FAQ

Last Update: September 2024

• Can a team consist of more than two persons?

Participants are required to form teams consisting of at least one director and one stage designer. The maximum number or participants per team is five (extra costume designers, dramaturgs, composers, etc.).

• What if I want to direct and do the set and costume design all by myself?

A “team” can also consist of only one member.

• Does the set and costume design have to be created by one person, or can there also be a set designer and a costume designer in my team?

Both options are possible.

• Can I participate in multiple teams?

Each person is allowed to particiate in only one team per competition.

• I have already directed an opera production / worked as set/costume designer – am I eligible to enter the competition?

The RING AWARD supports emerging artists therefore participants must not yet have staged an independent production at a larger opera house. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please check with office@ringaward.com

• I will already be 36 years old in 2024: which date of birth will qualify me to participate in the competition? Can one team member have already passed the age limit if the other person is under 36?

Persons born on 16 September 1988 or later qualify to participate in the RING AWARD 25. This applies to each team member. No exceptions.

• Is there a lower age limit for participation?

Yes, all team members should be at least 18 years old.

• Where can I find the blueprints for the Schauspielhaus Graz main stage?

The plans can be downloaded on the “Terms of Participation” page.

• Sustainability Concept: Can I obtain information on set or costume items available to be reused or reycled? 

In the first stage of the competition, this information is unfortunately not available. Please note in your concept which (realistic) set and costume items you would reuse/recycle if available. When calculating the budget, it cannot be assumed that the desired materials will be available.

• What is crucial when submitting the concept portfolio?

Anonymity has to be strictly observed: names of the participants as well as any other information which would enable their identification (institutions, nationalities, etc.) may not appear on the cover of the portfolio or anywhere else on the texts or pictures, etc. Anyone not complying with this regulation will be excluded from the competition.

• What should concept portfolio contain?

The concept porfolio should contain the complete stage direction concept as well as stage design sketches including figurines for the entire competition opera “L’Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi taking into account the musical text.

• Which documents are submitted to the jury for assessment in the first stage?

In the first stage, only the anonymised portfolio will be submitted to the jury.

• Who assesses the Sustainability Concept?

The Sustainability Concept is assessed by the jury of the Sustainability Prize. The jury consists of experts from the fields of set design, costume design and sustainability.

• Which form is the storyboard for the semifinal expected to take?

A storyboard is expected to explain the concrete activities on the stage (directions and design) step by step in the sequence of scenes for the designated part of the competition opera. It is also essential to consider the musical text. The individual design of the storyboard is left to the participants’ own decision. It may consist of model photos describing the scenes, or of drawn images with stage directions.

• Do I have to submit a set design model?

Only for the semifinal, a stage design model on a scale of 1:25 is required.

• At which stage of the competition is the maximum limit of the budget of relevance?

The budget applies to the stage realization of the selected part of the competition opera at the finals (act II from Ritornello before Orfeo: “Vi ricorda o boschi ombrosi” until act III, Sinfonia after Orfeo: “Rendetemi il mio ben, Tartare numi” – without the choruses of this section). Nonetheless the budget should already be kept in mind when submitting the designs as their feasibility within the given budget is an essential assessment criterion of the competition. Any cost overruns at the stage of preparation for the finals give reason for an exclusion from the competition and offer other contestants an opportunity of moving up. The exact budget calculations have to be handed in for the semifinal (not the initial submission)

• What is the deadline for submission?

The deadline is September 16, 2024, 6pm CET