Greetings from the 2016 Ice Dragon Pent Coordinators!
There are a lot of A&S competitions on the horizon, and it is not too early to start thinking about the mother of them all, the Ice Dragon Pentathlon! There is no Pent restriction for entries used in other competitions, so keep this in mind throughout the fall and winter as you create your masterworks (and enter them in competitions such as the Kingdom A&S Championship you can register for here).
Mistress Ysabeau Tiercelin and Mistress Juliana Delamere will be the Pent Coordinators for Ice Dragon 2016, and are bringing the Pent back to its roots. There will be much info forthcoming, but here are a few highlights:
1. The Ultimate Entry is back! Entries can be cross-entered in as many categories as you like (the two-category restriction is gone). So it will once again be possible to make one item that can be entered in 5 main categories and win the Pent.
2. Documentation is being simplified. Although you can make your documentation as detailed as you like, we are encouraging the use of EZ-Doc. You still need to cover the basics in your documentation, but you do not need to fear that your entry will rise or fall solely on documentation, as weighting is going to be far more dependent on the item itself.
3. The detailed judging and score sheets are going out the window. We will absolutely have rubrics available for the judges, but the scoring sheets are going to be far simpler and far less time-consuming. We are going back to simple first, second and third prizes for categories. If an entrant does not want to receive judge’s comments, they will have that option.
4. Laurels will be sponsoring categories as they did in the early days, and there will be prizes.
5. Entry levels will be Novice (for anyone who does not have a grant level arts award), Artisan (for holders of grant level awards), Laurel (for those members of the Order of the Laurel) and Group (for households, friends or any conglomerate of people combining entries with a single theme).
6. Group entries this year must have a theme. An example might be a group of six people with an equestrian theme with the following entries: horse barding in Heraldic Display, a period veterinary kit in Animal Arts, a saddle in Leather Working, traveling food for the hunt in Cooking, a scroll for an equestrian award in Scribal Arts, and a riding outfit in Clothing.
These changes are being made in response to many talks with artisans throughout the Kingdom. We want to eliminate the fear so many entrants have had (rightly or wrongly) of harsh judges’ comments, and we want entrants to be able to spend less time on documentation and more time on their art – so get ready to bring your best!
This month features one of the biggest events held in Æthelmearc, The Grand Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. Whether you go for the fighting, the fencing, the shopping, or just chilling out with friends, there is one thing that sets this event apart from all others: The Arts & Sciences Pentathlon, or the Pent.
For those interested in the arts and sciences of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a visit to the Pent is a fantastic way to see what folks are interested in and how they’ve made use of what they’ve discovered. Those who enter the Pent know that their documentation, together with their creations, serves as a way to teach others about their areas of interest. But most people don’t take advantage of one of the best opportunities to teach and learn at Ice Dragon: judging!
The Gazette asked the Pent Judge Coordinator, Baroness Alexandra dei Campagnella, a few questions about judging at the Pent.
What qualifications do you need to be a judge? Anyone can be a judge. When looking for “quality judges” I look for people who can do the following: have an understanding of the item being judged and be able to understand the rubrics for that item or the general rubric for those items that do not currently have one. You need to be able to give clear thoughts and reasons for the scores you are marking and constructive comments if there is an area for improvement. Nothing hurts an entrant more than negative comments put poorly. When writing, think about how you would want someone to speak to you. Please take the time to write comments and not just numbers, it helps the entrant understand what number you picked and what they can do to improve upon that area. It is very helpful to have entered A&S before or to be active in A&S, but selection of Judges is not award-based.
What is a Rubric? A rubric is by definition: a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests (merriam-webster.com). In the context that we use it there is a set number of areas the Judge looks at and a defined score for how the item ranks in each of these areas. To see the current rubrics, go here, and scroll down to the Kingdom of Æthelmearc A&S Rubrics.
Do you have to be a Laurel to judge? No you do not have to be a Laurel; however if you are one, please seriously consider judging, It is always nice for the entrants to have comments from the highest caliber in the arts and sciences that our Kingdom offers.
Is there a way for someone with less experience to be matched with a more experienced judge? Yes there is! We have a “shadow” a judge program, where you can be work with a Judge and go over along with them what each of the elements on the judge’s sheet is and what is important for that area. This enables a new person to ask a lot of questions and get a feel for what the Judge does and why.
How much time does it take to judge a category and just what is involved? There is no set time to allot time to allot per entry. Personally, I start with a quick look at the item, then read the documentation. After I’m done reading I compare the item to the documentation and the Rubric and start scoring on the judge’s sheet and writing comments. Some entries I go straight down the sheet, with other items I will jump around scoring the areas that strike me most. On average I spend about 15-20 minutes on an item. Some people will spend more or less depending on the documentation and item.
What is the timing/schedule? The timing is set by the Pent-coordinator and posted on the Ice Dragon Website. At this time there is a tentative schedule, but it may change depending on the number of entries, judges and space.
Why judge? I judge because I like to see what people are doing… what are the Kingdom Artisans up to? I have learned a lot from documentation that I wasn’t aware of; I’ve seen some really amazing processes for making an item; tasted some very yummy food and knock-your-socks-off beverages. The most memorable item I judged was period white face paint. I don’t remember the details of it, just that someone did it and that it was a very “wow” moment for me. The other reason I judge is to encourage people to keep going, keep digging into the documentation out there, keep digging into themselves for more ideas and to perfect what they’ve started. In my view there is no endpoint for art, it just keeps getting better and better.
There seems to be a misperception that you have to commit your entire day if you sign up to judge, and that it will all be very confusing. Don’t let the idea of judging (or entering for that matter) scare you! You are looking at each piece based on the Rubric and the documentation, you are not judging it against anything else on the table. You can also bounce thoughts off your fellow judges in the category.
If you know that you have a limited time, you can request to have only a couple items to look at, and always feel free to ask questions! I will be there all day for the judges and look forward to a fun and successful day.
This year, there are more than 20 categories. Many judges — preferably, at least 3 per category — are needed. Having so many judges per category ensures that entrants are more likely to receive meaningful commentary on their items. It also reduces the risk of burn-out by limiting the number of entries that have to be judged in the available timeframe. So consider signing up to judge the Pent – it will be a fun learning experience!
To volunteer to judge, use the judging registration form found here. A list of Pent categories can be found here.
Greetings from the 2016 Ice Dragon Pent Coordinators!