NIFCA 2025 PERFORMING ARTS – MIXED DISCIPLINE ENTRY FORM

 

NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE FESTIVAL OF CREATIVE ARTS (NIFCA)

PERFORMING ARTS –  MIXED DISCIPLINE RULES 2025

NON-PROFESSIONAL ADULT & JUNIOR CATEGORIES

 

1. NAME OF THE COMPETITION

1.       The name of the competition shall be the NIFCA Performing Arts Mixed Discipline Category (the “Competition”) which comprises Preliminaries, Semi-Finals and Finals and is organised and administered by the National Cultural Foundation (the “NCF”). This competition will be assessed in combination or integration of two or more of the following categories: Theatre, Dance, Music, Film and Visual Arts.

 

These Rules apply to those persons wishing to enter the Competition.

 

2. ELIGIBILITY

 

1.       Persons wishing to enter the Competition must be:

 

• A citizen of Barbados OR
• Legally resident in Barbados

 

2.       If the entrant is not a citizen or legal resident of Barbados he/she must present evidence to show he/she is actively pursuing legal residence.

 

3.       Entrants in the competition must be at least 4 years old by September 1st. An entrant is eligible to participate in the Junior Category of the Competition where his/her age is 17 years old and under by September 1st, 2025. All other entrants will be adjudicated in the Non-Professional Adult Category.

 

Please note that, in the Non-Professional Adult and Junior Categories, in an instance of a combination of age classifications, the majority (which must be no less than 80% of the group entry) will determine the category of entry.

 

4.       The NCF reserves the right to satisfy itself that the conditions relating to age and eligibility are met.

 

5.       The following are eligible to participate in the Competition:

• Individuals
• Schools – Primary and Secondary
• Specialized Performance Training Schools
• Community Groups
• Theatre Companies/Troupes
• Other

 

5.       Entrants should note that NIFCA Performances will be held on some weekdays and also Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Registration in the competition therefore indicates your availability to perform on these days.

 

3. ENTRY TO THE COMPETITION

1.       Persons must enter directly with the NCF by properly filling out the relevant online registration form and submit it to the NCF as follows: 

 

2.       Registration deadlines are as follows:

 

Individuals/ Community Groups/ Others: Friday, September 5, 2025

Primary and Secondary Schools: Friday, September 19, 2025

– Persons requiring assistance with online registration may do so by appointment at the NCF during the week of September, 1 – 5 for individuals and for schools September 15 – 19, 2025.

– No entries will be accepted after these closing dates.

 

3.       Each entry must be submitted with an accompanying draft script where theatre is used and a video which captures the essence of the piece to be judged. The aforementioned must be submitted/uploaded with the entry. Entries will not be processed without submission of an accompanying script/video where applicable.

 

4.       Entrants who fail to register by the deadline indicated at 3.2 above shall not be eligible for participation in the Competition. The NCF shall dispatch a notice by letter or email to the participant within seven (7) working days of receipt of his/her request for entry advising him/her whether the request for entry has been approved or refused.

 

5.       An entrant’s duly appointed representative may register, as set out in 3.1 above, on behalf of the entrant. All persons entering this category must be considered amateur (i.e. they do not make a living from theatre performance ).

 

6.       All group entries must be submitted by the designated leader of the group. The group leader’s contact information must be indicated on the entry form. The NCF will address all correspondence about the competition to the designated group leader.

 

7.       Entrants under 18 years of age at September 1^st, 2025  must have their entry submitted by a teacher, parent or guardian.

 

8.       Entrants should indicate on their entry forms whether there are any social, religious or other factors that will affect their scheduling of their adjudications on any specific day(s) of the week.

 

9.       All entries to the Competition must be Barbadian material, or local adaptations of regional work. Where there is a complaint that a presentation does not conform to this requirement, the complainant shall produce recorded evidence to support the complaint. 

 

10.       The penalty for violation of Rule 3.8 shall be disqualification of the work from the Competition.

 

4. ARBITRATION

1.       Prior to the deadline for submission of entry forms, the NCF shall appoint an Arbiter to decide and adjudicate on any appeals, complaints and matters in dispute or requiring clarification arising from these Rules. 

 

2.       All complaints related to the Competition shall be submitted, in writing, to the Arbiter in a sealed envelope addressed as follows: 

 

The Arbiter

National Cultural Foundation

West Terrace

St. James

 

3.       All decisions made by the Arbiter shall be final and binding on the competitors and the NCF.  

 

5. ADJUDICATION

 

1.      The Competition shall be judged in three (3) stages – Preliminaries, Semifinals and Finals.

 

2.       The NCF shall appoint a Chief Judge who shall adjudicate at each stage of the Competition. 

 

3.       The NCF shall determine the composition of the judging panel at each stage of the Competition.

 

4.       The names of the judges shall be publicly announced before the commencement of the Preliminaries.

 

5.       The judges reserve the right not to award any special prizes offered in this competition.  

 

6. PRELIMINARIES

1.       First time entrants are required to have a coaching session for preliminary feedback before going before the judges at the Prelimanaries.

 

2.       Judging at the Preliminaries shall not be open to the public.

 

3.       Only entries registered by the closing dates indicated at Rule 3.1 above shall be eligible to be judged in the Preliminaries.

 

4.       Each entrant may register and perform a minimum of (2) disciplines (Theatre, Music, Dance, Film, Visual Arts).

 

5.       All entries presented at the preliminary phase of the competition should be developed enough to accurately reflect what is to be the final piece. All components for which the entrant bears direct responsibility – props, costumes (if required), make up, set and scenery, and sound effects – should be evident at the preliminary stage. Incomplete entries will not be assessed.

 

6.       At the Preliminaries, the maximum points awarded to each entrant by the judging panel shall be as follows:

 

The maximum points awarded to each entrant by the judging panel shall total 100% but will be weighted as necessary according to the type of entry. The areas of assessment per discipline shall be as follows:

 

For Theatre

Development of Narrative

Technical Elements

Vocal Expression

Use of body

Acting 

Directing

 

For Music

Development of Narrative

Structure

Use of oral devices

Use of voice

Presence

Style

 

For Dance

Presemtation

Choreography

Execution

Creativity

 

For Visual Arts

Interpretation of Theme/Topic

Use of elements

Expression/Creativity

Presentation

 

For Film

Technical quality

Technique

Content

Creativity

 

7. 7.       An average score for each work entered shall be taken and all entries in the Non-Professional Adult Category who perform pieces that are awarded the score of sixty-five (65) points or more shall be selected to perform at the Semi-Finals.

 

8.       An average score for each work entered shall be taken and all entries in the Junior Category that are awarded sixty (60) points or over shall be selected to perform those works at the Semi-Finals. 

 

9.       Any first time entry to NIFCA Mixed Discipline that does not qualify for advancement to the Semi-Finals may be re-entered in the following year.

 

10. 10.      At the request of entrants, judges will critique their performances at the Preliminaries only. Requests for this critique should be indicated at the appropriate section on the Competition’s entry form.

 

11.       Participants advancing to the Semi-Finals may request the assistance of the NCF-appointed Theatre and Performance Coaches. Requests for this complementary service should be indicated at the appropriate section on the Competition’s entry form.

 

12.       The NCF will make a basic recording of all Preliminary performances for archival purposes.on;

 

13.       Time limit for Individual entries is 3 – 10 minutes, for Group entries, 3 – 20 minutes

 

14.       A panel of Judges shall be selected for the adjudication of the competition;

 

7. SEMI-FINALS

1.       The Semi-Finalists shall perform only those presentations that have been selected via adjudication at the Preliminaries.

 

2.       Entrants who qualify for the Semi-Finals must submit 4 copies of the script or 2 copies of the Tech Sheet (where applicable) to the NCF for the attention of the Technical team before the Semi-Final rehearsals. All relevant cues (including lighting, sound and set changes) should be clearly indicated on each copy of the script. If requested on the entry form, the Technical Coach will assist participants in the preparation of the scripts.

 

3.       The entries that are awarded the scores of sixty-five (65) points or over in the Junior Category, and scores of seventy (70) points or over in the Adult category shall be selected to perform those works at the NIFCA Finals.

 

4.       At the Semi-Finals, the maximum points awarded to each entry by the judging panel shall total 100% but will be weighted as necessary according to the type of entry. (see areas of assessment at 6.6 above.)

 

8. MIXED DISCIPLINE FINALS

 

1.       Participants selected for the Mixed Discipline Finals shall perform only those works that have been selected by the judging panel to be performed.

 

2.       In the event that the entrant has made changes to the technical requirements and/or cues as indicated on the scripts submitted at the preliminary stage of the Competition, the entrant will be responsible for submitting new scripts prior to the rehearsal for the Finals. The NCF will not be responsible for updating previous scripts on behalf of the entrant.

 

3.       Entrants at the Finals shall assemble at the venue designated by the NCF on dates and times advised by the NCF to rehearse for participation at the Finals. Failure to attend rehearsal at the appointed time may result in disqualification from the Finals.

 

4.       At the Mixed Discipline Finals, the maximum points awarded to each entry by the judging panel shall total 100% but will be weighted as necessary according to the type of entry. (see areas of assessment at 6.6 above.)

 

5.       An average score for each piece entered shall be taken. Entrants whose works are awarded average scores as indicated below will also be awarded certificates as follows:

 

Adult Category 

Gold  91 – 100 points

Silver  81 – 90 points

Bronze  70 – 80 points

 

Junior Category 

Gold  86 – 100 points

Silver  76 – 85 points

Bronze  65 – 75 points

 

6.       No duplicate certificates will be issued for any lost/stolen certificates. However, a letter confirming the award will be issued by the NCF, if requested.

 

 

9.GENERAL AND SPECIAL AWARDS

 

1.      Entries which receive gold, silver or bronze certificates are eligible for Incentive and General Awards as outlined in Appendix “A”.

 

10. GENERAL REGULATIONS

 

Conduct

 

1.       An entrant shall be held accountable for the actions of those whom he/she brings on stage during the Competition.

 

2.       If during the process of the Competition, an entrant or any of his/her supporting team makes any gesture or utterance that exceeds the bounds of good taste (whether on, or off stage), the entrant may be disqualified from the Competition. The judges shall determine whether behaviour is indecent, obscene, insulting to any minority group, defamatory or in excess of the bounds of good taste. 

Conduct may exceed the bounds of good taste where, in the opinion of the Judges, such conduct is:

1.   indecent or obscene,
2.   capable of being defamatory,
3.   capable of promoting discrimination against or intolerable ill-feeling toward any class of persons, by virtue of a distinguishing characteristic of that class, such as race, religion, ethnicity, colour, social class, sex, gender, [sexual orientation] and other such characteristics,
4.   calculated to intimidate another person or is likely to promote violence,
5.   calculated to cause or subject another person to unreasonable ridicule, contempt or embarrassment,
6.   of such a nature as is likely to bring the Competition or the NCF into disrepute, or
7.   beyond the expectation that a reasonable person, who is neither unusually sensitive nor unduly indifferent, would have in respect of conduct at a Competition such as this.

3.       In determining whether a participant should be disqualified for conduct exceeding the bounds of good taste, the Judges should also have regard to whether the participant acted in good faith.

 

4.       Entrants or their associates who behave in a disruptive manner which interferes with the performance of other individuals or groups or the smooth running of the Competition may be disqualified from further participation in the Competition.

 

Venues

5.       The NCF will choose the venues for the staging of the Preliminaries, Semifinals and Finals components of this competition.

 

6.       Entrants shall report to the NCF Stage Manager or designated NCF Officer at the venues selected for the staging of the Preliminaries and Finals no later than one (1) hour before the scheduled start time of the event.

 

7.       Failure to comply with Rule 10.6 may result in the reduction of one (1) point by each judge up to a maximum of five (5) points.

 

Staging

 

8. 8.       The presentation of the work will be at the discretion of the entrant. Each entry is, however, limited to a maximum of twenty (20) persons on stage at any one time during the presentation of the work.

 

9.       Should an entrant fail to observe Rule 10.8, a designated NCF Officer shall inform the Chief Judge immediately after the entrant’s performance has ended. 

 

10.       The penalty shall be a deduction of one (1) point by each judge for every person in excess of the number permitted, up to a maximum of five (5) points per judge on the panel. The designated NCF Officer shall notify the entrant or the entrant’s duly appointed representative of the violation.

 

11.     Performances in the Competition shall not exceed the time limits indicated in Appendix “B” of the General Guidelines and will be timed by the official time-keeper from the start of the performance (first musical note played and/or first movement made and/or first word uttered on stage).

 

12.       A violation of Rule 10.11 shall result in a one (1) point deduction by each judge on the panel for every minute or part thereof over the limit up to a maximum of five (5) points per judge. Where a violation occurs, the designated NCF Officer shall notify the entrant or the entrant’s duly appointed representative of the violation.

 

13.       Each entrant shall appear and perform in his/her correct position as determined and notified by the NCF panel of Judges shall be selected for the adjudication of the competition;

 

14.       A violation of Rule 10.13 may result in a one (1) point deduction by each judge on the panel up to a maximum of five (5) points.

 

15.       Failure by any entrant to comply with the reasonable instructions of the designated NCF Officer may result in his/her disqualification from the Competition.

 

16.       All entrants shall be responsible for the setting up, dismantling, transportation and safety of their equipment which must be removed promptly at the end of the respective judging session. 

 

17.       All entrants must provide their own scripts, sets, costumes, props, make-up, accompaniment, instruments and all electronic equipment integral to their presentations.  The NCF shall not be responsible for making provisions for the above equipment.

 

18.       The NCF will provide assistance in stage management, and sound, at the preliminary stage of the competition, and additionally, will provide lighting at the Finals. Further, at its discretion, and where clearly identified as being integral to the presentation, the NCF may provide such special equipment as a screen, or a smoke machine, for the Finals only. Entrants who require the use of such special equipment should so indicate on the entry form.

 

19.       All children shall be accompanied by adults at the minimum ratio of one (1) adult to ten (10) children at all stages of the Competition.

 

20.       At maximum of two (2) assistants shall be allowed to accompany each adult group at all stages of the Competition. 

 

21.       The entrant shall submit a copy of the script, props list, a short biography, a synopsis of the piece, its technical requirements and details of any music or special audio effects to be used by the NCF as indicated on the entry form. The details of the music or special audio effects to be used, whether live or recorded, must include the title of the music, the performer and composer and the length of the music or special audio effects.

 

22.       Entrants shall inform the NCF designated officer of any changes to their technical requirements no later than forty-eight (48) hours after being notified of their selection to perform at the Semi-Finals or Finals.

 

23.       All recorded music or special audio/visual effects must be presented via email and on a flash drive in MP3/MP4 format. All music must be clearly labelled showing the name of the entry and the title of music and composer or special audio effects contained thereon.

 

24.       Music and/or sound effects should be submitted via email and on a flash drive in the order in which they are to be played during the presentation. A separate flash drive should be submitted for each piece entered. Entrants shall have an extra copy of the storage device as backup in the event of an accident.

 

Release of Scores

 

25.       The average scores of the entries for the Finals shall be published on the NCF website within seven (7) days after the completion of the Competition.

 

Special Performances

26.       Award-winning entrants in the Competition may be required to perform at another NIFCA Event. Entry in the Competition, therefore, implies an acceptance to perform at such, if chosen.

 

11. PROMOTION / BROADCAST OF PERFORMANCE  

1.       The entrant agrees that the NCF shall be entitled to use his/her performance or part thereof or his/her image or likeness in the promotion of the competition and other related NIFCA events.

 

2.       The NCF shall have the following rights in the performance:

 

• The right to a live broadcast, within Barbados, of the whole or any substantial part of the performance;

• The right to use excerpts of the performance for promotional or marketing purposes within Barbados and outside of Barbados;

• The right to copy the performance or a recording of the performance for the purposes of teaching, research, news reporting, review, instruction or education;

• The right to record the performance for archival purposes;

• The right to include the performance in any Pay Per View or subscription programming provided there is an agreement between the producer and any performing rights organization of which the Performer may be a member;

• The right to include the performance in any Pay Per View or subscription programming for the agreed upon rate of two hundred and fifty Barbados Dollars (BBD $250.00) between the producer and the performer, if the performer is not a member of any performing rights organisation.

 

APPENDIX “A”

NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE FESTIVAL OF CREATIVE ARTS (NIFCA)

SPECIAL AND GENERAL AWARDS 

 

SPECIAL AWARDS – ADULT and JUNIOR 

All entries that medal at the Finals stage of the Theatre competition will be eligible for these awards.

 

1. The Prime Minister’s Scholarship, which is sponsored by the Prime Minister’s Office, will be awarded to an individual and/or creator of an entry achieving an average score of 91% or higher in the Theatre Finals. Awardees must be between the ages of 18 – 40 and demonstrate the greatest potential for training and development in the awarded discipline. This award which may only be won once by any entrant is for a maximum of BBD$35,000.00, for tertiary studies at any Caribbean Arts institution. Two scholarships will be on offer across all categories of NIFCA. Only one participant may be nominated for this by the judges in each of the disciplines of NIFCA. A maximum of two will be awarded in any year.

2. The NIFCA Earl Warner Prize, originally initiated by the Parkinson School Old Scholars Association will now take the form of a trophy and a BBD$5,000.00 scholarship to be awarded to the Director of the Most Promising Theatre piece.

3. The Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Original NIFCA Mixed Discipline Entry. This award is offered to recognize significant creativity and innovation in a NIFCA entry that challenges established norms in the art-form. It will comprise a cash award of BBD$3,500.00 and a trophy. Only one entry achieving an average score of 91% or higher at the Finals stage may be nominated for this by the Mixed Discipline judges.

4. The Founder’s Trophy. This award is in memory of NIFCA Founder – Mr. Arden Clark. It takes the form of a challenge trophy and cash prize of BBD $3,000.00 which is awarded to the most outstanding performance in the NIFCA Performing Arts Finals.

5. The NIFCA Mixed Discipline Award of Excellence is in the form of a Cash Prize of BBD$3,000.00 and a trophy. It may be awarded to the highest scoring Mixed Discipline Entry achieving a score of 93% or greater in the NIFCA Mixed Discipline category.

6. Barbados Community College Scholarships. Two scholarships will be offered towards training in the Associate Degree programme in Theatre to a value of BBD$3,000.00 each.
7. The NIFCA Coaching for Development Award. This prize is valued at BBD$2,000.00. The winner will receive a scholarship for 24 contact hours of one-on-one coaching with an expert coach towards the further development of their theatre skills.

 

GENERAL & INCENTIVE AWARDS

 

All entries that reach the Finals of the Theatre competition will be eligible for these awards.

Incentive Awards will be offered to reward and encourage promising acts in each discipline. These will take the form of a plaque and cash awards to the value of four hundred (BBD$400.00) for an individual and seven hundred and fifty dollars (BBD$750.00) for groups as follows: 

 

Best Presentation

Best Performance by a Primary School

Best Performance by a Secondary School

Best Performance by a Community Group

Best Performance by an Individual

Best Newcomer to NIFCA Mixed Discipline

 

1. Incentive Award for outstanding participation by an Artiste(s) with Disabilities. This award comprises a trophy and a cash award to a value of BBD $400.00 for an individual and BBD$750.00 for a group. To qualify, participants must specify on their entry form their wish to be considered for this award.

2. *NEW* The NIFCA prize for Intangible Cultural Heritage is valued at BBD$2,000.00 and will be awarded to a medaling entry that represents an outstanding depiction of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Barbados.

3. The Cynthia Wilson NIFCA Producer’s Prize. This prize takes the form of a trophy and a cash prize of BBD$1,000.00, and will be awarded to recognize outstanding participation by a community leader, producer/organiser who facilitates and manages the successful participation of a group of artistes in any discipline for over five years. One prize will be awarded each year.

4. The Theatre Access Awards – two will be offered at a value of BBD$6,000.00 each and will take the form of one week’s free access to the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre, inclusive of the provision of technical services. It will be awarded to any entry which the Judges deem as meriting a limited 3-day production run.

5. *NEW* The NIFCA Teacher’s prize will be awarded to a teacher who facilitates successful participation by students that attain multiple awards in NIFCA Theatre. This will take the form of a plaque and cash awards to the value of four hundred (BBD$400.00) for an individual and seven hundred and fifty dollars (BBD$750.00) for a group.

6. Certificates of Achievement. These will be issued to writers/devisers/designers/technicians in recognition of their contribution to award-winning acts. These certificates will bear a gold, silver or bronze seal according to the level of award won by the entry.

 

APPENDIX “B”

NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE FESTIVAL OF CREATIVE ARTS (NIFCA) 

GENERAL GUIDELINES – MIXED DISCIPLINES

GENERAL

1. Entries for Mixed Discipline must be delivered in Standard Caribbean English, OR Barbadian OR other Caribbean English variety. Original material of high quality and innovation is encouraged.

 

2. AGE CLASSIFICATION/ENTRY CATEGORIES

CATEGORY 1    4 – 17 years (Junior Category)

CATEGORY 2    18+ years (Adult Category)

 

3. JUDGING

Entries in the Mixed Discipline category will be judged according to the disciplines presented. This must be clearly described in the ‘Synopsis of the Piece’ field on the Mixed Discipline Entry Form. The adjudicating panel will therefore comprise a combination of specialists in the relevant disciplines.

 

The three (3) stages of the 2025 NIFCA Performing Arts Competition will be judged on the following dates:  

 

• Preliminaries September 10 – October 3, 2025 
• Semifinals       October 17 – 26, 2025 
• Finals November 7 – 11, 2025 

 

General queries should be directed to the relevant Officers.

CO-Theatre Arts – janelle-mitchell@ncfbarbados.org

CO-Dance – alicia-payne-hurley@ncfbarbados.org

CO-Visual Arts – rodney-ifill@ncfbarbados.org

CO-Music Education – kevin-moore@ncfbarbados.org