Young Performer Awards Competition 2022

• The first round comprises of adjudicated events in each genre, where the adjudicator panels nominate participants to proceed to the quarter final round.
• The quarter finals take on a similar format: the adjudicator’s panel for each genre will select 15 – 20 participants / groups that will then compete in one of the four semi-final rounds.
• To provide for the challenges of creating a fair approach when adjudicating and ranking live and video performances in the Quarter Final round, live and video performances will be ranked separately. The final Quarter Final ranking order will then comprise of the top achievers from both lists.
• The 4 semi-final rounds of Young Performer Awards competition are presented in concert format at a theatre. Each concert is dedicated to a genre (classical and contemporary music, dance and drama. The best participants in the different categories, as decided by the adjudicators’ panel, are then invited to compete in the final round.
• In the final round, a panel of experts representative of the different genres finally decide on the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
• An auditors’ company oversees the adjudication process in the semi-final and final rounds.

Participants in the annual National Eisteddfod of South Africa®:

Diploma recipients in the National Eisteddfod 2021 have already qualified to enter the Young Performer Awards Competition 2022 and have TWO options available for participating in the FIRST and SECOND ROUNDS:

Participants in the National Eisteddfod of 2021 also have the following options available:

• Participants may submit their entries ONLINE at a lower entry fee.
• Participants also have the option to submit their entries in a Hard Copy format (a higher entry fee is charged for hard copy entries.)
• Individual participants are no longer limited to only the exact “approved” items as presented at the Eisteddfod in 2021:
  • Similar items have been grouped together to create new broader categories that require a similar “skill set”. (For example: Lyrical Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Free Verse Poetry etc. have been grouped together in a “Poetry Category“).
  • This approach now opens up new opportunities for the serious performer: If you have received a diploma award for any one item in this category, you may now enter any number of the other items in the same category. For example:  if you only qualified with your performance of a narrative poem, you may now also enter a lyrical poem and/or free verse and/or another narrative poem in the same category.
  • The rationale for this approach is that achievement on diploma level in any category is considered as confirmation that the participant has acquired the higher skills level required in the given category. This now provides for an opportunity to present additional items within the “approved” skill set and is also an incentive for the participant to stretch his/her wings.
  • When submitting entries ONLINE participants will notice that their approved entries include the item(s) that they received diplomas for, as well as all the other available items in the same category that they now may enter for. In addition the items now also reflect their current grades (except for the open section).

Participants in other festivals / events:

• Any participant that received a diploma or similar award in any other festival or event during 2021 may qualify (Achievement of 90%+ or on diploma level required and proof of achievement should be submitted with the entry / entries.)
• Most performance categories are accepted (except for reading and improvised categories  that are excluded).
• Proof of the said achievement needs to be submitted for approval with the entry.
• Entries can only be submitted in HARD COPY format at the applicable entry fee.

The Preliminary Qualifying Round provides anyone that currently does not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition an opportunity to qualify. For this purpose an aspiring participant has to submit an ONLINE VIDEO entry as if it were submitted for Eisteddfod 2021 . The closing date for these entries is 31 January 2022 and the proof of paying the non-refundable special entry fee of R150.00 needs to be submitted together with this entry.

Preliminary Qualifying Round

Once it has been received (with proof of payment), all Preliminary Qualifying Round videos will be submitted to a member of the NEA Adjudicators’ Forum for adjudication. Feedback and results will be distributed by e-mail to all participants in this round not later than 10 February. Any participant that then receive a diploma award for this recorded performance, will then be allowed to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition before any of the closing dates for live or video entries).

This Preliminary Qualifying Round opportunity is open for :

• Participant(s) in the National Eisteddfod 2021 that did not qualify to enter this Competition in any particular genre.
• Any one that did not participate in the National Eisteddfod 2021 or any other eisteddfod or similar event and subsequently could not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition 2022

Procedure for submitting an entry for the Preliminary Qualifying Round:

• Register on the National Eisteddfod ONLINE ENTRY platform if you have not done so before.
  • Click here to register or
  • For help with the how, click here.
• Login to your existing or new Online Profile.
  • Click here to login or
  • For for help click here.
• Submit your entry ONLINE. For more information about submitting entries online, click here.
• Record your performance on video and submit your video for adjudication by following the Guidelines and requirements for Video Recorded Entries
• Should you get stuck or need further assistance, please call the NEA Office on 011 886 6005 (office hours). Kindly note that some of our staff members are still working remotely on certain days and your call might be transferred. Alternatively, please send an email to admin@eisteddfod.co.za with more information about your query.

Closing dates and entry fees  – Live Performances ONLY:
(Participants in the National Eisteddfod of SA during 2021)   

Closing dates and entry fees – Live performances  ONLY:
(Participants in other Festivals / Competitions 2021) 

Closing dates and entry fees for all VIDEO RECORDED PERFORMANCES

(This information applies to all participants in the annual National Eisteddfod of SA 2021, as well as participants in Other Festivals during 2021) wanting to submit Video Recorded Performances for adjudication in the FIRST and QUARTER FINAL ROUNDS of the Young Performer Awards Competition).

Closing dates and entry fees – VIDEO RECORDED performances:
(ONLY Participants in other Festivals / Competitions 2021)

 Participants in the National Eisteddfod of South Africa 2021:

Programme for LIVE participation in the Young Performer Awards Competition 2022

First Round: 1 – 17 March 2022
A panel of adjudicators will adjudicate all “live” and “recorded” entries.

Quarter Final Round: 6 April – 12 April 2022
A limited number of participants will be selected in the First Round to compete in the Quarter Final Round, either in a live performance or by submitting a new video recording for adjudication. Invitations to these participants will be forwarded to cell numbers/e-mail addresses as provided on the entry forms. It is therefore important to ensure that this information is provided on the entry from with great care and is clearly legible.

Semi-Final Round: Date to be announced
Separate events will be presented at a venue to be announced soon for Speech & Drama, Classical Music, Contemporary Music and Dance, etc. The overall junior and senior winners of all sections will also be announced at each of these concerts.

Final Event: Date to be announced
The overall junior and senior winners of all sections will finally compete for the overall awards at a venue to be confirmed soon.

When do I perform in the Young Performer Awards Competition?

We will attempt to accommodate all requests submitted in advance, but please note that given the particular demands of this competition, we cannot give any guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all requests. 

In order to facilitate the adjudication process, events are scheduled according to the participant’s grade (e.g. it does not make sense to schedule a Gr R participant with a group of Gr. 6 learners). For this reason and in the interest of the participant, we will be reluctant to allow any rescheduling of events.