General rules and conditions
for all Festival sections
Entry guidelines for competitors
General reservation
The Northland Performing Arts Competitions Society (Inc.) Committee reserves the right of applying and interpreting all the rules and the decision of the Committee in any matter shall be final.Opening of competitions
Competitions will commence on the date stated in the syllabus and on this website.
The Competitions will be conducted morning, afternoon and evening, according to the programme, which will be published as soon as possible after entries close.Competitors
These competitions are not open to professional performers.
The qualification of a professional is any performer who has achieved this status by qualification or experience and whose income and chosen career requires them to be recognised as a professional.
No competitor who is, or has been a regular pupil of the Adjudicator of that section during the two years preceding the start of the competitions will be allowed to compete in that section.Personal risk
All competitors compete at their own risk.
The Society will not be liable for any injury or losses whatsoever incurred by competitors or others involved in these competitions.
The Society and those seconded to assist will not accept responsibility for the supervision of children.Age
Age is reckoned as at the 1st day of the competition in each section.
Date and year of birth is required to be stated on entry forms in all age restricted classes. Competitors in these classes must be prepared to produce their birth certificate or other proof of age, if requested.Entries
Entries are made online via the Red Fridge Door website for Music and Speech and Drama sections: https://enter.redfridgedoor.com
and the NPACS Glide app for Dance.Fees must be paid at the time of entry.
No entry will be recorded which is not accompanied by fees paid in full.
Please check your fees carefully, as overpaid fees less than $10.00 will be treated as a donation, and will not be refunded.Any competitor found entering otherwise than under his or her own name will be disqualified.
The Committee reserves the right to refuse any entry.No person will be permitted to enter more than once in any Solo class, Duo or Trio classes:
Competitors may enter twice in the same class, but only once with the same partner(s).
Groups of 4 or more must consist of at least 50% different competitors in each entry in the same class.
Dance competitors refer to Dance Entry Guidelines in the Dance Syllabus.Entry fees are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances, such as injury. Where a qualifying competitor withdraws due to exceptional circumstances prior to the closing entry date, the entry fee will be refunded excluding the administration fee. After the closing date, a 50% refund of the entry fee (excluding the administration fee) will be provided.
Minimum entries
The Society reserves the right to delete any Class where the minimum number of entries is not obtained, or to amalgamate such Classes with others of a similar nature.
Entry fees cannot be refunded unless the Class is cancelled by the Section sub-committee.
Allocation of prizes (for combined Classes) will be printed in the programme.Late entries
Competitors should endeavour to submit online entries as early as possible before the closing date.
Please refer to closing of entries information.Own selections
Competitors in Music and Speech sections will not be permitted to give the same item in more than one class at this Festival.Time limits
Unless otherwise stated, the maximum time for any item is four minutes.
Competitors exceeding the time limit stated in the Syllabus are liable to deduction of marks or disqualification at the discretion of the Adjudicator.Championship points
Points (Music sections only) will be awarded only to bona fide entrants in all classes comprising a Championship.
Three entries are required before Championships will be awarded.Aggregate trophies
To win an aggregate trophy the Competitor is to compete in all required classes and earn the highest sum of points for 1st, 2nd or 3rd placings awarded by the Adjudicator:
First Place: 5 points; Second Place: 3 points; Third Place: 1 point.
When placings are tied, the total of nine points is re-allocated as follows:
1st Place Tie - First Equal: 4 points each; Third: 1 point.
2nd Place Tie - First: 5 points; Second Equal: 2 points each.
3rd Place Tie - First: 5 points; Second: 3 points; Third Equal: 1⁄2 point each.
Points will be allocated only to placings gained.
Points for Northland (local) trophies
When local trophies are awarded on points, the following conditions apply:
Placings gained by non-local competitors are ignored.
Points are allocated to local competitors according to marks gained, i.e. highest local mark: 5 points second highest mark: 3 points third highest mark: 1 point.
Resident of Northland
For the purposes of these Competitions, residents of Northland shall include persons normally resident within the boundaries of Northland Regional Council as designated by Local Government New Zealand.
Pupils or teachers of Northland schools who are normally resident outside the district and Tertiary students whose families are resident in Northland are also eligible.Allocation of prizes in tied placings
When aggregate points result in a tie, the highest aggregate marks of placings gained by the tied competitors will decide the winner.
For placings which carry medals of certificates, a medal or certificate is awarded to each tied competitor.
Prize money is divided equally between the tied competitors.Withholding Prizes and Placings: If in the opinion of the Adjudicators, performances do not reach a satisfactory standard, the Adjudicators have the power to withhold, at their discretion, any placing or prize.
No trophy or prize will be awarded unless a placing is given by the adjudicator.Cash awards
With the exception of Sponsorship for specific classes, prize money is not listed in the Syllabus, as this is dependent upon the funds actually available at the date of the Festival.
Unless stated otherwise, medals will not be given for placings that carry prize money.Cups and trophies
These are the property of the Northland Performing Arts Competitions Society and must be returned when requested.
They are to be professionally engraved at competitor's expense and cleaned prior to being returned.
Competitors will be invoiced the costs of repairing trophies that are returned in poor condition or damaged.
Entries for the current competitions will not be accepted until all trophies held by a competitor are returned.Errors
Please notify the Section Convenor or Committee member of any errors in the Programme before the commencement of the Festival.Withdrawals
Parents or teachers are requested to advise the Section Convenor or Committee member of any withdrawals before the commencement of the Festival.Adjudicators
Communication with Adjudicators by competitors, teachers or other interested parties prior to, or during the competitions is absolutely prohibited.
The Committee reserves the right to disqualify a competitor for any breach of this rule.Order of performance
Competitors' names will appear in the programme in the order in which they will compete.
All competitors must be in attendance at the time of the commencement of their Class.
Those not present when called upon shall, at the discretion of the Section Convener, forfeit their right to compete in that class.Prompting
No prompting or assistance of any kind may be rendered during a performance, except by the Adjudicator (or Adjudicator's assistant at the Adjudicator's direction).
Competitors in the Speech & Drama and Vocal sections may be prompted in the usual manner.Interference
Any competitor subject to interference in any form should advise the Stage Manager immediately.Stage
No person, other than officials and competitors in the class in progress will be allowed backstage or in the wings except with the express permission of the Stage Manager.Rehearsals
There are to be no rehearsals on stage between sessions except in special circumstances and then only with the permission of the Stage Manager.Protests
Competitors desiring to enter a protest must lodge the same in writing with the Section Convener, together with the grounds upon which it is based and the sum of $10.00 (ten dollars).
Should the protest, upon investigation by the Protest Committee (i.e. the Section Convener and at least two other Committee members) be deemed frivolous or unfounded, the deposit shall be forfeit.
No protest will be entertained unless made immediately, or within twelve hours after the Adjudicator's award is announced in the particular Class concerned.
The decision of the Protest Committee shall be final.Replacements
For Duets, Duos, Trios, Quartets or Groups: in the event of sickness, a competitor may be replaced by a bona fide competitor in the Festival before the beginning of the session and only with the permission of the Section Convener.Photography and Video
Generally, a competitor may arrange for his or her performance to be recorded by an audience member. Please check with the Section Convenor prior to recording.
Group items may only be recorded by 1 person per school.
In no circumstances may you record, on any device, another performer without their permission.
Flash photography is not permitted during an item.
Please use tripods with consideration for the audience and the Adjudicator’s view must not be obscured.
The Adjudicator’s verbal summary comments may not be recorded by any means.Northland Performing Arts Competitions Society committee may take photos and videos for use on Social Media.
If you do not wish to have photos or videos used on social media, please advise the committee before the commencement of the competition.
Privacy Notice
The online entry forms collect personal information about competitors.
This information is collected for the purpose of registering and determining eligibility for the classes entered in Northland Performing Arts Competitions Society (Inc) (NPACS) competitions.
This information will form part of the competitions programme and is available to the Committee/Convenors of NPACS.
It may also be used to inform competitors about services and events offered or recommended by NPACS and opportunities to support the Society's work.You have the right of access to and correction of this information subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993.