SGCNZ Competition Finalists 2023

  • update 16/05/23

Our finalists from this year’s SGCNZ Competition Entries have been chosen! We had a wonderful, biggest ever overall, selection this year with many entries to consider so thank you to all who entered and congratulations to our finalists!

A reminder that the names below are listed alphabetically by surname and are NOT in order of final placements. Placing orders will be announced by MC Hon. Grant Robertson at St James Theatre on Sunday 4 June during SGCNZ’s National UOSWSF Competition Prize-Giving and Scene Award Ceremony from 7.00pm!

View the list of Competition Finalists for 2023

Book tickets now!

SGCNZ / Dawn Sanders Shakespeare Costume Design Competition

Finalists:

  • Isaac Foster Bayfield High School – Cleopatra, The Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra
  • Bonnie Wang St Cuthbert’s College – Ariel, The Tempest
  • Maggie Watts Bayfield High School – Alarbus, Titus Andronicus
  • Amanda Yu Diocesan School for Girls – Julia, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Highly Commended:

  • An Thao Bui Botany Downs Secondary College – Macbeth, Macbeth
  • Nicole Johnson Botany Downs Secondary College – Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

Commended:

  • Tvisha Koshiya Cashmere High School – Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Anya Taylor Diocesan School for Girls – Rosalind, As You Like It

SGCNZ / Morrison Music Trust Shakespeare Composition Competition

Category A : Shakespeare related Vocal Composition Finalists:

  • Hope Milo Howick College – O Happy Dagger

Category B : Shakespeare related Instrumental Composition Finalists:

  • Karim Efremov John Paul College – Loves Me Not
  • Joshua Langford Wellington College – Trance
  • Oliver Lodge Trinity Catholic College – Stars Hide Love

Highly Commended:

  • Samantha Gomez Howick College
  • Sarah Shin Macleans College

SGCNZ / Adam Foundation Shakespeare Video Title Card, Poster & Static Image Competitions

Video Title Card Finalists:

  • Victoria Baker Diocesan School for Girls – Star-Crossed
  • Keira Gentry Diocesan School for Girls – Rainbow Hearts

Poster Design Finalist:

  • Katie Lot Diocesan School for Girls – King Lear

Static Image Finalists:

  • Ivy Greenslade Samuel Marsden Collegiate School – King Lear
  • Sarah Shin Macleans College – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Ao (Sophia) Suo St Margaret’s College – Romeo & Juliet
  • Bonnie Wang St Cuthbert’s College – Macbeth

Highly Commended:

  • Millicent Knights Diocesan School for Girls – Macbeth
  • Anise Maclean Columba College – Macbeth

Commended:

  • Boya Jung Macleans College – Romeo & Juliet
  • Sophie Walter Diocesan School for Girls – Romeo & Juliet

SGCNZ / Ida Gaskin Shakespeare Essay Competition ~ With English at Otago

Finalists:

Analytical Option 1

  • Benjamin Pickering Bayfield High School
  • Maria Walker-Kinnell Orewa College
  • Joshua Williams Western Heights High School

Creative Option 3

  • Sneha Datla St Margaret’s College
  • Kieva Hanlon St Margaret’s College
  • Eassin Wang St Cuthbert’s College

Commended Creative Option 3

  • Anouk Chew St Mary’s College
  • Leisl Good St Mary’s College
  • Grace Howard St Margaret’s College

Honourable Mention

  • Juno Ireland St Mary’s College
  • Bridget Paton Columba College

Congratulations again to all our finalists! We look forward to seeing you on the evening of Sunday 4 June at St. James Theatre for SGCNZ’s National UOSWSF Competition Prize-Giving and Scene Award Ceremony! A reminder to all friends and family to book tickets now through ticketmaster.co.nz to come and show your support!

Book tickets now!


SGCNZ Competitions

Let your imaginary forces work…and enter in SGCNZ’s competitions!

In association with SGCNZ’s annual Festivals, there are six nationwide competitions. These are an opportunity to try something new and stretch your creative wings in the fields of art, music and design!

Scroll down for a detailed explanation about each of these competitions or download the entry forms below:

Entry forms for the 2023 competitions

SGCNZ/Dawn Sanders Shakespeare Costume Design Competition Entry Form

SGCNZ/ Morrison Music Trust Shakespeare Music Composition Competition Entry Form

SGCNZ/ Adam Foundation Shakespeare Static Image and Poster Competition Entry Form

SGCNZ/ Adam Foundation Shakespeare Video Title Card Competition Entry Form

SGCNZ/ Ida Gaskin Shakespeare Essay Competition With English At Otago Entry Form

All finalists win monetary prizes, presented at SGCNZ National University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival Award Ceremony on the Sunday of King’s Birthday weekend at 7.00pm, the opportunity to attend workshops on at the National Festival – and more…! All competitions have NCEA assessable components and Costume and Static Image winners have their work exhibited in the Globe Exhibition in Shakespeare’s Globe, London, for approx 6 weeks. Te Kura, homeschool, and youth community drama group students are also welcome to enter any of these competitions.

All entrants must be a SGCNZ Friend– either personally or through their school or Home School cluster.

“I met a completely different challenge as a musician than as an actor. I had to write to serious deadlines – in some instances being given requests by the directors the morning of the performance! I had to write without the usual computer software with which I compose, having to spin music out of thin air. And I had limited means with which to work – other than the odd multi-talented actor who could sing or play the guitar, I would have to play everything myself, bearing in mind the equipment I could lay my hands on. These factors considered, the task at hand had elements of impossibility streaked all throughout it; but the job simply had to be done. And somehow, I did it. This gave me huge confidence in my personal capabilities as a musician, as I succeeded in my brief .” – Celeste Oram, 2007 Supreme Winner of the Music Composition Competition, who was therefore also selected for SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production as Student Composer.

2017 Competition Finalists on display at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

SGCNZ Competitions 2021

We had an amazing array of Competition Entries this year – experience them for yourself in this spectacular video by Kelsey of Glass Gecko Films.

So many of the 2021 Competition Finalists joined us in Wellington for the National Festival this year! From participating in Workshops to being inspired by their fellow student’s performances the National Festival is full of exciting opportunities for our Allied Competition students too!

Prizes for the 2021 competitions
The Prize winners were announced on Sunday evening at the Michael Fowler Centre by Hon Grant Robertson, for the full list of winners please click here.

“I got the privilege to act as the Student Costumier for all three plays performed [at NSSP], and although my placement in the group was to construct and design the costumes, the spirit and passion from the team of actors, made me feel comfortable and encouraged to get involved with the acting and performing side of the production workshops. My relationship with the directors blossomed all throughout the week, we all both bounced off each other with ideas and firm creative collaboration was sustained. I loved working with them as they always encouraged my sometimes unusual ideas, and gave me the time to reflect on the development process of the costumes whenever necessary. I was overjoyed with the finished product with all the costume in all plays, I realised all the late nights and scrounging for materials had paid off!” Duncan Lamont Brown, 2009 SGCNZ/Bernina Shakespeare Costume Design Competition Supreme  Winner.


Ministry of Youth Development Survey

Participant Feedback link

We are asking all participants in SGCNZ’s activities – SGCNZ UOSWSF, SGCNZ NSSP, SGCNZ YSC, SGCNZ Dance Nimble Soles, SGCNZ PPWS and Competitions between 12 and 24 years old to complete this survey from the Ministry of Youth Development.

Funding from this source is contingent on us having at least 1500 people respond  about their experience of being involved (in whatever way – acting, directing, designing, mentoring, crew, front of house, MCs, Assessors…). From the age range, it is clear that it is not just those still at school.

Any queries about this, please contact Dawn Sanders, dawn@sgcnz.org.nz M: 027 283 6016 P: 04 384 1300


SGCNZ/DAWN SANDERS SHAKESPEARE COSTUME DESIGN COMPETITION

Design for Shakespeare!

A wonderful chance to win a monetary prize and have your costume displayed at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, for 6 weeks as well as in New Zealand. Not only do Juliets, Titanias, Hamlets and Pucks feature amongst the entries for the SGCNZ Shakespeare Costume Design Competition, but there are a growing number of designs for lesser known characters from Shakespeare’s plays, such as Peaseblossom, Doll Tearsheet, Tamora, Timon…

Entries should include concept and development drawings, rationale for your choices and a budget of up to $200. Thanks to our new sponsors Nicole Barker and Tessa Ratcliffe, the limit of expenditure on each costume has been increased. This allows for more creativity.

Our suggestions for costumes include: Mercutio and Tybalt from Romeo & Juliet; Malvolio from Twelfth Night; Falstaff from The Merry Wives of Windsor; Iago and Othello from Othello; Hamlet, Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, Queen Gertrude and King Claudius from Hamlet; Witches from Macbeth; Antony from Antony and Cleopatra; Prospero and Caliban from The Tempest; King Lear from King Lear; Shylock from The Merchant of Venice; Pyramus, Thisbe and Bottom from A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing; the queen in Cymbeline; and various kings from the History plays.

The Supreme Winner also has the opportunity of attending SGCNZ’s National Shakespeare Schools Production as the Student Costumier and is eligible for selection as a member of SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company to represent NZ at the Globe. (Standard fees apply for both.)

With special thanks to Nicole Barker and Tessa Ratcliffe.

Click here to download the 2021 Application Form.


SGCNZ/MORRISON MUSIC TRUST SHAKESPEARE MUSIC COMPOSITION COMPETITION

morrison-music-trust-logo-col

A chance to compose for Shakespeare, win some money and gain additional great opportunities.

Competitions from classical to rock, solo instruments, duos, trios, choral voices, Sibelius, imaginative music either for use in a Shakespeare play or inspired by a Shakespeare play may be composed by secondary students around the country.

The Supreme Winner also has the opportunity of attending SGCNZ’s National Shakespeare Schools Production as the Student Composer and is eligible for selection as a member of SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company to represent NZ at the Globe.  Standard fees apply for both.

Click here to download the 2021 Application Form.


SGCNZ/ADAM FOUNDATION SHAKESPEARE STATIC IMAGE and POSTER COMPETITIONS

Chances to win money and the exciting opportunity to have your image or poster exhibited in New Zealand and at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

Create an image which represents any aspect of any of Shakespeare’s plays – let your imagination run free and create an eye-catching design.

If you want to enter in the Poster category, make sure to design a striking image with all performance information needed on a good poster.

Click here to download the 2021 Application Form.


SGCNZ/ADAM FOUNDATION SHAKESPEARE VIDEO TITLE CARD COMPETITION

Chances to win money and the exciting opportunity to have your image exhibited in New Zealand and at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

The winning video title card design is used for the information page between each performance on the MP4 recording, which is sent out to schools and other recipients nationally and internationally.

Click here to download the 2021 Application Form.


SGCNZ/IDA GASKIN SHAKESPEARE ESSAY COMPETITION – In association with English at Otago

uo-horizontal

A chance to win a monetary prize and membership of the NZ Society of Authors.

“If Shakespeare has relevance for us it lies in his incomparable understanding of humanity and human relationships. Racism and global warming were of no concern in the 16th century; the position of the stranger was. For this Essay discuss the development of character and the relationship between characters, looking at the play as an artistic whole and using quotations intelligently. Make it a personal response to the play as a whole.” – Dr Ida Gaskin

Essays should be written in formal style and deal with such topics as theme, language, imagery, and characterisation. Length – minimum of 300 words.

Click here to download the 2021 Application Form.


Previous Competition Winners & Announcements

  • Update 03/08/2020

SGCNZ/Dawn Sanders Shakespeare Costume Design Competition – Winners Announced!

Following the announcement in mid-June of the shortlisted finalists in this year’s Costume Design Competition, costumier Tina de Bes has been hard at work bringing the designs to life. All four costumes have now been constructed and we are delighted to announce the final placings:

  • 1st Prize – Charlotte Elaine Campbell, Bayfield High School – Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra
  • 2nd Prize – Paige Kendon, Howick College – Juliet, Romeo and Juliet
  • 3rd Prize (equal) – Chine Ang, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School – Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • 3rd Prize (equal) – Aimee Schnuringer, Diocesan School for Girls – Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“There was a strong sense of knowledge of the plays demonstrated by the designs which, along with the accoutrements, showed appropriate age, location and status for each character. Titania and Puck were both very forest appropriate in colour and style, including Titania’s malleable wings. The costume for Juliet was suitably designed for a well-presented 14-year-old. The supreme winner, Cleopatra, had both elegance and status, right up to the top of her feathers and the asp on her headdress. The rich blue pleated fabric moved beautifully and was commensurate with her position in society. It was a delight to have the honour of bringing these to life.” – Tina de Bes

“With the potential close demise of this competition, owing to a lack of funding, SGCNZ is incredibly grateful to Nicole Barker and her daughter (previous participant) Tessa Ratcliffe, for stepping into the breach as ongoing funders, in what they have chosen to rename as the ‘SGCNZ/Dawn Sanders Shakespeare Costume Design Competition’. I was very touched by this generous gesture.” – Dawn Sanders, CEO SGCNZ.

Congratulations to all of the finalists!

Photos of the winning costumes are available via Memory of Light https://www.memoryoflight.co.nz/Galleries/SGCNZ/

  • Update 10/07/2020

SGCNZ COVID-19 LIMERICK COMPETITION

Announcing the Winner of the SGCNZ COVID-19 Limerick Competition, designed to entertain during lockdown.

There was clearly not enough for John Smythe to review, as he found time to write not only the 1st prize winning Sonnets, but the Limerick as well. Congrats on your ‘trifecta’, John Smythe!

For most of your Will-written Kings
A death sentence waits in the wings
But no matter how gory
At the end of your story
Your Globe cast still dances and sings!

Thank you to all for your entries in this and our Sonnet Competitions.

  • Update 02/07/2020

SGCNZ/Ida Glaskin Shakespeare Essay Competition with English at Otago – Winners Announced!

Huge congratulations and sincere thanks to everyone who entered the Competitions this year, under these extraordinary circumstances. It’s been inspiring to see how much work has been completed during lockdown and outside of the usual school routines.

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the SGCNZ/Ida Glaskin Shakespeare Essay Competition with English at Otago:

Option 1 or 2: Essay

  • 1st Prize: Lauren Healey, St Margaret’s College
  • 2nd Prize: E Wen Wong, Burnside High School
  • 3rd Prize: Vera Wang, St Cuthbert’s College

 Option 3: Creative

  •  1st Prize: Hannah Harman, Paraparaumu College
  • 2nd Prize: Lila Maffitt, Kristin School

The Judges were Liz Lammers and Shef Rogers, University of Otago

  • Update 24/06/2020

SGCNZ/ Morrison Music Trust Shakespeare Music Composition Competition – Winners Announced!

We are delighted to announce the winners for this year’s SGCNZ/ Morrison Music Trust Shakespeare Music Composition. In response to the nature of the entries more recently, the Judges have recommended, and we have agreed, to divide the categories differently to previous years. From this year on, the categories are: Instrumental Composition and Vocal Composition.

The winners of the 2020 competition are:

Vocal Composition

  • 1st Prize: Caitlyn Smith, Millie-Rose Pumphrey & Theo Parker, Garin College – Strangers
  • 2nd Prize: Elvis Nicolls, Hagley College – Friar Friar
  • 3rd Prize: Peyton Morete, K?piti College – Here With Me

Instrumental Composition

  • 1st Prize: Grace Mora, St Cuthbert’s College – Which we call a rose
  • 2nd Prize: Nicholas Harman, Paraparaumu College – Prosperous Plot
  • 3rd Prize Equal: Lauren Doherty, Marlborough Girls’ College – Romeo and Juliet
  • 3rd Prize Equal: Clara Satherley, K?piti College – Mishandled

 Supreme Winner: Grace Mora, St Cuthbert’s College – Which we call a rose

The Judges were Michael Vinten and Garth Wilshire.

  • Update 15/06/2020

SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Competitions: Poster Design, Static Image & Video Title Card – Winners Announced!

We are delighted to announce the winners for this year’s SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Competitions are as follows:

SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Poster Competition

  • 1st Prize  –  Geneva Ryan, St Cuthberts College – Romeo and Juliet
  • 2nd Prize  –  Amelia Barrett, St Cuthberts College – Macbeth
  • 3rd Prize  –  Unnamalai Alagusundaram, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School – The Merchant of Venice

SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Static Image Competition

  • 1st Prize  –  Nadi Figur-Ambler, Paraparaumu College – Macbeth
  • 2nd Prize  –  Connie Wing, St Cuthbert’s College – Macbeth
  • 3rd Prize  –  Renee (Yi Ran) Zhang, St Cuthbert’s College – Macbeth
  • Commended  –  Tess Roberts, St Margaret’s College – Julius Caesar

SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Video Title Card Competition

  • 1st Prize  –  Renee (Yi Ran) Zhang, St Cuthbert’s College
  • 2nd Prize  –  Chine Ang, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

The Judges were Craig Christensen, Emilie Hope, Dawn Sanders ONZM, QSM, Anastasia
Matteini-Roberts and Amy Clewes

  • Update 11/06/2020

SGCNZ/Dawn Sanders Shakespeare Costume Design Competition – Finalists Announced

We are delighted to announce the four finalists for this year’s costume design competition, whose designs will be realised by costumier Tina de Bes, after which final placings will be awarded in late July.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order of surname):

  • Chine Ang, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School – Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Charlotte Elaine Campbell, Bayfield High School – Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra
  • Paige Kendon, Howick College – Juliet, Romeo and Juliet
  • Aimee Schnuringer, Diocesan School for Girls – Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Judges also awarded three commendations in recognition of the high standard of these entries:

Highly Commended

  • River Charteris-Wright, Bayfield High School – Helena, All’s Well That Ends Well
  • Poppy Sam, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School – Dogberry, Much Ado About Nothing

Commended

  • Hiro Han, St Cuthbert’s College – Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

The Judges were Nicole Barker (Sponsor), Tina de Bes (Costumier), Dawn Sanders ONZM, QSM (CEO, SGCNZ) and Amy Clewes (Assistant to the CEO, SGCNZ)

Past Competition Winners Lists

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2020

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2019

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2018

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2017

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2016

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2015

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Finalists for 2015

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2014

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Finalists for 2014

View the list of SGCNZ Competition Winners for 2013