Information for Judges

For the most current information on Arts and Science Faires in Trimaris, please go to

https://www.trimaris.org/officers/office-of-the-arts-sciences/kingdom-arts-sciences-faire/

and Trimaris.org for more information.

We are slowly combining current information onto the kingdom page

(updates 8-15-19)

How to Judge at Art/Sci Using the Trimaris Forms

I. The Scoring Forms and Comment Forms have been separated. Each judge will fill out one (1) Scoring Sheet and one (1) Comment Sheet for each entry they judge. All Scoring and Comment Forms should be turned in to the Registrar as they are completed. The entrant will receive all of the Comment Forms. The entrant will receive an average score derived from the scores reported on the Scoring Forms.

a. Discussion among judges, as well as discussion with the entrant, is permissible but not required. The scores and comments recorded on your individual Scoring Form and Comment Form should reflect your own views.

b. Judges are encouraged to judge in a group, as was done in the past, but are not required to do so.

c. Judges should print their name at the top of each form and sign the bottom.

d. Judges will need to ensure that they fill in the ID#, Division, Category & Title of Entry at the top of each form to ensure that the scores and comments are applied to the correct entry. If your forms have that information provided for you, make sure that you are using the correct forms for each entry you judge.

II. The Scoring Forms and Comment Forms will be color coded: Novice Forms are pink, Journeyman forms are yellow, Artificer forms are green, and Masterwork forms are blue. Entries will either have the entry level highlighted in the appropriate color or will have a post-it note in the appropriate color attached to the documentation.

III. Some judges find it easier to make comments on an entry and then assign scores. Other judges find that they work better reversing this process. Each judge is encouraged to find a method that is comfortable and efficient.

IV. Scoring Forms:

a. All Scoring Forms are based on the old judging forms. The layout is almost identical and should feel familiar. Each category has its own table with an explanation of the category in the box at the top of the table and the rubric for judging the category listed beneath. The lowest possible score for a category is at the bottom of the rubric for that category and the highest possible score is at the top of the rubric. Categories that are broken down into sub-categories (such as Documentation and Workmanship) are all contained within the same large table. This is exactly like the layout of the old judging forms.

b. An effort was made to use consistent language/wording both within a single scoring form and across scoring forms. Within each scoring form, categories that can use the same or very similar language within their scoring rubric do so. The same principal was applied across scoring form s as well – the language used across all the scoring form s is very similar and in some places is identical. The Journeyman scoring form is an expanded version of the Novice scoring form. The Artificer scoring form expands on the Journeyman scoring form, while also containing a change in language and emphasis in the Documentation category. The Masterwork scoring form is an expansion of the Artificer scoring form.

c. Half (1/2) points are allowed on the Scoring Forms.

V. Comment Forms:

a. Comment areas are broken down to correspond to the categories on the Scoring Form and follow the same order.

b. Judges need not write comments in every category – the category areas are provided as a convenience.

c. Commentary needs to be polite, professional, constructive and informative:

i. When providing commentary for Novices and Journeymen entrants especially, try to provide at least one positive comment for every negative comment. Remember that many less experienced artisans view suggestions for ways to improve their project or technique as negative comments.

ii. If you make a comment that something is incorrect in an entry, explain why it is incorrect. If you make a comment that an entrant’s technique or project needs to be improved, explain how to do this or provide contact information and/or resources for the entrant.

iii. One word comments, even positive ones, should be used very sparingly! If you say “Good!” or “Excellent!” - tell the entrant what is good about it.

VI. Specific Judging Categories:

a. Documentation:

i. Novice & Journeyman: On the Novice and Journeyman forms the Documentation evaluation is designed to guide the entrant towards providing good, basic documentation. The information provided should be complete, should accurately reflect the materials, tools, and methods used in the entry. Additionally the documentation should include image(s), written description(s), date(s) and other information about the model (referred to as “Source of Inspiration”). Sources used should support the entry and the work done.

ii. Artificer & Masterwork: Entrants are assumed to understand how to conduct research and build documentation at these levels. Emphasis is on evaluating the completeness and accuracy of the information provided and on the use of primary and scholarly sources. Due to the disparity of availability of primary and/or scholarly sources across the various arts and sciences, scores for this section are based on the judge’s knowledge of “average scholarship” for a given field of study. Entrants are rated as their work relates to “average scholarship” rather than being rated against a rigid rubric.

b. Overall Authenticity/Overall Authenticity of Appearance:

i. Novice & Journeyman – Overall Authenticity of Appearance: At this level the emphasis is on the overall appearance. This is not the SCA’s “10 foot rule”, but if you saw the item on display in a museum (and therefore could not handle it or examine it up close) would you immediately recognize it as a modern item (ignoring the cleanness and newness of the materials/ingredients). As a general rule, an item that you immediately recognize as modern will score a 6 points or less on the rubric. An item that you would wonder about will score 7 to 12 points, and an item that would require longer/closer examination will score 11 to 15 points.

ii. Artificer & Masterwork – Overall Authenticity of the Entry: How closely does the entry resemble an actual period artifact? This is an overall evaluation of physical appearance, materials/ingredients used, tools/equipment used, methods used, sound, feel, etc.

c. Authenticity: Materials/Ingredients Used:

i. Novices & Journeyman: This score is broken up into Materials/Ingredients Used and Substitutions. The evaluation is designed to guide entrants towards documenting their substitutions and using their research to help them choose good, period looking/feeling substitutions over blatantly modern materials/ingredients. The Materials/Ingredients Used score evaluates the actual choice of materials while the Substitutions score evaluates the use of research to choose substitutions and providing documentation for those choices.

ii. Artificer & Masterwork: It is assumed that entrants at this level know that period materials are superior to non-period materials, that choice of substitution should be guided by research and that substitutions need to be documented. Materials/ingredients and Substitutions are evaluated within a single rubric. Note that use of all period materials (with the noted exception of poisonous, illegal, prohibitively dangerous and prohibitively expensive materials) with documentation scores substantially higher than the same materials without documentation. This holds true for “materials that are the same and/or very similar to those used in period” and “materials are similar to those used in period”.

d. Authenticity: Methods & Tools/Equipment Used: Scoring for this category is treated exactly like the Authenticity: Materials/Ingredients Used category.

e. Workmanship:

i. Novice & Journeyman: At this level workmanship is broken up into 3 sub-categories.

1. Skill Demonstrated with the Tools/Equipment: At this level this is an evaluation of the skill demonstrated with the tools/equipment that the artisan actually used. This is not a reflection on the choice of period vs. non-period tools and equipment. For example, a costumer who hand sewed the entry should be evaluated on the neatness and accuracy of stitching, size of the stitches, etc. A costumer who machine sewed the entry should be evaluated on the neatness and accuracy of machine stitching, machine techniques, etc.

2. Skill Demonstrated with the Method(s) Used: At this level this is an evaluation of the skill demonstrated with the method(s) actually used. This is not a reflection on the choice of period vs. non-period methods. As much as possible, separate the method(s) from the tools/equipment used. To continue the example of a costumer’s entry, the Method score would evaluate the costumer’s skill in following a paper pattern or drafting a patter, in assembling the pieces into a complete garment, etc.

3. Overall Skill, Quality and Success of the Entry: This is a summary evaluation that considers the entrant’s research, material/ingredient choices, method and tool/equipment choices, skill with the tools and skill with the method into account. This is not the same as overall authenticity; here the greater emphasis is on the work and skill invested into the entry. Given the source(s) of inspiration the entrant started with, how well did they succeed in creating an item similar to their source of inspiration?

ii. Artificer & Masterwork: At this level workmanship is broken up into 4 sub-categories.

1. Skill Demonstrated with the Tools/Equipment Used: It is assumed at this level that the majority of tools/equipment will be period or close to period. This is an evaluation of the entrant’s skill with the tools used in the creation of the entry.

2. Skill Demonstrated with the Method(s) Used: It is assumed at this level that the majority of method(s) used will be period or close to period. This is an evaluation of the entrant’s skill with the method(s) used in the creation of the entry.

3. Skill Demonstrated with Research & Documentation: It is assumed at this level that the entrant has at least basic research and documentation skills. This is an evaluation of the entrant’s skill and should consider such factors as breadth of research/information, depth of research/information, ability to draw original conclusions, ability to apply research to the project, and ability to present their research as documentation.

4. Overall Skill, Quality and Success of the Entry: It is assumed at this level that authenticity of appearance, materials/ingredients, method(s) and tools/equipment will be considered in this evaluation, in addition to workmanship.

f. Complexity:

i. Novices & Journeymen: There is no Complexity score for Novices or Journeymen.

ii. Artificers & Masterworks: This is an evaluation of the amount of labor invested into the project by the artisan as compared to the amount of labor that would have been invested by a period artisan. The top score for Complexity would be awarded to entrants who do not use any purchased materials that a period artisan would not also have purchased (as supported by the documentation). This entrant will have taken no shortcuts with the entry and may have also done additional work/steps that a period artisan would not have needed to do in order to complete the same project. For example, a calligrapher/illuminator finishing their own vellum, grinding their own pigments and making their own ink so that they can work with period materials where a period artisan would have purchased their vellum, pigments and ink from other artisans/merchants. Complexity should not be a comparison of large, complicated projects vs. small, comparatively simple projects. Simple projects can receive high complexity scores as long as the entrant took no shortcuts and did everything the way a period artisan would have had to do it.

g. Creativity:

i. Novices & Journeymen: There is no Creativity score for Novices or Journeymen.

ii. Artificers & Masterworks: This is an evaluation of the amount of creativity invested into the project by the artisan. It is more difficult to create a new item that is completely and typically period in style, decoration, materials, methods, etc. than it is to make a replica of a well documented period item. Straight copies of period artifacts will receive low Creativity scores.

h. Bonus Point(s):

i. Novices & Journeymen: 1 bonus point may be awarded to entries that use 50% or more period tools and methods in the creation of the entry.

ii. Artificers & Masterworks: 2 bonus points may be awarded to entries that use 100% period tools and methods in the creation of the entry.