo’s Country’ for the Jack Riley Heritage Award.
There are also Performance sections for both Novice and Intermediate competitors. Intermediate competitors can enter any or all of the Open Sections listed above (at $10 per section) and/or the separate Intermediate Section (for $5). Novice competitors can only enter the Novice Section (for $5). There is no entry fee for the two overall awards, the Victorian Female & Male Overall Champions (being the “Matilda” & “Clancy’s Choice” awards).
The Written Serious “Silver Brumby” and Humorous “Corryong Larrikin” sections are judged before the Festival with a limit of 3 entries per section per person at $10 per entry.
Adult & Junior Written & Performance Competition Entry forms:
www.bushfestival.com.au/main-events/poetry-bush-music/
*NB* Read your Conditions of Entry (pg 2 & 3) & Entry forms (pg 4-6) carefully & keep a copy for your records. Friday 12th February 2016 is the deadline for performance & written entries. Performance entries are accepted in date order & capped at 20 per section. No late entries accepted.
Other Festival competitions
Bush Idol Junior & Open Entry forms: www.bushfestival.com.au/music-2/aussie-bush-idol/
Buskers (also need to register). Entry forms: www.bushfestival.com.au/music-2/busking/
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Poets say that you have to come at least once to experience our friendship and fun! Our program starts Thursday with afternoon and evening concerts, then Victorian Championships covering Friday, Saturday and Sunday with non-competitive activities throughout.
Enjoy the thrill of competition or sit back in the informal setting of Banjo’s Block where Poet’s Breakfasts yarns, music & singalong sessions happen. So come and join in or show us how to do it. Informal Campfire performers are most welcome!
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
GENERAL & SECTION INFORMATION
We will use the ABPA “Guidelines for Bush Poetry Competitions” (Dated 14/11/2014) in running this competition.
www.abpa.org.au/competitions.html
Bush Poetry must have rhyme, rhythm and metre. Yarn-spinning is not a connected line of jokes, nor does it rhyme.
NB* Poems and yarns which have won an Open Category at any ABPA National Championship are ineligible to be performed by the same competitor.
Parodies are ineligible for Open sections, but great for Novice, Intermediate, Poets’ Breakfasts, Campfire sessions.
q Sect 1 & 2 VBPMA Written: Max 120 lines. Typed, double spaced on 1 side A4 paper only. 3 copies of each poem with Cover Sheet. No name on poems. Up to 3 poems per person @ $10 per entry per section.
q VBPMA Overall & Novice Written Champion titles will be determined by the lowest Rank Grand Total over sections 1 & 2. If no Novice entrant ranks over both sections then the Novice with the lowest Rank Total from either section will be awarded the winner.
q Sect 3 Banjo’s MFSR Recital: Enter your recording on sound file or CD & email/post to Festival (page 6) by 12th Feb 2016. 3 Finalists notified by approx. 10th March 2016 to perform at Festival Fri 1st April approx 6pm. No name or preamble on the file. Official version www.bushfestival.com.au/main-events/poetry-bush-music/
q Sect 4 VBPMA Open Classical poem Written before & including 1950. Max 8 mins (Incl. preamble).
q Sect 5 VBPMA Open Original Serious poem Aust. theme. Max 8 mins (Incl. preamble).
q Sect 6 VBPMA Open Original Humorous poem Aust. theme. Max 8 mins (Incl. preamble).
q 6a Jack Riley Heritage Award Awarded to the poem with the lowest Rank Total from sections 5 & 6 that depicts ‘Banjo’s Country’ or reference to Jack Riley, Corryong & surrounding areas. (No extra fee)
q Sect 7 VBPMA Open Modern poem Written since 1951 preferably with author consent. Max 8 mins (Incl. pre).
q Sect 8 VBPMA Open Yarnspinning Original or not. Max 8 mins (Incl. preamble).
q Sect 9 Novice Poet Any Australian rhyming metred poem, original or not. Max 5 mins (Incl. preamble).
q Sect 10 Intermediate Poet Any Australian rhyming metred poem, original or not. Max 5 mins (Incl. preamble).
q Sect 11 & 12 Overall Awards “Matilda” Female, “Clancy’s Choice” Male See page 6.
q Novices not eligible for Sects 4-7.
q Intermediates can enter Open sections and/or Sect 10
q Offensive material will not be tolerated and could lead to your removal from the competition section, (without refund of entry fee) All material performed must be family orientated.
ENTRY FEES
q Unsigned/unpaid entries not accepted. We prefer entrants to be a member of the ABPA and/or Poetry Clubs.
q One entry per person per section (sections 3-10) except Written sections (1 & 2) up to 3 entries per person.
q Entries accepted in order of date received (limit 20 for Performance sections. We’ll refund fees if limit is reached).
q Entry fees $10 (incl. GST) sections 3-8. $10 ea poem in sections 1 & 2 (incl. GST). Sections 9 & 10 $5 (incl. GST)
q Juniors (Under 18 years of age as of 31st March 2016) $2 entry which is not refundable (unless limit reached).
q All adult entries close Fri 12th Feb 2016. Post to P.O. Box 144, Corryong, VIC, 3707. (No late entries).
· PERFORMANCE COMPETITION ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Three judges will be used for Performance sections 3-10. Time limits are upper limits including preamble.
q Performance Assessment Sheets, the Rank Order Tally System & Overall Rank Order Tally Sheets as specified in the ABPA “Guidelines for Bush Poetry Competitions” (Dated 14/11/2014) will be used in the running of this competition. www.abpa.org.au/competitions.html
q (with the exception of Stage 1 (Audio judging) of section 3 “Banjo’s MFSR Recital”).
q www.bushfestival.com.au/main-events/poetry-bush-music/
q The current Performance Assessment Sheet will be used in the following manner.
1. The individual judge will place a tick in the respective column of the assessment sheet corresponding to the score of the relevant assessment detail.
2. At the conclusion of the performance the judge will assess the spread of ticks over the 10 assessment detail sections and then circle 1 (one) numbered score (out of 100) and place it in the appropriate panel.
3. All assessment sheets for the section will then be kept by the judge until the end of the section.
4. At the conclusion of the section the judge will then review their assessment sheets to break any ties that may have occurred or to reconsider placings. ½ marks may be used for this purpose.
5. The judge will then place their assessment sheets in order from the highest to the lowest score and notate their Rank Order on each assessment sheet.
6. A Collator/Scrutineer will then enter the judges Rank Orders onto the Rank Order Tally Sheet to obtain the winners & placegetters in the section.
· PERFORMANCE COMPETITION ASSESSMENT DETAILS CON’T (3)
7. In determining the winners of the Victorian Female & Male Overall Championships the contestants Rank Totals from sections 4-7 are combined to form a Grand Rank Total. The lowest Grand Rank Total becomes the winner.
· RANK ORDER TALLY SHEETS/SYSTEMS
1. Rank is the placing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. of competitors according to the Final Score out of 100 given by one judge. Once any points deductions have been made to the Performance Assessment Sheets, each judge will have placed their sheets in Final Score order from highest to lowest and have denoted a Rank Order Placement number to each competitor. The highest Final Score gets a Rank Order Placement (Rank) of 1, the next highest 2, the next 3 and so on.
2. The Rank Order Placement from each judge is then recorded in the respective Rank column below.
3. Rank Total is the sum of the Ranks from all judges for a single competitor.
4. Place is a competitor’s overall position in the category and is determined from the lowest Rank Total to the highest Rank Total, that is, the competitor with the lowest Rank Total is the winner, the competitor with the next lowest Rank Total is second, and so on until each competitor has a Place.
5. Ties: In the event of a tie for a Place (based on the Rank Total), it is recommended that the competitor who has the lowest numerical Rank Totals across the 3 judges’ Rankings be awarded the Place in question.
6. If a tie still exists then the scrutineers should refer to the original VBPMA Performance Assessment Sheets for the category involving the tied competitors. In the ‘Originality’ section of these sheets, the competitor with the greatest amount of ticks in the ‘Excellent’ section, will be awarded the Place in question. If this is also tied, move to the ‘Pitch, Pause and Impact’ section and repeat the process. If this is tied, continue through the remaining assessment categories until separation is found.
7. If a tie still exists then the judges’ majority decision will determine the Place in question.
WRITTEN COMPETITION ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Three judges will be used for sections 1 & 2. The current Written Assessment Sheet will be used in the following manner.
1. Judges in the Written sections 1 & 2 will not necessarily score all entries but cull total entries to form the top 20 poems in each section. These top 20 poems will then be ranked on the Written Rank Order Tally Sheet.
2. Points 1-7 above (re Performance Assessment Sheets) will then be followed (noting that there are only 6 assessment detail sections on the Written Assessment Sheets).
AND FINALLY
q The judges’ assessment sheets may be available to collect at the conclusion of the competition on Sunday.
q Reciters can win a section but the Overall title can only be won by someone who writes as well as recites.
q Sections 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 1 minute, Lawrie Sheridan, Senior & Jan Lewis encouragement awards do not count towards the Overall Titles sections 11 & 12.
q Entrants should be prepared to provide a photo and details for publication if required.
q We reserve right to publish, record or reproduce work submitted (© retained by writer: See entry form declaration)
q All sections held Friday night, Saturday & Sunday at Youth Hall/Banjo’s Block. All awards on Sunday afternoon.
q We reserve the right to change the program (only if necessary) Programs will be available on MFSR website.
q Judges & anyone paid by Festival not eligible for prizes except for One min Poem.
PERFORMANCE & WRITTEN ASSESSMENT DETAIL CRITERIA
VICTORIAN BUSH POETRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
ADULT WRITTEN ENTRY FORM
(Please sign entrant’s declaration & send with fees & poems to festival address by Friday 12th Feb, 2016)
Name:
Address:
P/Code: E-Mail:
Phone (BH): (AH):
$10.00 per poem, up to three entries in Sect 1 & 2 per person
Senior Judge Graeme Johnson will be offering a service to critique your poem @ $10 per poem if required.
If you require critique service please tick the appropriate boxes below.
WRITTEN SECTIONS
SECTION ONE: VBPMA Open Written Original Serious “Silver Brumby Poetry Award” Max 120 lines
1st $150 & trophy. 2nd $70. 3rd $30.
Typed, double spaced 1 side A4 paper only. 3 copies each poem with cover sheet. No name on poem.
Poem Title:______Critique?
Poem Title:______Critique?
Poem Title:______Critique?
SECTION TWO - VBPMA Open Written Original Humorous “Corryong Larrikin Award” Max 120 lines.
1st $150 & trophy. 2nd $70. 3rd $30.
Typed, double spaced 1 side A4 paper only. 3 copies each poem with cover sheet. No name on poem.
Poem Title:______Critique?
Poem Title:______Critique?
Poem Title ______Critique?
VBPMA Overall Written Champion: $100 Lowest Rank Grand Total over Sections 1 & 2. (No extra entry fee)
VBPMA Novice Written Champion: $50 Lowest Rank Grand Total over Sections 1 & 2. (No extra entry fee)
WRITTEN SECTION ENTRANTS’ DECLARATION AND FEES
I have read the conditions of entry and agree to abide by them.
NB* Entries are my own work and have not won me a 1st prize at any ABPA National Championships.
I allow / do not allow my work (© mine) to be used for festival promotion. (Circle which).
I declare that Poetry/music is my hobby or my ABN no. is