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 and homeschool 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.