High School Theatrical Design Competition

Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts Theatre and Dance Program is excited to announce our first annual High School Theatrical Design Competition! This competition invites and encourages high school seniors to submit their designs for a theatrical production produced between 2021-2023. The competition designs will be displayed virtually on the NKU SOTA website and in the NKU Fine Arts Center Atrium Gallery, and the winner will receive a four-year, half-tuition scholarship to NKU!

Who Can Enter

This design competition is open to all Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana high school seniors who plan to graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year.

The Selection Process

In Stage One, competitors will submit their design package per the entry requirements. Stage One will be judged anonymously. Entrants will be selected based on the adjudication criteria to move to Stage Two.

In Stage Two, the finalists will receive a Zoom mentorship session in which they will present their designs to the adjudicators, and receive feedback on their choices, process, and production design.

Entry Requirements

• A Design Competition Registration Form for each design entry, submitted no later than December 1, 2023.
• Qualifications:
  • Each entry must be a design created for high school theatre production or be a design created for use by a community theatre. Productions must have been staged between January 2021 and December 2023.
  • Designs may also be project related, if unrealized.
  • Designs must be fully created by the student. (not necessarily sewn or built, but designed by the student)
  • Each entry should represent a single design aspect (scenic, lighting, costumes, make-up/wigs, sound, props, projections) of a single production.

Virtual Display Format

Each person will be allowed to submit:

• Up to 3 18"x24" panels (Each panel can include one or more production photographs, renderings, text descriptions, plots, etc.)
• Recommended file format is PDF/JPG.
• Each panel must include entrant's name, category (see entry form) and name of production represented.
• Panels must be attached in the preferred order for display or files can be labeled by order.
• File size should be less than 200MB.
• One panel must include a typed design statement or description (not to exceed one page) which helps put the work in context for the viewer/adjudicators. It should clearly state the entrant’s objectives, describe challenges and solutions and include information on the collaborative effort of the production team.

Digital Permissions

• If you grant NKU SOTA permission to exhibit this work it may include digital storage of display images, displaying in the SOTA Corbett lobby and usage for promotion of SOTA in print, online, and other digital formats. By stating "yes" you agree that you have gained any needed permissions for the use of all work presented in your submission.