Talent Time 2016 Rules

33 Talent Time 2016 Rules In order to enter the Talent Time competition, participants must agree to be bound by the following rules and indicate acceptance while completing their registration. KAGW reserves the right to solely determine eligibility for the reasons stated herein or on any other reasonable basis. KAGW also reserves the right to make alterations to the rules at any time and participants must agree to abide by the most recent version of the rules. Participants are accordingly advised to refer to the rules document before the competition and review the rules document available on the KAGW website periodically. K e r a l a A s s o c i a t i o n o f G r e a t e r W a s h i n g t o n e n t e r t a i n m e n t @ k a g w. c o m 2016

Competition Events... 3 Arts and Literary Events... 3 Performing Arts... 3 General Rules... 4 Rules specific to Individual Items... 7 1. Public Speaking English... 7 2. Public Speaking Malayalam... 7 3. Poetry Recitation English... 7 4. Poetry Recitation Malayalam... 7 5. Painting - Water color... 8 6. Pencil sketching... 8 7. Essay writing English... 8 8. Poetry writing English... 9 9. Story writing English.... 9 10. Classical Music (Carnatic) Single... 9 11. Non Classical Music (Cinematic) Single... 9 12. Classical Dance Single... 10 13. Cinematic Dance Single - Girls... 10 14. Cinematic Dance Single - Boys... 10 15. Kerala Folk Dance Single... 11 16. Non Classical Dance (Cinematic/Folk) Group... 11 17. Classical Dance Group... 11 18. Instrumental Music... 12 19. Fancy Dress... 12 20. Little Prince and Little Princess... 13 21. DubSmash... 13 22. Spelling Bee... 14 23. Reel Deal... 14 24. Let s be Craftee... 15 25. The Great Debate... 15 Appendix A Complete set of Spelling Bee rules.... 16 Eligibility:... 16 Page 1

Preliminary Written round:... 16 Final Spell Round:... 16 Appendix B Complete set of Reel Deal Rules... 18 Eligibility:... 18 Video Format and Topics:... 18 Visual & Sound Clarity... 18 Appropriateness & Language... 18 Maximum length:... 18 Rights:... 18 Copyright of script and music:... 19 Winners:... 19 Other rules -... 19 Appendix C Complete set of Debate Rules... 21 Page 2

Competition Events Arts and Literary Events Public Speaking English Public Speaking Malayalam Poetry Recitation English Poetry Recitation Malayalam Essay Writing English Poetry Writing English Story Writing - English Painting Water Color Pencil Sketching Let s Be Craftee Spelling Bee The Great Debate Performing Arts Non Classical Music (Cinematic) Carnatic Music Non Classical Dance Single (Cinematic) Non Classical Dance Single (Folk) Classical Dance Single Non Classical Dance Group (Cinematic) Classical Dance Group Dub Smash Instrumental Music Little Prince/Princess The Reel Deal Fancy Dress Page 3

General Rules 1. All participants must complete an online registration form available at www.kagw.com and submit the mandatory registration fees within seven days of completing the online registration. 2. Only one registration form should be submitted per participant. 3. For all group events, the group leaders must register themselves first and provide the names of all the members of their group in the comments/notes field. In addition to this, each individual in the group will also need to register separately. 4. Registration forms without registration fees and those submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. However organizers at their discretion may accept registrations after the last date for an additional fee (walk-in registration fees). Please refer to General Rules # 7. Please be aware that walk-in registrations are highly discouraged. 5. The last date for registrations a. Monday, March 28 th 2016 at 11.59 PM for Talent Time Day 1 events to be conducted on Saturday, Apr 9th 2016. b. Monday, April 11 th 2016 at 11.59 PM for Talent Time Day 2 events to be conducted on Saturday, April 23 rd 2016. c. Monday, April 11 th 2016 at 11.59 PM for Talent Time Day 3 events to be conducted on Saturday, April 30 th 2016. 6. Organizers reserve the right to extend the deadline for registration for selected or all events. Any extension of the registration deadline will be announced through the KAGW website. 7. Registration fees: Early Bird Special for online registrations till Mar 7 th 2016 a) $20 KAGW Members for up to 4 competition events. b) $35 KAGW Non-Members for up to 4 competition events. c) An additional $5 registration fees will be charged per participant for each additional competition event. This applies to both members and non-members. d) Payments for early bird special should be made via Paypal. If payment is made by check, it should be postmarked by Mar 7 th 2016 and/or received by the Mar 12 th 2016. Payments that are not postmarked by Mar 7 th and/or not received by the Mar 12 th deadline will revert to the regular online registration rates listed below. Regular online registrations from Mar 8 th 2016 onwards a) $30 KAGW Members for up to 4 competition events. b) $45 KAGW Non-Members for up to 4 competition events. c) An additional $5 registration fees will be charged per participant for each additional competition event. This applies to both members and non-members. Walk-in Registrations a) $50 - Walk-in registration fees for up to 4 competition events. This applies to both members and non-members. Page 4

b) An additional $10 registration fees will be charged per participant for each additional competition event. This applies to both members and non-members. Please note: Walk in registrations are highly discouraged. 8. Organizers reserve the right to cancel a whole event or a specific category within the event if there are less than 4 participants for that event/category. 9. Competitions will be conducted based on the following categories: Participants below 1st grade (Little Prince/Princess event only) Category 1 1 st grade to 3 rd grade Category 2 4 th grade to 6 th grade Category 3 7 th grade to 10 th grade Category 4 Above 10 th grade (no upper limit) (qualified to participate in selected events only. Please refer to General Rules #9) 10. The only events open to the Category 4 are a. Reel Deal b. Dub Smash c. Let s be Craftee d. Non-Classical Group Dance 11. For administrative purposes, categories are determined based on the grade/class in which the participant is currently studying. The participant s actual age will not be considered to determine their category. 12. Category for group events will be decided based on the grade/class of the oldest participant in the group. Proof of grade is required. Please bring a document showing evidence of participant's grade. Organizers request the reserve the right to request evidence of grade from participants. Participants will be required to provide grade details from individual school within 2 days of request. The organizers reserve the right to disqualify the participant or group if found in violation of the rules. 13. False representation of the category will result in disqualification of the participant/team. 14. Participants can only participate in one category. However participants may opt to participate in a higher category. Under no circumstances will they be allowed to participate in a lower category. A participant cannot contest in multiple categories for the same or different competitions. A participant must enroll under the same category for all the competitions they participate. 15. There is no restriction to the number of events that participants can register in. 16. The male participant (irrespective of the category) who gets the maximum points will be declared the Kalaprathibha. 17. The female participant (irrespective of the category) who gets maximum points will be declared the Kalathilakam. 18. Points earned in group events and the Spelling Bee competition will not be considered for Kalaprathibha or Kalathilakam. 19. Points are allocated for individual events as follows: 1 st place 5 points 2 nd place 3 points 3 rd place 1 point Page 5

20. In case of a tie in total points, the participant who got the maximum number of 1 st places will be awarded the title. In case there is a tie in the number of 1 st places, the number of 2 nd places will be counted. 21. If an event has less than 5 participants in a category, the points earned by the participants in that competition will not be counted for Kalaprathibha or Kalathilakam. However they will still be awarded for their accomplishment in that event. 22. The participants contesting for Kalaprathibha and Kalathilakam are required to participate in at least one Arts & Literary event and one Performing Arts event. 23. Participants should provide the music for their events to the organizers before the day of the event. Check the detailed rules for the date and format in which music needs to be provided. It is also advised that participants carry with them their own Karaoke or Song CD on the day of the event. 24. Organizers will not be responsible for malfunctioning CDs. Participants are advised to keep a backup CD with them. 25. Participants should bring their own supplies (dance costumes, water color, pencil, pen, etc.) required for their events. 26. The organizers will provide the paper for written competitions, painting and pencil sketching. Participants are not allowed to use their own paper. 27. Participants must adhere to the time limits specified for each event. Completing the performance within the allotted maximum time will be a judging criterion for all the events. 28. Participants should report at least 10 minutes before the beginning of the event at the stage/venue. Participants who arrive after the conclusion of their event will not be allowed to participate and their registration for that event will be deemed cancelled and the registration fees will not be reimbursed. The participant may still participate in other events for which they have registered provided they show up on time. 29. Participants shall not receive any communication from the organizers if they fail to report at the venue on time. 30. KAGW reserves the right to publish poetries, essays, stories, paintings and drawings submitted in the competitions on the KAGW website or in KAGW newsletter and the Onam Souvenir. 31. KAGW reserves the rights to revise the rules at any time. 32. Judges decision shall be final Page 6

Rules specific to Individual Items 1. Public Speaking English 1.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 1.2. Topics for the event will be published on Sunday Feb 28th2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 1.3. Participants may speak on any one of the published topics of their choice. 1.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 4 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 3 rd minute. 1.5. Participants are encouraged to speak without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not using written aids. 1.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Content, Language, Voice Modulation, Posture and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 2. Public Speaking Malayalam 2.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 2.2. Topics for the event will be published on Sunday Feb 28th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 2.3. Participants may speak on any one of the published topics of their choice. 2.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 4 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 3 rd minute. 2.5. Participants are encouraged to speak without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not using written aids. 2.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Content, Language, Voice Modulation, Posture and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 3. Poetry Recitation English 3.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 3.2. Participants may recite English poetry written by a poet of their choice. 3.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. 3.4. Participants are encouraged to recite the poem without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not using written aids. 3.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Pronunciation & Voice Modulation, Memorization, Tune, Presentation, and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 4. Poetry Recitation Malayalam 4.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 4.2. Participants may recite Malayalam poetry written by a poet of their choice. 4.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. Page 7

4.4. Participants are encouraged to recite the poem without written aids. 5% of the marks will be for not using written aids. 4.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Pronunciation & Voice Modulation, Memorization, Tune, Presentation, and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 5. Painting - Water color 5.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 5.2. Paintings should only be in water color. Use of other mediums and color pencils will lead to disqualification. 5.3. KAGW will provide the paper for this event. Participants must bring their own water color, brush and other necessary items. 5.4. Theme for the event will be published on Sunday Feb 28th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 5.5. The participant will pick a theme from the list of published themes on a lottery basis when he/she reports for the event. 5.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 5.7. Workspace neatness will be one of the criteria. Bonus points will be awarded for maintaining clean workspace. 5.8. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Originality, Creativity, Color Combination, Quality of Work, workspace neatness and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 6. Pencil sketching 6.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 6.2. Only lead pencils should be used. Use of color pencils will lead to disqualification. 6.3. KAGW will provide the paper for this event. Participants must bring their own pencils and other necessary items. 6.4. Theme for the event will be published on Sunday Feb 28 th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 6.5. The participant will pick a theme from the list of published themes on a lottery basis when he/she reports for the event. 6.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 6.7. Workspace neatness will be one of the criteria. Bonus points will be awarded for maintaining clean workspace. 6.8. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Originality, Clarity of Expression, Quality of Work, workspace neatness and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 7. Essay writing English 7.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 7.2. Topics for this event will be published on Sunday Feb 28 th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 7.3. The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when he/she reports for the event. Page 8

7.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 7.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Structure & Organization, Content, Language, Style and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 8. Poetry writing English 8.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 8.2. Topics for this event will be published on Sunday Feb 28th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 8.3. The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when he/she reports for the event. 8.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 8.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Theme, Emotional Appeal, Language, Rhythm, and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 9. Story writing English. 9.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 9.2. Topics for this event will be published on Sunday Feb 28 th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW web site. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 9.3. The participant will pick a topic from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when he/she reports for the event. 9.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 9.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Plot, Characterization, Setting, Style, and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 10. Classical Music (Carnatic) Single 10.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 10.2. Accompaniments are not permitted. However use of Thampuru, Thampuru CD or shruti box is allowed. 10.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 6 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 5 th minute. 10.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Shruthi, Layam, Sahithyasudhi, Thalam and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 10.5. In case a sound track is used The track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday March 28th 2016: 11.59 PM. 10.6. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Classical_Music_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 11. Non Classical Music (Cinematic) Single 11.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 11.2. Any Indian film song (including semi classical and non-classical) is allowed. However classical Keerthanam from a movie is not allowed. 11.3. Film songs in any Indian language is allowed. 11.4. Participants are allowed to use Karaoke CD. Page 9

11.5. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. 11.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Shruthi, Layam, Sahithyasudhi, Thalam, Synchronization to the Karoke music and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 11.7. In case a sound track is used The track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Saturday, Apr 2nd 2016: 11.59 PM. 11.8. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Non_Classical_Music_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 12. Classical Dance Single 12.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 12.2. Only Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam classical styles are allowed. 12.3. Maximum time allowed for category 1 and category 2 is 6 minutes for this event. There will be a warning at the end of the 5 th minute. 12.4. Maximum time allowed for category 3 is 8 minutes for this event. There will be a warning at the end of the 7 th minute. 12.5. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Abhinayam/Bhavam, Mudra, Adavu/Chuvadu, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 12.6. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, March 28 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 12.7. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Classical_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 13. Cinematic Dance Single - Girls 13.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 13.2. Participants can dance to any film song (including western, semi classical, non-classical or regional). 13.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 3.5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 3 rd minute. 13.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Abhinayam/Bhavam, Mudra, Adavu/Chuvadu, Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 13.5. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, March 28 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 13.6. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Cinematic_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 14. Cinematic Dance Single - Boys 14.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 14.2. Participants can dance to any film song (including western, semi classical, non-classical or regional). 14.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 3.5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 3 rd minute. Page 10

14.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Choreography, coordination, costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 14.5. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, March 28 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 14.6. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Cinematic_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 15. Kerala Folk Dance Single 15.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 15.2. The dance is required to be in Kerala folk style. Dancing to a folk film song is not permitted. 15.3. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. 15.4. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Abhinayam/Bhavam, Adavu/Chuvadu, Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 15.5. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Saturday, Monday, April 11 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 15.6. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Folk_Dance_Single_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 16. Non Classical Dance (Cinematic/Folk) Group 16.1. Participants in all categories are eligible to participate in this event. 16.2. A group must have a minimum of 4 participants. The recommended number of participants in a group is 10. 16.3. Any song (including cinematic, folk, western, semi-classical, non-classical, regional) is allowed. 16.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 4.5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. 16.5. Song CDs should be labeled with the participant s name, category and participant chest number. The CDs should be handed over to the registration desk in the morning of the day of the event. 16.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Rhythm & Steps, Co-ordination, Choreography, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 16.7. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, April 11 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 16.8. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Non_Classical_Dance_Group_Cat<X>_<Group #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 17. Classical Dance Group 17.1. Participants in all categories are eligible to participate in this event. 17.2. A group must have a minimum of 4 participants. The recommended number of participants in a group is 10. 17.3. Any form of Indian classical dance is allowed. 17.4. Maximum time allowed for this event is 5 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 4 th minute. Page 11

17.5. Song CDs should be labeled with the participant s name, category and participant chest number. The CDs should be handed over to the registration desk in the morning of the day of the event. 17.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Abhinayam/Bhavam, Mudra, Adavu/Chuvadu, Costume and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 17.7. The sound track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, March 28 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 17.8. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Classical_Dance_Group_Cat<X>_<Chest #> with X being the category of the participant (1, 2, 3,). 18. Instrumental Music 18.1. Participants in category 1-3 are eligible to participate in this event. 18.2. Competitions will be held separately for String and Wind categories. Examples of string instruments include guitar, violin, viola etc. Examples of wind instruments include key board (tone set to organ), recorder, flute, saxophone etc. 18.3. Participants must bring their own instrument of choice. A 32 key piano will be provided by the organizers at the venue. 18.4. Automatically generated rhythms/ music and music fed into the memory of the instrument cannot be used to support the performance. Any use of such aids will lead to disqualification of the participant. 18.5. Maximum time allowed for this event is 3 minutes. There will be a warning at the end of the 2 nd minute. 18.6. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Timing, Complexity of Notes and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 19. Fancy Dress 19.1. Fancy dress is an individual participation event. 19.2. Halloween costumes are not permitted. 19.3. This is open to below First grade, Category 1 and Category 2 19.4. Participants should come onto the stage in their costume and wait for the judges to evaluate. 19.5. Conversation is allowed but not mandatory. 19.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 minute. 19.7. The points earned from this event will not be counted for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha. 19.8. Participants cannot be accompanied to stage by parents. 19.9. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Creativity, Overall Presentation and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 19.10. In case a sound track is used The track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, March 28 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 19.11. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Fancy_Dress<Chest #>. Page 12

20. Little Prince and Little Princess 20.1. The Little Prince and Little Princess is an individual event. 20.2. Only participants below first grade are eligible to participate. 20.3. There will be separate competitions for boys and girls. 20.4. The winner in the boys category will be titled Little Prince and the winner in the girls category will be titled Little Princess. 20.5. Participants are required to come to the stage, introduce themselves (name, age etc.) and present a talent. 20.6. Participants can choose a talent of their choice some suggestions are storytelling, rhymes, beautiful smile, singing, dancing etc. 20.7. Participants are encouraged to dress up for the occasion. Any kind of dress is permissible. 20.8. Age of the participants will be considered while evaluating them. Judges decision (on age appropriate presentation) will be final. 20.9. Maximum time allowed for this event is 2 minutes. 20.10. Participant cannot be accompanied to stage by parents. 20.11. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Style, Talent, Dressing and Overall Presentation. 20.12. In case a sound track is used The track should be mailed to talenttime@kagw.com by Monday, April 11 th 2016: 11.59 PM. 20.13. The sound track should be in.mp3 format and should follow the specified naming convention Little_Prince_Little_Princess_<Chest #>. 21. DubSmash 21.1. DubSmash is considered a group event, but individual participation is allowed. 21.2. Participants are responsible for ensuring the video does NOT contain indecent or unsafe behavior or situations (including but not limited to smoking, intoxication, discrimination based on race, sex, religion etc.) and is applicable for viewing with family. 21.3. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria overall best performance (which includes entertainment quality, planning, acting and creativity), best visual creativity, most coordinated lip synching (as applicable for the act). 21.4. Maximum time allowed for this video is 1 minute. Submissions: Please upload your videos to YouTube and give access to dubsmash@kagw.com to view it. Please also send the YouTube link along with the parent permission letters (for participants below age 18 years) and copyright affidavit to dubsmash@kagw.com on or before the submission deadline. Submission Deadline: Monday, April 4th 2016 at 11.59 PM Page 13

22. Spelling Bee 22.1. The event will be held in the following categories: Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Grades 1 st to 3 rd Grades 4 th to 6 th Grades 7 th to 8 th Please note that the Spelling Bee categories are different from the categories for other events. 22.2. There will be two rounds in the event: Preliminary written round Final spelling round 22.3. The top 10 contestants from the Preliminary written round from each category will be selected to the Final round. 22.4. The participants will be given a pre-published list of words only for the Preliminary written round. The words will not be called in the same order as provided in this list. 22.5. No cell phones, cheat sheets or any other form of prompting aid is allowed for this event. 22.6. Bee Master s decision is final. 22.7. The points earned from this event will not be counted for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha. 22.8. Please refer to Appendix A for complete set of rules. 23. Reel Deal 23.1. This event involves creating an original short film. 23.2. The event is open to all participants of all categories. 23.3. The length of the film can vary from 8 to 10 minutes. 23.4. Video of the film should be uploaded to YouTube. The YouTube account used to upload the video should belong to someone above 13 years, the legal permissible age for creating YouTube accounts. In case the video is being submitted by a group of participants, all younger than 13 years, the video upload should be done by a parent. 23.5. KAGW has all the rights to the video once uploaded. 23.6. There is no specific topic for this event. The participants can use their own imagination and creativity to produce a short film that exhibits a strong social message and value. 23.7. During Video submission participants will also need to highlight either amateur or professional grade based on camera equipment s being utilized. KAGW and judges reserves right to reclassify submission during evaluation 23.8. A link to the video along with a copyright affidavit should be submitted to reeldeal@kagw.com by Monday, April 6 th 2016 at 11.59 PM. If children below age 15 years are participating in this event, a Parent permission letter signed by the parent should be submitted along with the submission of the video. The chest number and the names of the participants should be included in the email for reference. Please refer to Appendix B for sample parent permission letter and copyright affidavit. 23.9. The group will be judged without considering the age of the participants in the group. 23.10. The team should have the rights for the script and music used in the film. Each team should submit an affidavit suggesting that there are no copyright violations involved with the film. KAGW is not responsible for any copyright violation issues. 23.11. The names, photo clip and call signs for each registered participants appearing in the film Page 14

and each team member working behind the scenes should be provided to the organizers and included in the video. 23.12. The points earned from this event will not be counted for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha. 23.13. The following awards would be given for this event :- Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Story, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. 23.14. Please refer to Appendix B for complete set of rules. 24. Let s be Craftee 24.1. This event involves designing a T shirt. 24.2. Participants in all categories are eligible to participate in this event. 24.3. KAGW will provide the material T shirt for designing. The participants have to design the T shirt using the decorations they bring. 24.4. Participants can bring the following items for their work: Glitter Glue, Fabric paint, yarn, ribbon, designer masking tapes, lace, beads and small glass mirror. Usage of any other items e.g. sewing machine, iron box etc. is not allowed. 24.5. There is no specific theme for this event. The participants may use any of their pre-planned designs. However the participants are not allowed to bring any design sketch to the venue. 24.6. Maximum time allowed for this event is 1 hour. 24.7. The points earned from this event will not be counted for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha. 24.8. Grading criteria will include workspace cleanliness by participants. 24.9. Participants would be evaluated on the following criteria Originality, Creativity, Color Combinations, Overall Presentation and their adherence to the time limit specified above. 25. The Great Debate 25.1. The Debate Team should consist of two members. 25.2. Topics for the debate will be published on Friday, March 18 th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW website. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. 25.3. Each team will pick a topic to speak FOR or AGAINST from the list of published topics on a lottery basis when they report for the event. Each team will get 3 minutes to present their case study. 25.4. Being a group event, the points earned from the debate competition will not be counted for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha. 25.5. Please refer to Appendix C for complete set of rules Page 15

Appendix A Complete set of Spelling Bee rules. Eligibility: Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Grades 1 st to 3 rd Grades 4 th to 6 th Grades 7 th to 8 th Please note that the Spelling Bee categories are different from the categories for the other events. Participants will be assigned to a specific category by the organizers based on the grades provided in the registration form. Each participant will be given a chest number. Preliminary Written round: 1. The written round will consist of 25 words for each category. 2. 75% of the words (or 18 words) will be from a pre-published list of 100 words; 25% (or 7 words) will be from a non-disclosed list. List of words will be published on the KAGW web site 3 days prior to the event on Tuesday, April 5 th 2016 at 11.59 PM. 3. The 100 words in the pre-published list for each category will be decided by organizers. 4. The Bee Master will pronounce each word twice, the meaning and example sentence will be stated once. A maximum of 45 seconds will be given for each word. 5. Only the top 10 contestants from each category will qualify for the final round. In case of more than one participant getting the same mark, the marks obtained for non-disclosed words will be used to break the tie. If a tie still exists the organizers reserve the right to qualify more than 10 participants to the final round. Final Spell Round: General Rules 1. Bee Master will call each participant by their chest number at which time the person will need to step forward and wait for their word. 2. No word list will be provided for the final round. 3. No cell phones, cheat sheets or any other form of prompting aid is allowed during the event. 4. Bee Master s decisions are final. Timing 1. The participant should complete spelling the word within 30 seconds of getting the word. Page 16

2. Participant may use the 30 seconds to repeat the word, ask for a 2nd time pronunciation or ask for the word meaning within this time period. Words will not be repeated more than twice. Spelling Procedure 1. The Bee Master will pronounce the word. 2. The participant will then pronounce the word and spell the word, and pronounce the word again SAY-SPELL-SAY format (eg. Sport S P O R T Sport) 3. The participant must: Pronounce the word before spelling. This is to ensure that the student has heard the correct word. Spell the word orally. Participants will not be allowed to write the word before spelling it. Speak clearly and loudly. Retracing 1. Having started to spell a word, a participant may stop and start over, retracing the spelling from the beginning. However, in the retracing, there can be no change of letters and their sequence from those first pronounced. 2. If any letters and/or their sequence are changed in the respelling, the participant will be disqualified. Spell-off Bee Elimination 1. When a participant misspells a word, he/she immediately drops out of the contest. The next word is given to the next participant. 2. When the participants are reduced to two, the elimination procedure changes - At that point, when one participant misspells a word, the same word will be passed on to the second participant If the second contestant spells the passed on word correctly, she/he shall be given one more word from the Bee Master's list. If the second participant spells this word also correctly he/she shall be declared the champion of the Bee. If a participant correctly spells the word passed on to him/her and fails with the new word given, the misspelled word shall be referred to the other participant. If the other participant then succeeds in spelling the word passed on to him/her and correctly spells the next word from the Bee Master's list, then he/she shall be declared the champion. If both spellers misspell the same word, both shall continue in the contest, and the one who first misspelled the word shall be given a new word to spell. The pattern will continue until one of the participants is declared as the champion. Page 17

Appendix B Complete set of Reel Deal Rules Eligibility: There is no age restriction. Judging will be done as one group without considering the age of the participants. Video Format and Topics: Video uploaded to YouTube. There is no specific topic for this event. The participants can use their own imagination and creativity to produce a short film that exhibits a strong social message and value. Visual & Sound Clarity It is important for the judges to compare submission evenly. Hence it is the responsibility of the submitting team to ensure that the visuals are clear and sound is perfectly audible. Poor quality may adversely affect your chances of winning. Appropriateness & Language All submissions should abide by the laws and governing principles of KAGW. Video submissions with inappropriate contents and language use will be discarded without notification. Maximum length: 8-10 minutes Rights: KAGW will own non-exclusive rights to all videos submitted for the contest. This implies that by submitting a video the participating team grants KAGW the right to use the video in any lawful manner. However, the team shall still retain the original rights to the video and can use it for any purpose Page 18

including selling the video or publishing it elsewhere. The team selling or using the video for other purposes cannot void the rights of KAGW to use this video. Copyright of script and music: The team should have the rights for the script and music used in the film. For example, please do not add music by Boney M unless you have Boney M s permission! KAGW is not responsible for any copyright violation issues. Each team should give an affidavit that there is no copyright violation. The format of the affidavit is given below: I (Name of the team leader) affirm that the team has the rights for using the script and music used for this film. Kerala Association of Greater Washington is not responsible for any claims of copyright violations. Winners: The following awards would be given for this event: - Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Story, Best Amateur Editing,Best Amateur Cinematography, Best Professional Editing and Best professional Cinematography. Submissions: Please upload your movies to YouTube and give access to reeldealjudges@kagw.com to view it. Please also send the YouTube link along with the parent permission letters (for participants below age 15 years) and copyright affidavit to entertainment@kagw.com on or before the submission deadline. Submission Deadline: Monday, April 11 th 2016 at 11.59 PM Other rules - 1. Any camcorder or digital camera can be used in addition to mobile phones.the camera specifications should be submitted along with the video. 2. The maximum number of participants that can be registered under one group is 10. They can be associated in any role, including but not limited to producers, directors, actors, screen writers, lighting experts etc. 3. Non registered participants can also be involved but they will not receive prizes. 4. Only the registered participants will receive prizes. 5. The names, photos and call signs for the registered participants who appeared in the film and the team members who worked behind the scenes should be provided to the organizers and included in the video. 6. If children below age 15 years then a permission letter from their parents must be submitted at the time of submission of the video. Suggested format for the permission letter is given below: Page 19

I, (Name of the parent), grant permission for my child, (Name of the child), to appear in a video titled (Name of the movie) by (Name of the director). The video was uploaded by someone more than 13 years old who is legally eligible to open YouTube account. Page 20

Appendix C Complete set of Debate Rules Eligibility The debate is open to the following age categories: Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: 1st 3rd grade 4th 6th grade 7th 10th grade Team Structure Each team should consist of two members. The same two members must participate in all debates. Though not mandatory, it is encouraged that both team members speak during the debate. Format Topics for the debate will be published on Friday, March 27 th 2016 at 11.59 PM on the KAGW website. Participants will not receive any individual communication. It is solely the responsibility of the participants to check the KAGW website for updates. The structure of the debate will be as follows: Each team will be called to the stage in a pre-determined order and will pick their topic to speak FOR or AGAINST from the list of published topics on a lottery basis. The presenting team will be given 3 minutes to present their best argument in support of their topic. It s not mandatory that both team members have to speak during the presentation. After the presenting team has provided their argument, each of the opposite team will be given a minute to present their counter argument. After each opposing team has been given a chance to present their counter argument then presenting team will be given 3 minutes to give a rebuttal and a statement of conclusion. The format is illustrated using the following example Teams A, B, C: 3 teams registered for the Debate competition in category 3 Topics Topic 1, Topic 2, Topic 3 On a lottery basis Team C is selected to go first. They will select on lottery basis - a topic from the list of topics given above. Assume selection is Topic 1: case AGAINST. - Team C will present their case - AGAINST Topic 1 for 3 minutes. - Team A will be given 1 minute to provide a counter argument to Team C. - Team B will be given 1 minute to provide a counter argument to Team C. - Team C will be given 3 minutes to give a rebuttal to all the counter arguments put forward by each of the other teams and provide their statement of conclusion. Team C will sit and the next team on lottery basis is called forward Team A and they will select on a lottery basis their specific topic. The format mentioned above will continue until all teams have had a chance to present their own respective topic. Page 21

NOTE Topics will be re-used if the number of teams exceed the number of topics (FOR and AGAINST). Judging Three judges will be present at each debate. No team member must communicate directly or approach the judge under any circumstance. The decisions made by the judges are final. Each team will be judged equally on the quality of their argument and their ability to refute the arguments of the opposing team as well as the quality of the rebuttals against the defending team. Judges will award a maximum of 100 points per debate. 40 points for the strength of the case presentation, 25 points for the strength of their counter arguments, 25 points for the strength of rebuttal and 10 points for the strength of their conclusion If both the teams score the same marks the judges together will decide the winner. The team which gets majority votes from the judging panel will be the winner. Page 22