Victory Hall Opera READY.SET Competition

READY.SET COMPETITION

SUMMARY:
Victory Hall Opera [VHO], in partnership with VMDO Architects of Charlottesville, VA, is inviting entries for a modular set design competition.  VHO challenges all assumptions about the presentation and interpretation of opera, and is seeking a set design that will rethink what a set can be. 

A multidisciplinary jury will select and announce three finalists at the Tom Tom Summit and Festival in Charlottesville on April 11, 2019, based on criteria of creativity, versatility, a high-end design aesthetic, acoustics, stability and ease of construction.

The three finalists will then receive a stipend to further develop and refine their design with VHO over the summer of 2019.  VHO will select one Winning Entry in July 2019.

The winning design will be constructed and used in VHO's mainstage productions. The design will also be available as an affordable, licensed download from VHO, allowing smaller arts orgs with minimal resources to produce contemporary, mobile, versatile sets.

PRIZES:
The three finalists, announced at the Tom Tom Summit & Festival on April 11, 2019, will each receive a $1000 stipend to continue development of their design in cooperation with VHO & VMDO. 

The Winning Entry will receive a $2500 cash prize, and the winning design will be constructed by VHO and used in their productions, beginning in Fall 2019.

The Winner will receive promotion and publicity in regional and industry media, and will receive named recognition whenever the set is used in performance by VHO, or if the design is licensed for other theater/opera co.'s or schools' use.

ELIGIBILITY:
Open to all designers, whether architects, artists, set- or industrial designers, and students of these fields. Entrants may be of any age or nationality, and may enter as individuals or teams. Entrants may submit multiple entries under separate registrations (one design submission per registered entry).

DESIGN SUBMISSIONS SHOULD:

• cost no more than $10,000 total
• require no more than 8 man-hours to assemble (2 people in 4 hours) after initial fabrication
• when disassembled, be transportable in a 10' UHAUL truck
• be sturdy enough to safely support actors
• be durable enough to serve for at least 30 performances, through 10 dis- and re-assemblies, with minimal maintenance
• contain elements that can be easily moved or reconfigured within a performance
• demonstrate versatility in terms of possible configurations and low-cost customizations
• serve as acoustic aids, i.e., help to project or amplify the unamplified human voice

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Jurors will evaluate designs based on:

• creativity and innovation
• cost and ease of fabrication and construction/assembly, portability
• stability, durability, and mobility onstage
• versatility of assembly: customizability, transformational possibility onstage
• design aesthetic: originality, clarity, modernity, beauty, integrity
• acoustic functionality

 
DATES:
Submissions accepted online from: January 31, 2019.
Deadline to submit electronically: March 31, 2019, 12:00pm (noon).
Public Announcement of 3 Finalists: April 11, 2019.
Round 2 Collaborative Design Process: June - July 2019.
Final Winner Announced: July 15, 2019.
Winning Design constructed by VHO with designer oversight: August - September 2019.
Winning Design used in VHO Fall Production, featured in Press: November 2019.

ALL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND FURTHER INFO:
All details of the Competition are viewable/downloadable on Acceptd.
You may also download the Ready.Set Competition Information Sheet here.

CONTACT:
For questions not answered by the Info. Sheet, please email competition manager Brenda Patterson at bpatterson@victoryhallopera.org.