Registration Opens October 2024

Elucidate

An Expressive Arts Festival

Competition categories for students 12 and under (Juniors) and students 13 and older (Seniors) in a wide variety of performing and visual arts disciplines with a focus on telling stories.

april 2025

conyers, Ga

Mission: Nurture expressive art skills in the next generation.

Vision: Provide a competitive environment within the permissionless education sphere for young people to develop and showcase storytelling skills through a variety of traditional and alternative methodologies.

Overall Event Guidelines: Elucidate is an expressive arts festival with High School and Middle School competition categories for both performing and visual arts. The focus of all events, whether singing, dancing, painting, or anything else, is to tell a story.

Every event will award the top three competitors. Prizes may vary from competition to competition. For instance, the winner of Storytime Original Work will have the opportunity to publish their book utilizing the editing, layout, and ISBN services of Cheese Press Publishing.

The final evening will feature an awards ceremony and performance by the top two competitors in several of the performing arts events.

Students will also have the chance to compete for a variety of scholarship opportunities. This additional layer of all around competition will include an essay submission and interview process.

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Events - Performing arts

Original Oratory (5 mins)

• Description - Original Oratory is an individual public speaking event during which a student will have five minutes to present a prepared speech written by the student on any topic and using any public speaking format (expository, persuasive, etc). Props or displays should be minimal as the student would need to set-up such items in less than a minute.
  

Impromptu Solo (5 mins)

• Description - Impromptu Solo is an individual limited preparatory event. A student will draw three topics from a box and choose one to present. The student will have five minutes to present an improvised speech on their chosen topic after a five minute preparatory period.
  

Small Group Improv (5 mins)

• Description - Small Group Improvisation is a group limited preparatory event. A group of 3-5 students will draw three topics from a box and choose one to present. The group will have five minutes to present an improvised performance of their chosen topic after a five minute preparatory period.
  

Open Interp (10 mins)

• Description - Open Interpretation is an individual spoken word presentation event during which a student will perform up to ten minutes of a published literary work or play. The student is expected to perform the material as written and the piece should include a variety of characters in conversation. The individual student will use voice, expression, and body movement to indicate character changes. Props and costumes are not permitted.
  

Motivational/Big Idea/Inspirational (10 mins)

• Description - The Motivational event is a presentation by one to three students on a theme or subject that could be transformational on a global or local scale. The students will have ten minutes to present their idea. This time block includes set up time for any presentation materials being used either physically or digitally.
  

Entrepreneurial Pitch (5 mins)

• Description - An Entrepreneurial Pitch is a five minute presentation by one to three students on a fully planned business idea which has reached the stage of requesting funding in order to begin operations. Filming will not be allowed in this event except by representatives of the group presenting and judges and observers will be asked to sign non-disclosure agreements for each presentation.
  

Poetry Slam (5 mins)

• Description - Poetry Slam is an individual spoken word event in which a student will perform up to five minutes of an original poetic work. The performance may be read from a page or notecards and does not have to be memorized. The selection must be composed by the student performing the poem. Covers of existing texts are not permitted. Language should be appropriate for a Middle School audience.
  

Musical Theatre Solo (5 mins)

• Description - Musical Theatre Solo is an individual singing event in which a student will perform up to five minutes of a song from a musical theatre work. The instrumental track should have no vocals and will need to be submitted prior to the event to ensure that audio is properly tested before the competition begins. Changes to audio selection will not be permitted on the day of competition.
  

Singer/Songwriter Original Work (5 mins)

• Description - Singer/Songwriter Original Work is an individual singing event in which a student will perform up to five minutes of an original work. The performance may be performed acapella, self-accompanied with the student’s own instrument, or with a backing track. The selection must be lyrically and musically composed by the student performing the song. Covers of existing songs and musical settings of existing texts are not permitted. If the student is using an instrumental track then that track should have no vocals and will need to be submitted prior to the event to ensure that audio is properly tested before the competition begins. Changes to audio selection will not be permitted on the day of competition.
  

Classical Monologue (5 mins)

• Description - Classical Monologue is an individual spoken word performance during which the student will perform up to five minutes of a speech by a character from a literary or dramatic work created before the year 1900. The student is expected to perform the material as written. Props and costumes are not permitted.
  

Modern Monologue (5 mins)

• Description - Modern Monologue is an individual spoken word performance during which the student will perform up to five minutes of a speech by a character from a literary or dramatic work created after the year 1900. This may be an original work written by the competitor, however, if the student is performing a published work, then the student is expected to perform the material as written. Props and costumes are not permitted.
  

Stand-up Comedy (5 mins)

• Description - Stand-up Comedy is an individual spoken word performance during which the student will perform up to five minutes of jokes and comedic stories. This performance should be mostly original work, however, limited use of existing material is allowed with proper credit of the source. Language should be appropriate for a Middle School audience.

Theatrical Costuming Single Piece (5 min)

• Description - Theatrical Costuming Single Piece is an individual presentation of one costume created by the competitor. The costume should be inspired by a theatrical work and presented on either a dress form or model. The student will have up to five minutes to explain what inspired the costume, how they created the piece, and discuss any details which they may want to highlight. For this competition the student should bring the actual costume piece for display.
  

Theatrical Costuming Ensemble Collection (5 min)

• Description - Theatrical Costuming Ensemble is a presentation of three or more costume pieces created by one to three competitors. The costumes should be inspired by a theatrical work and presented on either dress forms or models. The student(s) will have up to five minutes to explain what inspired the costumes, how they created the pieces, the overall theme of the collection, and discuss any details which they may want to highlight. For this competition the student(s) should bring the actual costume piece(s) for display.
  

Storytime Original Work (5 min)

• Description - Storytime Original Work is an individual spoken word event in which a student will perform up to five minutes of an original storybook work. The performance may be read from a printed page and does not have to be memorized. The selection must be composed by the student performing the storybook. Covers of existing texts are not permitted. Language should be appropriate for a Middle School audience.
  

Classical Instrumental Solo (10 min)

• Description - The student will have 5 minutes to perform an unaccompanied piece of music from a classical perspective. The student does not have to memorize their selection. A copy of the sheet music MUST be submitted by April 1st.
  

Classical Instrumental Duet (10 min)

• Description - The pair of students will have 5 minutes to perform an unaccompanied piece from a classical perspective. The students do not have to memorize their selection. A copy of the sheet music MUST be submitted by April 1st.

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2D Art: Art created by hand on paper or canvas including painting with oil, watercolor, and acrylic; drawing; mixed media (collage); and printmaking.

3D Art: Art created by hand in three dimensions including sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, toys, woodworking, basketry, and fiber arts such as needlework, knitting, crochet, etc.

Photography: Traditional film and digital photography.

Digital Art: Art that has been created on a computer and then printed onto a 2D surface (paper or canvas) or displayed on a screen.

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