Louise first trod the boards when only five days old. Her professional theatrical career, which included repertory, musicals, television, films and touring within the UK began with Haymarket Stage Productions.

Louise is presently not only an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals and the Guild of Drama Adjudicators, but is also an adjudicator member of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama. Her work takes her all over the UK as well as abroad.

Louise was Artistic Director of the Phoenix Youth Theatre in Southend, formerly the New Focus Theatre for many years.

She teaches all ages, including adults, and specialises in the LAMDA examinations. She runs workshops and master classes, directs plays, open air productions and musicals, devises original drama compositions, writes poetry and has written many musical plays for children and students. Louise even finds time to dance flamenco!

Louise believes that all performers need a platform on which to perform and share their varied skills and she is happy to adjudicate, as required, either in person or online.

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– Rosalind Taylor

BEd (Hons), LRWCMD (Dist), Laban Diploma (Dist), Cert Ed (Dist), LLAM (Dist)

Rosalind trained at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and at The Laban Centre of Movement and Dance, London.

Rosalind has taught speech and drama for over thirty years and has led several large Performing Arts departments. She continues to deliver workshops at leading vocational schools and universities, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. In addition to her teaching credits, Rosalind has extensive experience in directing and creating original devised material for vocational and community outreach projects.

Rosalind has spent over twenty years working alongside award-winning choreographers with the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain – on their Creative Team, as drama coach and répétiteur. She continues to support their Beyond Ballet initiative for new and aspiring young choreographers. Rosalind is an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals , and a Senior Examiner and Team Leader for The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Through her work Rosalind has travelled extensively leading directorial,voice and Lamda workshops in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bahrain, Australia, Sri Lanka, East Africa ____________________________________________________________________________________

Vivienne Redford LLAM MSTSAD (Adj)

Vivienne has studied Speech and Drama since the age of four and has been teaching the subject since 1980. She is Head of Speech and Drama at a large independent girl’s school in Bedford. She is also the Principal of the Redford School of Speech and Drama, established in 1982, training children and adults of all ages in all aspects of the performing arts and communication. Many of her former students perform in TV, film and theatre around the world and in major West End productions, the Globe, the RSC and the National Theatre. Others are pursuing careers as teachers of Speech and Drama, Theatre Directors and Technicians.

Vivienne has produced and directed a diverse range of musical and theatrical productions and particularly enjoys writing and devising original and creative theatre with her senior students. For the past nineteen years, she has organised and directed a widely-acclaimed summer school for students aged 7 to 21, which culminates in a commissioned play written for, and performed by, the students who attend.

Vivienne is an examiner for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, a member of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama and an Adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals travelling extensively throughout the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. She is a former secretary and now a Vice-President of the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama which has given her a clear understanding and insight into the work, energy and commitment that Festival organisers, teachers and pupils put into making their Festivals a success.

When not working (which is a rare occurrence) Vivienne enjoys seeing as much theatre as possible, reading, particularly children’s books, cooking and relishes spending time with her family.

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The SET Poems for Classes SD01-SD10 can be downloaded by clicking here.

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For classes SD19 to SD22, performers will be given time to read the passage through before their performance.

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Attention is drawn to the revised time limits which MUST be strictly adhered to. Performers who overrun may be penalised. See rules G6 and SD3. In Duologue classes a younger performer may partner an older one provided he/she does not enter any other age group. Performers may enter in only ONE duologue class. Multiple entries including one performer will not be processed. Performers are requested to be aware of the sensitivity of the audience regarding the content of the scenes. Language likely to cause offence MUST NOT BE INCLUDED. Please refer to Rule SD6.

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Each poem or story should be typed, unnamed and attached to its own entry form or uploaded to the Festival website.

POETRY

Entries must be received by 30th April 2021. Not to exceed 3 minutes reading time each. Limit: 3 poems per person. The top six poems will be read at the Festival either by yourself or a member of the Festival team if you prefer.

STORYWRITING

Entries must be received by 30th April 2021. Limit: 3 stories per person. The winning story will be read at the Festival.

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The Speech and Drama Committee is pleased to include in this year’s Festival a heat of the National Prayer Book Society Competition – THE THOMAS CRANMER AWARDS. This competition is open to candidates ages 11-18 inclusive who will be required to speak an extract from the gospels or the Book of Common Prayer 1662 to be selected from the following list and chosen with reference to the age list below:

• Set of Collect, Epistle and Gospel from the Book of Common Prayer for any Sunday or Holy Day.
• A passage consisting of one or more of the Psalms and/or Canticles.
• Any suitable passage from the services of Morning or Evening Prayer or the Services of Holy Communion but excluding the Absolution Blessing or Prayer of Consecration or other material appropriate only for speaking by a Priest.
• Any suitable passage from the Services of Baptism, Marriage or Burial, but not including the priestly words of blessing.
• Any suitable passage from the Catechism or from the Special Prayers and Thanksgiving, or the Litany.
  

Age Groups:

• 11 Years – Own choice of any gospel
• 12 and 13 Years – Own choice of any collect and gospel
• 14 and 15 Years – Own choice of any Psalm or gospel and own selection of Evening Prayer
• 16 to 18 Years – Own choice of any collect, epistle and/or gospel

Although the content of the performance of performers of different ages will vary, this is acceptable to the Prayer Book Society and will be adjudicated with sensitivity.

Further information is available from the Speech and Drama Secretary. All entries to be made on Festival entry forms and to be governed by Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts rules. The winner of this Class will qualify to take part in the National Final to be held in London at a date to be announced later.

Please apply to the Speech & Drama Secretary for the required opening and closing wording.

Time Limit: 5 minutes.

N.B. THIS IS A CLASS WHERE THE SPOKEN WORD IS ALL IMPORTANT, THEREFORE THE USE OF MUSIC AND/OR MOVEMENT IS NOT PERMITTED.

* In the Regional heats, the extracts need not be memorised. In the National Finals, performers may use their own choice selections in each of the age groups BUT this must be memorised.

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Valerie Walsh Award

Any performer who completes classes in all three disciplines will automatically be entered for the Valerie Walsh Award. The winner will be chosen from those performers who achieve the highest marks across the three disciplines.   Only Solo and Duet classes will qualify. The Award of £100 will be presented by Valerie to the winner at the Festival’s next AGM.

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COPYRIGHT RULES

Music Publishers Association (MPA)

We are pleased to announce that we are now a signatory to the MPA Code of Fair Practice (revised for 2012) agreed between Composers, Publishers and users of printed music. As such, a specific permission has been granted regarding photocopying as follows:

Important: This permission only applies to the Adjudicator copy and all other copies used for the performance (e.g. by the performer and/or accompanist), including any copy made by electronic means, must be legally purchased originals.

Adjudicator Copy: a person performing a work at the Festival in front of an adjudicator may make one copy for the adjudicator provided that the performer has an original copy and that the copy made is retained and destroyed by the adjudicator immediately after the performance. The copy must be marked with the following “Adjudicator copy – destroy after use”

This only applies to the music publishers who have agreed to adhere to the standards set out in the MPA’s Code of Fair Practice – see full list: http//.mpaonline.org.uk/associated_companies)

Author’s Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)

Our group licence agreement with ALCS allows for permission for:

Poetry, Prose and Solo Monologue Performances as follows:

• Speech and Drama Festivals to include spoken performances of poetry and prose to a limit of 10 minutes duration.
• Solo Dramatic items may also qualify for copyright indemnity provided that the item is announced with title and author at the time of the performance and the performer must not change the words or gender of the character.

Important: For duologues and all other group dramatic works (including Musical Theatre), in the absence of any other licensing arrangement, the onus on gaining copyright permission, and paying any royalty fees due, rests with the performer.

Performing Rights Society (PRS)

Our group licence agreement with PRS allows permission for Instrument and Vocal classes to:

• Perform music compositions
• Play recorded music as an accompaniment/backing track if required.

and for Songs from the Shows or Song and Dance classes to perform excerpts from musical plays provided that:

• the excerpt does not exceed 25 minutes duration,
• it is not a complete act of the musical play,
• it does not constitute a” potted version” of the musical play,
• it is performed without any change to either music or lyrics and using only the published or authorised musical arrangements,
• there is no use made of any form of scenery, costume, choreography, staging, character representation or special lighting which gives a visual impression or other portrayal of the writer’s original conception of the work from which the excerpt is taken.

PPL – Music licensing for recorded music played in public

We have obtained the necessary licences from PPL to play recorded music at our Festival as an accompaniment / backing track if required.

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General Rules: Please read these carefully before entering

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ACCOMPANISTS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Entrants are advised that the Festival no longer offers official accompanists. It is the responsibility of performers who require an accompanist to make their own arrangements in good time before the Festival. Performers must expect to pay their accompanist a fee for both the Festival performance and any rehearsals. Accompanists’ rates are not set by the Festival.

The following accompanists have agreed to their names being published in this syllabus.

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CHILD PROTECTION POLICY STATEMENT

Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts believes that no child or young person should ever experience abuse of any kind.  We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and practise in a way that protects them.

CFPA recognises that the welfare of children is paramount and that, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, they have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.  Furthermore, CFPA believes that some children and young people are additionally vulnerable because of their level of dependency or their communication needs and that working in partnership with their parents, teachers and carers is essential in guaranteeing their welfare.

CFPA will seek to keep children and young people safe by practising a range of measures to ensure a safe environment at its Festivals for children and young people.  These measures are fully set out in CFPA’s Child Protection Policy which can be seen in full on CFPA’s website.

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CREATING A SAFE FESTIVAL 

The Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts implements the following procedures to create a safe Festival for everyone:

1. A designated Festival Safeguarding Officer (FSO) is appointed to oversee all aspects of safeguarding.
   The Safeguarding Officer is Brian Harding, tel: 07850 153183.
2. Best practice advice, support and training is given to all Festival staff and volunteers, including clear reporting procedures for anyone with a concern about a child.
3. Appropriate recruitment and/or induction procedures are applied for all Festival staff and volunteers.
4. All Festival stewards wear an official identification lanyard and teachers/parents/guardians/carers are asked to report all incidents of any nature to anyone wearing a lanyard. All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with child protection best practice advice and, if appropriate, in a quiet area/room where concerns can be expressed in private.
5. For the duration of the Festival all teachers/parents/guardians/carers are responsible for the continuous care and supervision of their own children/pupils/vulnerable adults. If they are unable to attend personally, they must delegate their responsibilities to an identified adult and ensure that their children/pupils/vulnerable adults are aware of the identity and name of the person responsible for their care. This includes supervision throughout all Festival venues, performance, rehearsal and changing areas.
6. No unauthorised photography or video, digital or tape recording of any performance is allowed. If parents/guardians/carers do not wish photos or video recording to be taken of any child in their care, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child/pupil is not included in officially authorised photos.
7. If any child or vulnerable adult has a specific need in order to take part in the Festival, we ask the responsible teacher/parent/guardian/carer to contact the Festival prior to arrival. The Festival will seek, wherever possible, to meet the identified need, but must be informed beforehand in order to prepare support – or to advise that help cannot be provided on this occasion.
8. By completing and submitting the entry form all parents / guardians / carers and teachers of entrants under 18 (or vulnerable adults of any age) confirm that they give (or have obtained, or will obtain) all necessary consents for the entrants to take part in the Festival.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY STATEMENT

The Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts is committed to provide equal opportunity for everyone to participate in its affairs and contribute to its objectives.  The Festival does not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any other unlawful reason.

This commitment extends to every aspect of the Festival’s operation and applies to all performers, volunteers, sponsors, and suppliers.

The principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunities also apply to the way in which the Festival treats visitors and members of the public.

CPA’s Equal Opportunities Policy can be found on our website and a copy can be requested, either by email, or by sending a stamped and addressed envelope to the Hon. Secretary.

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PRIVACY STATEMENT

The Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts (CFPA) needs to collect and use certain information about individuals in order to run the Festival successfully. To protect individuals’ privacy CFPA ensures that personal information is treated lawfully and correctly. CFPA complies fully with current data protection legislation (General Data Protection Regulations – May 2018).

Data collected is processed fairly and lawfully; is used only for specific and lawful purposes; is accurate, adequate, relevant and not excessive; is kept for no longer than is necessary; is collected and processed in accordance with the rights of individuals; is kept secure, and is not transferred to countries that do not offer adequate data protection.

The only personal data that CFPA publishes in the Festival programme and on its website are the names of Festival performers (and the contact details of CFPA trustees and officers). All other personal data is kept secure. Personal data will not be given to any third party without the prior consent of the individual (or their parent, guardian, or teacher, in the case of a child), but will be disclosed to law enforcement agencies if requested. All Festival personnel are made aware of their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations.

CFPA’s Data Protection Policy can be found on our website and a copy can be requested, either by email, or by sending a stamped and addressed envelope to the Hon. Secretary.
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ACCESSIBILITY

The ground floor of the Town Hall is fully accessible from street level without encountering any steps by using the ramps at either side of the front entrances. The entrance on the right-hand side has automatic doors. There is an induction loop system on the ground floor of the Town Hall and there are accessible toilets in both the Ladies and Gents toilets as well as a further accessible toilet at the rear of the main hall. The Town Hall has a lift to assist performers on to the stage if required.

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Friends of the Festival

Become a Friend of the Festival for 2021 and get free spectator entry to all Festival Classes and a Free Souvenir Programme.

This year we are asking for a minimum Donation of £30, which will cover the cost of your Spectator Ticket and a Souvenir Programme which will be posted to you.

Please download and complete the Friends’ form.

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Don’t Hesitate to Donate!

Your donations are part of keeping the Festival running from year to year. It is surprising how much it costs to stage this 12-day event, from professional adjudication to the certificates and medals and many more ‘behind the scenes’ expenses – and unfortunately we don’t always break even!

If you have a few minutes we would be extremely grateful for any donation you would like to give to help secure the future of the Festival.

There are several ways you can donate:

Internet Banking to Set up a Standing Order or for a Single Donation.

Give as much or as little as you want each month, or as a one-off donation.

Account Name: Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts Entries Account

Account Number: 13356485

Sort Code:   20-20-15

Send a Cheque or Postal Order in the post.

If you would prefer to send a donation in the post, please send cheques or postal orders made out to Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts to:

The Treasurer, 5, Charlecote Corner, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, GL52 8HG (Do not send cash in the post.)

Leave us a legacy in your Will

Legacy gifts can provide important support to the Festival. We suggest that you discuss your intentions with your solicitor who can advise on the best way to leave a gift.

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