Post by Kanashimi on Jul 7, 2016 12:17:04 GMT -6
How to Enter in an Amtgard A&S Tournament
By Baron Master Thalen Tannon
Competition is a word that many people find intimidating. Some people
get so worried about these trials that they’re unable to participate, or if they
do compete they fall short of their own expectations. They do not fail
because of the task itself, but rather because of their own concerns about
success. We live in a culture that thrives upon competition; we play a game
that revolves around it, most notably the tournaments in which our next
Monarch is chosen. Those that find such activities intimidating often deny
themselves an opportunity for an experience only a competition can give.
As Marianne Williams wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is
our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you
not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the
world.”
So how do we overcome our fear and start playing bigger? The best way
to overcome a fear of competitions is to properly prepare for them. For that
you must start by answering two very important questions.
Why am I entering this competition?
Fortunately, there are many reasons for entering an Arts & Sciences
Tournament. Here are some of the most common reasons:
• To share – showing others what you have done
• To win an award – gratification in getting recognized for work well done.
• To expand your knowledge – Explore an area of an Art or Science that
you have not explored before
• To qualify for an elected position
When you’ve determined what your reasons are, then it’s time to figure
out what you’re going to create.
What am I entering in this competition?
Now that you've decided to enter a tournament, the next thing is to come
up with an entry or several entries for the competition. Try to fill a need
that you’ve noticed. Are you lacking garb? Do you need a new weapon?
Would you like to learn how to make jewelry? Does your province need a
new banner? Find a need and fulfill that need. That way what you enter
gets used rather than shuffled away in to the closet. Any thing you make but
don’t personally use perhaps could be donated to a person, or to the
Kingdom for auction.
I know what I want to make. Where do I start?
This is where we get down to the brass tacks of the matter.
1. Create some sort of journal for your entry.
This journal should be used for making notes as you research your entry.
This research might take the form of books, magazines, online tutorials,
even pictures or art that you’ve seen. You could get an actual journal to
keep track of all your ideas, however another idea is to keep them as folders
of text files and images on a flash drive or your home PC.
2. Research your item.
This would be where you gather all the information you would need to
determine the scope of your project. Let’s say you’re making some garb.
You’ve decided on a “Tunic”. You might research various patterns, collar
styles, sleeve types before choosing exactly what kind of “Tunic” you’re
making. Then there’s research on materials, and colors and accents. If
you’re unsure about a certain technique such as Satin Stitching, you might
research the how to do that kind of a stitch. You might not normally do this
much preparational work on another project, but remember you’re entering
this piece of work. It has to be the best you can do.
3. Write first draft of your documentation
It is best to start your documentation as early as possible. With a chosen
item and the research you have done for the competition, you have a basis
for your write-up. Because documentation is one of the judged categories,
work out a preliminary interpretation of your item. Most of the information
that should go into your write-up should be in your journal. Essentially, you
are taking your journal, organizing it and condensing it.
Although your research will vary depending on the kind of project your
documentation might have the following elements:
• Name of entry
• The intended Entry Category
• Your number of awards in that Category
• Your experience in this particular field
• Your Scope of Work
• Background on why the entry was chosen
• Your interpretation of the creation of the item
• Notes of any changes you made from the original idea
• Source of information
5. Create your item
Prepare your entry according to the initial interpretation you have already
written in your rough draft of your write-up. This is critical when creating
this type of item for the first time. This gives you the opportunity to evaluate
your interpretation and adjust it, as you find necessary. The workmanship of
your item is a category that the judges evaluate. If something is going
horribly wrong with your item, this is the opportunity to rework it. Make
sure you journal all your successes and challenges during this process.
6. Finalize your documentation
Your write-up speaks for you when you aren’t around. It explains what
you made, the materials used and the process of creating the piece.
You can include pictures if you like, but don’t get stressed over the
aesthetics. The important thing is to share the information you have. Good
documentation does not mean a formal research paper filled with footnotes
and printed out on a ream of paper; rather, it places the value of content over
format. Keep it neat, simple and cover all of the basics. Try to keep your
write-up to no more than two pages. Remember that the judges are
evaluating several entries and they can only absorb so much in a single
reading of your documentation.
Make sure that your write-up reflects the changes that you made in the
creation of your item based upon the discoveries you have made. You may
want to note any special insights you had through the creation process.
Review your documentation to make sure that you have not forgotten
anything. Have someone proof read your write up; there may be issues with
it that you had not noticed.
My projects are done. Now what?
You might want to set your entries on a table and decide the best method
of presentation. Run this checklist in your head.
• Do I have all my documentation? Did I spell check and grammar check?
• Does my work look professional?
• For garbing entries make sure you’ve clipped all of the dangly threads
and brushed the item free of lint or thread bits. Make sure the item is
clean and ironed.
• Artwork should be framed or matted.
• Written entries should have at least 5 copies bound in some manner
(binder, folder, presentation sleeve, etc).
• Jewelry and sculptures might look better on a dark background.
Consider using a cloth to place under those items.
• Do I need any accessories for any entries?
• Plates, cups, bowls, utensils, napkins for food entries, etc.
• Tape or pins to attach your entry information or documentation to the
item.
Once you’re sure of every entry, pack them carefully for travel.
The Competition itself
First and foremost, arrive before the cutoff time for entering the
tournament. There may be a line and the paperwork can take a few minutes.
Fill out any entry info cards the Autocrat may have and find out where they
would like you to set your entries.
Once your items are set up, leave the judging area and let the judges do
their job. Go socialize, or watch or fight in the warskill tourney, but let the
judges work. The only reason you should stick close by is if you’re also
entering in the bardic category.
The Judging
Bear in mind, not all judges use the same criteria! So how do judges
know how to assess points? Sometimes the judges are given a sheet that
explains the criteria the person in charge wants them to use.
In the instructional guide, “How to Judge an A&S Tournament” there are
5 categories the judges are looking at.
Documentation - Documentation is the foundation of a good entry. It
provides the judges with the necessary details of the conception and creation
for the item entered. It shows the entrant’s understanding of the overall
techniques and the adaptations that had to be made for this specific project.
Scope of Work - This section is used to determine the depth and breadth of
the work. The judges should try not to look at the piece solely as it is, but
what the entrant was envisioning from the start from what is in their writeup.
Relevance - While we aren’t “Period Specific” like they are in the SCA,
Amtgard DOES have a time period and place that we’re trying to represent.
The Rules of Play define that period by declaring that “Every persona must
be either of an ancient, medieval, or swords and sorcery related
background.” That gives us a lot of time and space to work with. Keeping
that in mind, the entry should bear some relevance to what we do in
Amtgard. The obvious things like garb and weapons are easily recognizable
as relevant, but it might take some real thought to decide if a bardic entry is
“Amtgard Relevant”.
A Judge should ask themselves “If Amtgard were real, would this
(insert entry here) be out of place?” If so, the Judge would need to determine
to what extent and critique the piece accordingly.
Workmanship - This is the section where experience in the field of the
entry is the most helpful. In this section, the judges will determine how well
the entrant completed the piece. Complexity is the degree of difficulty in
creating the item. Consider how much physical time the entry took to
construct, the use of elaborate or sensitive processes, and the availability of
materials used in the creation of the item. Workmanship is the degree of
quality of the item created. It shows the entrant’s skill in the use of the
documented processes and materials.
Creativity - Creativity is the degree in which the entrant shows their
understanding of the processes and materials to create an original item. It
shows how well the entrant can adapt and interpret what they have learned.
Judges Observation - This section is designed to cover how all the other
sections fit together. What is the overall effect of the piece? Aesthetics is the
degree in which the entry is pleasing to the eye.
This is the judges’ one spot to let their personal feelings through. If the
entry has documentation, matches its scope of work, is well crafted and
original but the judge just does not like it, this is where that opinion goes.
The corollary, however, is that for all the other criteria, the judges must
remain impartial and objective.
The Tournament is over. Now what?
• Look at your scores and comments as soon as the judging is done.
• Accept constructive critique graciously. If the judge took the time to
write a comment to try and help you improve you should give it serious
consideration. However, seriously question or even disregard any
criticism that comes without any positive aspect or recommendations.
• Please remember that the judges are human. Poorly written comments, a
missed word in the documentation, different approaches to the art…many
things can lead to misunderstandings. If you have questions or wish to
make comments or clarifications of your own, please find the judges and
speak with them. That doesn’t mean track them down and scream at
them. It means politely ask for a few minutes of their time and use it to
communicate both ways. Also bear in mind that once the tournament is
over the scores should not be changed. Aim for a better understanding,
rather than a change in your score.
• Please remove your entry from the competition area in a timely manner
to ensure its safety.
Now that you’ve entered a tourney and you know what it’s all about it’s
time to start thinking ahead. Start planning your next project and encourage
others to try A&S competitions. Take some time to figure out what you
have learned both for your art and in the process of entering in a
Tournament.
Three ways to set yourself up for almost certain failure:
1. If competitions just aren’t the right venue for you… don’t force yourself
to enter them. There are many other outlets for artisans – Demos,
teaching classes or just using/wearing the wonderful things you’ve made.
2. Don’t convince yourself that winning is the only option. Winning can be
the goal, but what happens if you don’t win? Better yet, use the
tournament as a test of your knowledge and skills. Don’t do it for the
awards, do it for the practice.
3. Don’t use the competition to prove you know it all; none of us really do.
Everybody can learn something from someone else.
Some ways to set yourself up for success:
• Plan – Take your time and don’t rush. Some entrants start working on
projects many months before a major competition.
• Research – Start off by finding out all you can about your entry. Any
well-researched project can become an A&S entry. It doesn’t work very
well if it’s done the other way around. It also may help to enlist a
“research buddy” or two. These are others who know what you are
interested in and will send you interesting little tidbits they trip across.
• Write everything down – Keep a log of research notes. Many artisans use
a spiral bound notebook or folder to keep everything organized.
Personally, I keep a lot of information on a flash drive. Write down the
books you used, what materials you used, the step-by-step process to
make your entry, substitutions … right down to what you learned or
would do differently. Keeping good notes will make developing your
write-up easier.
• Double check – When you think you are done, have someone else look
over your entry and documentation. They may notice flaws you can fix or
have questions that aren’t answered in your documentation. Some
competitions provide the rules and judging criteria ahead of time. Read
them and use them to your advantage. Even using the criteria from
another competition or kingdom to pre judge your entry may help you
find areas for improvement before you enter a piece.
Ultimately, don’t give up on A&S Tournaments. Keep at it and excel at
your art. If you like the atmosphere, but aren't inspired to enter, volunteers
are often needed to organize or help out at a competition. Those who remain
active in the A&S community often become judges and organizers
themselves. They draw upon the experiences they have had, both good and
bad, to make tournaments better for the next generation of artisans.
Link to Source
By Baron Master Thalen Tannon
Competition is a word that many people find intimidating. Some people
get so worried about these trials that they’re unable to participate, or if they
do compete they fall short of their own expectations. They do not fail
because of the task itself, but rather because of their own concerns about
success. We live in a culture that thrives upon competition; we play a game
that revolves around it, most notably the tournaments in which our next
Monarch is chosen. Those that find such activities intimidating often deny
themselves an opportunity for an experience only a competition can give.
As Marianne Williams wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is
our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you
not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the
world.”
So how do we overcome our fear and start playing bigger? The best way
to overcome a fear of competitions is to properly prepare for them. For that
you must start by answering two very important questions.
Why am I entering this competition?
Fortunately, there are many reasons for entering an Arts & Sciences
Tournament. Here are some of the most common reasons:
• To share – showing others what you have done
• To win an award – gratification in getting recognized for work well done.
• To expand your knowledge – Explore an area of an Art or Science that
you have not explored before
• To qualify for an elected position
When you’ve determined what your reasons are, then it’s time to figure
out what you’re going to create.
What am I entering in this competition?
Now that you've decided to enter a tournament, the next thing is to come
up with an entry or several entries for the competition. Try to fill a need
that you’ve noticed. Are you lacking garb? Do you need a new weapon?
Would you like to learn how to make jewelry? Does your province need a
new banner? Find a need and fulfill that need. That way what you enter
gets used rather than shuffled away in to the closet. Any thing you make but
don’t personally use perhaps could be donated to a person, or to the
Kingdom for auction.
I know what I want to make. Where do I start?
This is where we get down to the brass tacks of the matter.
1. Create some sort of journal for your entry.
This journal should be used for making notes as you research your entry.
This research might take the form of books, magazines, online tutorials,
even pictures or art that you’ve seen. You could get an actual journal to
keep track of all your ideas, however another idea is to keep them as folders
of text files and images on a flash drive or your home PC.
2. Research your item.
This would be where you gather all the information you would need to
determine the scope of your project. Let’s say you’re making some garb.
You’ve decided on a “Tunic”. You might research various patterns, collar
styles, sleeve types before choosing exactly what kind of “Tunic” you’re
making. Then there’s research on materials, and colors and accents. If
you’re unsure about a certain technique such as Satin Stitching, you might
research the how to do that kind of a stitch. You might not normally do this
much preparational work on another project, but remember you’re entering
this piece of work. It has to be the best you can do.
3. Write first draft of your documentation
It is best to start your documentation as early as possible. With a chosen
item and the research you have done for the competition, you have a basis
for your write-up. Because documentation is one of the judged categories,
work out a preliminary interpretation of your item. Most of the information
that should go into your write-up should be in your journal. Essentially, you
are taking your journal, organizing it and condensing it.
Although your research will vary depending on the kind of project your
documentation might have the following elements:
• Name of entry
• The intended Entry Category
• Your number of awards in that Category
• Your experience in this particular field
• Your Scope of Work
• Background on why the entry was chosen
• Your interpretation of the creation of the item
• Notes of any changes you made from the original idea
• Source of information
5. Create your item
Prepare your entry according to the initial interpretation you have already
written in your rough draft of your write-up. This is critical when creating
this type of item for the first time. This gives you the opportunity to evaluate
your interpretation and adjust it, as you find necessary. The workmanship of
your item is a category that the judges evaluate. If something is going
horribly wrong with your item, this is the opportunity to rework it. Make
sure you journal all your successes and challenges during this process.
6. Finalize your documentation
Your write-up speaks for you when you aren’t around. It explains what
you made, the materials used and the process of creating the piece.
You can include pictures if you like, but don’t get stressed over the
aesthetics. The important thing is to share the information you have. Good
documentation does not mean a formal research paper filled with footnotes
and printed out on a ream of paper; rather, it places the value of content over
format. Keep it neat, simple and cover all of the basics. Try to keep your
write-up to no more than two pages. Remember that the judges are
evaluating several entries and they can only absorb so much in a single
reading of your documentation.
Make sure that your write-up reflects the changes that you made in the
creation of your item based upon the discoveries you have made. You may
want to note any special insights you had through the creation process.
Review your documentation to make sure that you have not forgotten
anything. Have someone proof read your write up; there may be issues with
it that you had not noticed.
My projects are done. Now what?
You might want to set your entries on a table and decide the best method
of presentation. Run this checklist in your head.
• Do I have all my documentation? Did I spell check and grammar check?
• Does my work look professional?
• For garbing entries make sure you’ve clipped all of the dangly threads
and brushed the item free of lint or thread bits. Make sure the item is
clean and ironed.
• Artwork should be framed or matted.
• Written entries should have at least 5 copies bound in some manner
(binder, folder, presentation sleeve, etc).
• Jewelry and sculptures might look better on a dark background.
Consider using a cloth to place under those items.
• Do I need any accessories for any entries?
• Plates, cups, bowls, utensils, napkins for food entries, etc.
• Tape or pins to attach your entry information or documentation to the
item.
Once you’re sure of every entry, pack them carefully for travel.
The Competition itself
First and foremost, arrive before the cutoff time for entering the
tournament. There may be a line and the paperwork can take a few minutes.
Fill out any entry info cards the Autocrat may have and find out where they
would like you to set your entries.
Once your items are set up, leave the judging area and let the judges do
their job. Go socialize, or watch or fight in the warskill tourney, but let the
judges work. The only reason you should stick close by is if you’re also
entering in the bardic category.
The Judging
Bear in mind, not all judges use the same criteria! So how do judges
know how to assess points? Sometimes the judges are given a sheet that
explains the criteria the person in charge wants them to use.
In the instructional guide, “How to Judge an A&S Tournament” there are
5 categories the judges are looking at.
Documentation - Documentation is the foundation of a good entry. It
provides the judges with the necessary details of the conception and creation
for the item entered. It shows the entrant’s understanding of the overall
techniques and the adaptations that had to be made for this specific project.
Scope of Work - This section is used to determine the depth and breadth of
the work. The judges should try not to look at the piece solely as it is, but
what the entrant was envisioning from the start from what is in their writeup.
Relevance - While we aren’t “Period Specific” like they are in the SCA,
Amtgard DOES have a time period and place that we’re trying to represent.
The Rules of Play define that period by declaring that “Every persona must
be either of an ancient, medieval, or swords and sorcery related
background.” That gives us a lot of time and space to work with. Keeping
that in mind, the entry should bear some relevance to what we do in
Amtgard. The obvious things like garb and weapons are easily recognizable
as relevant, but it might take some real thought to decide if a bardic entry is
“Amtgard Relevant”.
A Judge should ask themselves “If Amtgard were real, would this
(insert entry here) be out of place?” If so, the Judge would need to determine
to what extent and critique the piece accordingly.
Workmanship - This is the section where experience in the field of the
entry is the most helpful. In this section, the judges will determine how well
the entrant completed the piece. Complexity is the degree of difficulty in
creating the item. Consider how much physical time the entry took to
construct, the use of elaborate or sensitive processes, and the availability of
materials used in the creation of the item. Workmanship is the degree of
quality of the item created. It shows the entrant’s skill in the use of the
documented processes and materials.
Creativity - Creativity is the degree in which the entrant shows their
understanding of the processes and materials to create an original item. It
shows how well the entrant can adapt and interpret what they have learned.
Judges Observation - This section is designed to cover how all the other
sections fit together. What is the overall effect of the piece? Aesthetics is the
degree in which the entry is pleasing to the eye.
This is the judges’ one spot to let their personal feelings through. If the
entry has documentation, matches its scope of work, is well crafted and
original but the judge just does not like it, this is where that opinion goes.
The corollary, however, is that for all the other criteria, the judges must
remain impartial and objective.
The Tournament is over. Now what?
• Look at your scores and comments as soon as the judging is done.
• Accept constructive critique graciously. If the judge took the time to
write a comment to try and help you improve you should give it serious
consideration. However, seriously question or even disregard any
criticism that comes without any positive aspect or recommendations.
• Please remember that the judges are human. Poorly written comments, a
missed word in the documentation, different approaches to the art…many
things can lead to misunderstandings. If you have questions or wish to
make comments or clarifications of your own, please find the judges and
speak with them. That doesn’t mean track them down and scream at
them. It means politely ask for a few minutes of their time and use it to
communicate both ways. Also bear in mind that once the tournament is
over the scores should not be changed. Aim for a better understanding,
rather than a change in your score.
• Please remove your entry from the competition area in a timely manner
to ensure its safety.
Now that you’ve entered a tourney and you know what it’s all about it’s
time to start thinking ahead. Start planning your next project and encourage
others to try A&S competitions. Take some time to figure out what you
have learned both for your art and in the process of entering in a
Tournament.
Three ways to set yourself up for almost certain failure:
1. If competitions just aren’t the right venue for you… don’t force yourself
to enter them. There are many other outlets for artisans – Demos,
teaching classes or just using/wearing the wonderful things you’ve made.
2. Don’t convince yourself that winning is the only option. Winning can be
the goal, but what happens if you don’t win? Better yet, use the
tournament as a test of your knowledge and skills. Don’t do it for the
awards, do it for the practice.
3. Don’t use the competition to prove you know it all; none of us really do.
Everybody can learn something from someone else.
Some ways to set yourself up for success:
• Plan – Take your time and don’t rush. Some entrants start working on
projects many months before a major competition.
• Research – Start off by finding out all you can about your entry. Any
well-researched project can become an A&S entry. It doesn’t work very
well if it’s done the other way around. It also may help to enlist a
“research buddy” or two. These are others who know what you are
interested in and will send you interesting little tidbits they trip across.
• Write everything down – Keep a log of research notes. Many artisans use
a spiral bound notebook or folder to keep everything organized.
Personally, I keep a lot of information on a flash drive. Write down the
books you used, what materials you used, the step-by-step process to
make your entry, substitutions … right down to what you learned or
would do differently. Keeping good notes will make developing your
write-up easier.
• Double check – When you think you are done, have someone else look
over your entry and documentation. They may notice flaws you can fix or
have questions that aren’t answered in your documentation. Some
competitions provide the rules and judging criteria ahead of time. Read
them and use them to your advantage. Even using the criteria from
another competition or kingdom to pre judge your entry may help you
find areas for improvement before you enter a piece.
Ultimately, don’t give up on A&S Tournaments. Keep at it and excel at
your art. If you like the atmosphere, but aren't inspired to enter, volunteers
are often needed to organize or help out at a competition. Those who remain
active in the A&S community often become judges and organizers
themselves. They draw upon the experiences they have had, both good and
bad, to make tournaments better for the next generation of artisans.
Link to Source