Kingdom Arts and Sciences is a juried contest in which artisans are judged on individual excellence. All entrants receive feedback on the next steps or other ways to improve their work. This competition uses the SEC Judging Form and Criteria for a consistent experience when participating between the Kingdoms of Ansteorra, Gleann Abheann, Meridies, and Trimeris.
This is also an audition for the Crown to choose the Royal Artist for the next year. The current Crown selects this overall winner.
In addition to the Royal Artisan, five artists and two alternates are chosen to represent the kingdom at the Gulf Wars A&S Championship. The Coronet decides this and announces it at the Coronation event, as they are the Crown who will be on the throne during the war event.
Before you enter, please review the areas of entry and the policies on the front page of the website. This will provide information on unacceptable citation sources, AI Use, Diversity, Oral Tradition Documentation, Safe Handling for Food Entries, Accommodations, and Appeals. You may use any published format you are comfortable with to do your citations: MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, etc, if the judge can find the source when they have a question, that matters most. We do not require you to adhere to any other formatting or style guidance in the format. This only applies to the citations. If you do not have a preference, the Chicago Manual of Style is the current favorite of Historical Academics and Journals. If you do not know how to do a citation, check out WorldCat.org. Microsoft Word, as well as other word processing software packages, provides a form you fill out that will assist you in documenting your bibliography in any style. For instructions for Microsoft Word, see Microsoft Word Citation Support.
Starting in 2025, Ansteorra joined the Kingdoms of Gleann Abhann, Meridies, and Trimaris to unify our judging criteria and sheets. This was done for two reasons. The first was to make the Gulf War Championship fairer to the contestants. The larger and more important reason was the mobility of members between these kingdoms. Many artists participate or move across borders, and providing expectations benefits all programs. We are happy to say that the other kingdoms have decided to primarily adopt the Ansteorra model and little change for our artists. We will also be creating specific criteria for new categories. The categories and judging forms may have some minor changes, but this is the current construction as of 1/9/2025 for adoption on 2/1/2025. The categories are…
See Entry Rules
The entry rules can be found above. These rules, in combination with our policies and codes of conduct, are in effect for Kingdom A&S. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact kingdom@moas.ansteorra.org.
Score Scale, Pilgrim Tokens, Overall Impression, and Complexity Scoring
- The overall score is 30 points.
- The score for receiving a pilgrim’s token will be a score of 24 out of 30 or higher. Your score must equal 80% or higher. There is no limit to the number of pilgrims’ badges handed out; ALL artisans will get a pilgrim’s token if they score 24 or higher.
- We will allow half points with a round-up at the whole form level to the nearest whole number. Half points without rounding may break a tie for best in class.
- Complexity was overstated in previous scoresheets and has moved into the techniques/ artistry/ difficulty section. It will be evaluated as a factor in scoring, not as a separate score.
- Reminder, displays are not judged unless otherwise noted in the criteria guide (Example: Food and Drink). If you are impressed with a display or feel it could have been presented better, please let them know by using the unscored Scorer’s Impression Comments and let them know your thoughts.
Static Entry
A static entry is a researched and recreated period item or closely related group of items (example: a Viking wardrobe, a full-course meal). This can be anything from armor, jewelry, fiber items, or any other period object you can create and document. This requires documentation averaging 5-15 pages of written text, not including pictures, art references, a bibliography, a summary, or a title page. In this documentation, you will not receive a score on your writing. The object is the primary focus of these entries
Your documentation should serve as a guide to walk your judge through the judging criteria by answering the criteria questions and showing your process, as supported by your research. You will want to document who, what, why, when, where, and how the art was done. You will also need to document any substitutions made (i.e., materials that are too expensive, unable to be sourced, or hazardous). Please see the judging document and use it as a guide for structuring your documentation. Documentation needs to be turned in two weeks before the event. As sites rarely have a quiet space to read and fewer resources to consult, we want to ensure that your judges carefully read your hard work.
- Fine, Graphic, and Applied Arts – Amber, Bone & Horn items; Ceramics & Pottery; Glasswork, Leatherwork, Metalwork, Woodwork, Armor, Spinning, Cloth Production, Costuming, Clothing Accessories, Dying, Tanning, Bladesmithing, or any other art that is considered a trade art or an art that is used to make another item.
- Creative Writing—Poetry and Story. Poetry has separate criteria based on the forms used for its creation. Artists may enter their piece as a creative writing work or a performance entry.
- Consumables (Food and Drink) – Cooking, Brewing, Vinting, Still Room Arts, and Apothecary Items that are Consumable)
- Musical Composition (Not Performed) Any piece composed for vocal or instrumental performance where the piece stands alone.
Performance Entry
A performance entry is just that, a performance. However, the aim is not to entertain as much as to produce a performance that would have been experienced in the period. The judges want you to recreate your piece as close in style and content as possible. Performing a Viking saga in the style it was done, performing a chant as a monk would have in the 10th century, and performing a piece of a period play are all options for these entries. It is appropriate to dress up and include props to enhance the piece.
You have two options for creating these entries: unedited video or performance on the event day. The requirements for documentation are the same as for static pieces, and again, the judging form should guide you in laying out your documentation. The average performance documentation is 3-10 pages, not including citations, summary, title pages, images of the piece performed, etc.
You will not be judged on a video based on production values, but if you submit a video performance, please ensure you can be seen and heard. A USB microphone attachment or a combination of a USB transmitter and a lapel mic for your phone is a good investment and can be purchased for under $20. Please make sure any video is turned in 72 hours before the event. Documentation is due two weeks before to ensure your documentation is read and an appropriate judge is chosen.
The categories are:
- Vocal or Instrumental – Period or Original Piece
- Dance
- Acting, Storytelling, or Performance
- Demonstration of a Period Activity
Academic Entry
A research entry is an academic paper on a topic. It can be a written project, a paper with supporting visuals, experimental archeology, a science experiment, an academic catalog, or any other entry that mirrors what is presented in an academic setting. The project must have a thesis, hypothesis, or specific purpose identified. Books, scholarly journals, academically produced media (such as university or museum recordings, podcasts, and videos), and research from credible oral traditions (for example, Indigenous traditions provided by tribes), are all options for your research. Remember that your judge is looking for predominantly academic sources (again, review the judging sheet). As per the unallowed citation policy, Wikipedia is a suitable place to start a bibliography, but not an item to cite. This also goes with AI. See the policies and code of conduct page for policies on what can and cannot be included in any documentation. If you enter a paper with supporting visuals, the visuals will not be judged artistically.
Academic Presentations
- Research Paper – Persuasive or Informative, can include or not include visuals such as models, diagrams, or other physical items. (Thesis Statement)
- Supported Research – Research that is better explained with additional items and a display. (Thesis Statement)
- Experimental Archeology (Hypothesis)
- Science & Engineering or Lab Report (Hypothesis)
- Academic Cataloging or Indexing (Statement of Intent)
Experimental Archeology
This will continue to be an option. This category is most often misunderstood, and an item should be produced to support your hypothesis. This is not a static entry with additional writing. The item is not evaluated like a static entry. If we do not think the project will produce a good score, we may request that it be moved to the static or academic category. We want you to succeed.