Arts and Sciences

As the overall event theme is “Try Something New,” Enter a piece in an art form you have never attempted before. This can be something you made new for the competition, or a piece that you made previously, so long as it meets two criteria: It is the first item of its art form that you made, AND it has not previously won a competition. All are welcome to enter, and there will be four entry levels: 

 

Diamond - Youth

Ruby - You are newer to the A&S world, and in terms of recognition, you have never been given a grant-level A&S award in any kingdom

Emerald - You are more experienced in the A&S world and have received a grant-level A&S award in any kingdom

Sapphire - You are considered an expert in a specific area of A&S and have received a peerage/Laurel in any kingdom for your A&S work. 

 

We ask that you keep to the spirit of the competition as well as the letter - if you have a Laurel in costuming/garb, but have never made an altar cloth or handkerchief before, maybe don’t enter something like that. The idea is to branch OUT of your comfort zone AND encourage newcomers.

This competition will test your mettle - or at least your damage resistance! 

Bring a single item of armor you have made. This item can be any style (To include rapier armor), and can be any part of said armor - gauntlet, pauldrons, greaves, etc.

Complete a scroll blank like court depends on it! 

Upon registration for the competition (beginning Saturday Morning at 10am in the A&S building) each entrant will be provided or will have checked a blank sheet of paper (bristol board will be provided but other materials are welcome). Entrants can use any of their own tools and materials, and a limited amount of materials will be available for those who didn’t bring their own. Each Entrant will have from 9am to 3pm Saturday to complete their entry. The theme is also Try Something New - use a medium or a style you have never tried before (Encouraged but not required).

Please prepare a reproduction, in any period font, in any material & medium, of the text from the first stanza of “The Canterbury Tales” (in original Middle English):

 

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licóur

Of which vertú engendred is the flour;

Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,

And smale foweles maken melodye,

That slepen al the nyght with open ye,

So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

And specially, from every shires ende

Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,

The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Research a non-material art or science and present a short paper about your research! This can be about an historical event, such as a battle or synod, a personage, such as a famous figure, an aspect of life, such as pilgrimages, a region, such as a particular town or pilgrimage route, an area of knowledge, literary work, or scientific discovery, etc. 

 

Sources must be cited, MLA format preferred but not required. Research papers will need to be submitted (for Judges to have time to read them) by May 16, 2026. Please email them to the A&S coordinator’s email at meriorie [dot] matheson [at] gmail [dot] com.