Fyts (Challenges)

Introduction

The purpose of the challenges is to encourage participants' creativity and artistic growth. They are not meant to be competitions - everyone who takes part can consider themselves a winner. It is our wish to create a "bardic safe zone" - a friendly place to feel free to experiment, stretch yourself, and try new things if you are a new to bardic and performing arts, recently returning, or an experienced performer with new material. You'll be hard pressed to find a friendlier and more supportive audience. (See below for general rules!)

Each challenge is sponsored by a Patron. As a Patron, you sit at the front of the performance area during your challenge, introduce each participant, and usually present each person with a small token. (This can be a pretty period-appropriate bead, a cookie, something related to the challenge, whatever small token of appreciation you would like to offer.) This is meant to give a designated appreciator and a face to each challenge and is a neat way for less-performance-inclined bardic supporters to participate.

Children are invited to participate with adults. Some of the challenges will be particularly fun for children!

General Rules

• Challenges are not contests. You win by entering and striving to do the best you can.

• Challenges are designed to encourage you to try your hand at something new, to stretch yourself, to enjoy, and celebrate the creative spirit.

• Read the guidelines for the challenges carefully. Like most exercises, they are designed to help you develop in specific areas. Try to follow them as closely as you can, but stretching them in unexpected directions is good too.

• Individuals are welcome and encouraged to give recognition to those performers whom they especially enjoy.

• In order to allow the largest number of people to participate, challenge entries shall be limited to 3-5 minutes or less for Poems and Songs, 5-7 minutes or less for stories - including any introduction.

• Each person may enter a maximum of one piece in each challenge and a maximum of four challenges overall.