GENERAL COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Entry procedure and round allocation:
i. Groups wishing to enter the Community competition of The Voice Festival UK (hereon referred to as VF-UK) should submit their application form and fee by the given deadline. VF-UK cannot guarantee acceptance of applications received after the deadline.
ii. On their application form, groups will be asked to specify if they definitely cannot attend the Final Weekend.
iii. Submission of an application form and video does not guarantee entry to the competition unless it is received by the deadline and the required fee has been paid.
iv. On the application form the group will be asked to provide contact details for all members of the group, including two primary contacts. All major correspondence will be sent to both e-mail addresses. Messages to the whole group will only be sent when it is essential that each member of the group is made aware of the information included in the message.
v. On the application form the group will be asked to provide a complete list of current members of the group. Should any of these details change at any point between submission of the form and the competition, the group is obliged to let VF-UK know in writing, along with a brief explanation of the change. Please note that ex-members are not considered current members of the group, and that neither new members nor ex-members should join or re-join the group solely for the VF-UK competition.
vi. The group must have amateur status.
vii. In completing the application form, groups are agreeing to abide by these rules and regulations of VF-UK. The group also commits to responding to all communication from VF-UK in a prompt and timely manner, and providing all information required by the appointed deadlines
2. Competition rules
i. VF-UK will ask each competing group to provide a short group biography and their competition set-list for the Final in advance of the event. If a set-list is not provided by the deadline given, a group may not be eligible to win the competition’s awards.
ii. The set-list should comprise the title of the song, the composer(s)/arranger(s), the original artist(s) and details of any soloists, vocal percussionists and choreographers. The definition of ‘arranger’ is the individual or individuals who have had the majority of the responsibility in adapting the song from the original. If the song is a ‘re-arrangement’ of another a cappella arrangement, please specify both the arranger and the re-arranger, as well as a brief description of the extent of the re-arrangement.
iii. Should there be any changes to the set-list, either in content, detail or order, between its submission and the competition, the group must inform VF-UK in writing immediately
iv. A representative of the group will be asked to sign the set-list and list of group membership on the day of the competition to confirm that the details are all correct, to the best of their knowledge. In signing this document, the group is also committing that is is abiding by the Code of good practice on managing misconduct (see below).
v. In the video submission round each group has 8 minutes to perform. If you submit a video over the allotted time you will only be judged up to the 8 minute mark. In the Finals each group will have an allocated amount of time to perform - this will be confirmed once all entries are received. During the performance they can do anything they like, provided at least two thirds of the show is music or musically based. No instruments or electronic equipment may be used (e.g. microphones, stereos) - although props and costumes are allowed.
vi. During the Final, groups will be given a warning when they have 3 minutes left, and when they have 1 minute left. Groups who run significantly over the allotted time will be penalised.
vii. All decisions made by the judges are final and should not be contested, except in circumstances of suspected misconduct, in which case the appropriate procedures should be followed (see Code of good practice below)
viii. The date of the Festival Weekend will be advised at the point of entry, and groups should therefore commit to keep this date free.
ix. The five finalists will be chosen at the judges’ discretion, based on the following criteria: Musicality - i.e: Tuning, Balance and blend, Arrangement, interpretation and song choices, Rhythmic accuracy, Intonation, Tone Quality and diction, Dynamics, Soloists and vocal percussion)
Performance - i.e: Choreography, Use of the stage/space, Stage-craft (e.g. blocking), Energy/presence, Engagement with the audience.
Originality: Judges are asked to look for, and reward, originality in all aspects of the group’s performance - song choices, arrangements, presentation, performance, presence and the way they have put their show together.
x. As well as the overall winner(s) there are other prizes which may be awarded too - eg. Outstanding Musicality, Arrangement, Performance and Community Work. The Ward Swingle Award for Originality may also be awarded during the Final. This award is endorsed by Ward Swingle himself, a supporter of the Voice Festival UK. If the Ward Swingle award is given in the Final, the winners will receive a bonus cash prize. Other prizes may also be awarded, at the judges’ discretion.
xi. An overall winner will be selected by the panel of judges, and this group will win a cash prize to put towards a master class or workshop with an a cappella professional, or another project of your own choosing up to value of £300. The winning group will be asked to submit a project proposal to the VF-UK directors for consideration before the cash can be released.
3. Code of good practice on managing misconduct (including plagiarism and cheating)
i. VF-UK takes any instances of misconduct very seriously and expects all of its competitors to behave in a manner which upholds the principles of honesty. Honesty is fundamental to the values promoted by VF-UK and no group or individual should be allowed to obtain for themselves/him/herself, or for another group, an unfair advantage as a result of dishonesty.
ii. Honesty means not giving false information to VF-UK and always giving full credit for any other people's contributions.
iii. Should any group or individual wish to raise a genuine concern about misconduct, either within their group or of another individual/group, the concern should be put in writing to VF-UK, either in advance of, or subsequent to the competition. VF-UK will confirm receipt of your concern, and give you a date by which a response will be given. VF-UK will then investigate the situation to the best of its ability, adjudicate, and apply penalties if appropriate. Any penalty imposed should be proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct.
iv. No verbal complaints or accusations will be accepted by VF-UK, and no attempt to raise a concern should be made in person on the day of the competition
v. The decision of VF-UK is final and may not be contested.
vi. Cheating is defined as any illegitimate behaviour which may deceive those running or adjudicating the competition. Cheating can take one of a number of forms, including:
a). Failing to provide an accurate list of group members
b) Giving false information about music performed and its composer(s)/arranger(s)
c) Attempting, either directly or indirectly, to influence either the VF-UK committee or the competition judges
d) Plagiarism, i.e. the act of representing another’s work or ideas as one’s own without appropriate acknowledgement or referencing.
NB: Anything official ‘in writing’, as mentioned above, should be sent to
community@thevoicefestival.co.uk