Thank you for considering entering Laurels’ Challenge & Exhibition! This will be an online display event, with laurels (and additional peers) providing direct support and feedback through emails/videochats as needed, with public commenting and a feedback session happening between May 24th-30th. As this includes an online display, you will need to submit any materials (text, images, links, videos) you wish to share with the public by end of day Sunday, May 16th, for it to be uploaded (for examples view our entries from our Online A&S Championships – what you share to the sponsors can be different).
Anyone, regardless of awards, is welcome to enter. We have four challenges open to entrants under 18 (see Youth section), but due to Society policy a parent must be cced on all communications and there may be limitations on format. You may enter multiple challenges, and you will be expected to meet with each sponsor for feedback. Laurels/peers giving a challenge are encouraged to enter other challenges too!
The peer(s) sponsoring the challenge are happy to assist in planning/answering questions/providing support for those entering. Once you enter you will be connected by email to them to ask questions.
If you would like to enter but are unsure/have any questions please contact moas@eastkingdom.org.
Registration will stay open through end of day April 18th, but we highly encourage you to sign up early so that you can be connected with the sponsor (you can withdraw at any time by email).
To enter please email the following information to moas@eastkingdom.org and you will be connected to your sponsor(s) by email:
- SCA Name (include parent name & email if under 18)
- Titles of any Challenges you plan to enter
- Short description of your entry/entries (can be tentative)
General (not art specific)
Share your art! – Elena Hylton, MOAS. This is a general challenge open to any project – we will pair you with someone who can help provide whatever types of feedback you are looking for, or you can simply share your work and let others be inspired by it with no feedback provided. Open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
Stretch That Comfort Zone! – Amy Webbe. Just about every artisan has that “thing” that intimidates them. Maybe it’s a stitch you’ve not tried before; maybe it’s a tool you keep making excuses not to use. Whatever it is, I challenge to you try it- you don’t have to love it, but make an attempt. Tell us what your reaction is to finally doing the thing you’ve been consciously or unconsciously avoiding in your art!
The Planning Stages – Albreda Aylese. Share your plans for a previous or future project. What decisions did/do you need to make before you can get started; sketches, exemplars, historic research, samples, measured drawings, suppliers, budgets? What materials do you actually work from when working on the project itself? Whether it is a binder full of notes, a decision tree you finally write down the night before, a working sketch, or your own idiosyncratic way of writing down your pattern, come take us through the process you followed for a previously completed project, or tell us about one still in the planning stages.
Documentation Challenge – cosponsored by Lissa Underhill and Gnaea Celera (patent pending). Are you someone who thinks about doing documentation and gets overwhelmed? Have you been avoiding displays or competitions because documentation is too daunting? Then this challenge is for you! We invite you to give documentation a try in a low stress non -competition setting, where we are both available to help you every step of the way. The requirements: one page of documentation with five in-text citations. Only one source is necessary. You can document an existing project, create a new project to document (perhaps for another callenge), or use the opportunity to delve into new research (perhaps down a rabbit hole you’ve been itching to dig deeper into). Think of this challenge as a way to dip your toes in to test the waters of documentation and have fun with it! And please do remember reach out if you have questions or want assistance.
Down the Rabbit Hole – Lissa Underhill. When doing research, artisans often find themselves having to pull back from interesting avenues of exploration that may only be tangentaly related to a major project that they are working on. This challenge gives artisans an excuse to take a moment to follow one of those rabbit holes, even if only for a little bit, to see what they can find. Deliverable= 1) Be able to talk for at least 3-5 minutes about how you found your rabbit hole and what you learned by exploring it. 2) Choose some way to share what you have learned with the kingdom: facebook post, blog/website, powerpoint, research paper, or drawing (basically anything except interpretive dance will work just fine!) The idea you choose to investigate can be a rabbit hole from a past or present project. Those taking up this challenge are invited to keep things simple and low pressure, but projects of any scope will be welcome.
Can’t Quite Prove It – Jenevra de Carvalhal. Have you ever produced something or used a technique that you just know deep down would have been done in period, but you can’t quite prove it? Share it with us! I declined to enter the last Crown’s A&S at the last minute because I realized I could not prove my entry was evident in our time period. I thought I had the documentation, but did not. Frustrating right? At least I still have a beautiful and functioning object, and I bet you do too. Tell us what it is – a fully realized piece? A technique you used to make something? A piece you put aside unfinished because it wasn’t officially period? Send pictures or video and include some info – what is it? When and where is it from? What about it can’t you find evidence for? What rabbit holes did you scour, and what left you wanting? Why? What did you end up doing, and what was your justification? Let’s celebrate our mis-fit arts! Maybe someone out there has the missing piece to your puzzle?
Plan your Project – Elizabet Marshall. Plan, research and at minimum begin a project and show me your process. Choose a period item to recreate or be inspired by. Provide information on the original item and similar items (especially if going “inspired” route). Provide thoughts on materials. Show your tests. Provide thoughts on method and show those tests also. This is to show how you go from thinking “that’s a thing I want to make” to starting the actual project. Did you have to learn something first? Include samples of your learning process. One of your photos should be a display as if laid out for a competition — the piece (or what you’ve got so far), tools, samples, books, notes, etc. Completed project is not required, but it does need to have been started. If your piece fits another challenge, that’s fine, but include that information in your presentation of how you got to where you are. If you have a project for which all this has been done already, great, submit that. If you’re not sure what to include, but have been inspired to do a piece, contact me and we can discuss what examples I’d be looking for.
Mistress Alys’s Research Challenge – Alys Mackyntoich. Identify a historical event that your persona (or your friend’s persona) would have lived through. Research that event and how it would have affected someone who lived through it. Prepare a brief presentation about it. The “presentation” can be anything — a brief oral explanation or story, a traditional written research paper, a letter written in the voice of the persona, a song about the event, etc. For example, if your persona lived through the Battle of Agincourt, learning to sing The Agincourt Carole is a valid “presentation.” Open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
Along the Trail of the Third Crusade – Briony of Chatham. With this challenge I ask you to place your art in historical context…namely from 1189 to 1192. Richard the Lionheart, Phillipe August, and Frederick Barbarossa overtook the voyage to the Holy Land. Their armies routes took them through most of Europe…and don’t forget Richard’s side trip to Sicily to help his imprisoned sister…and into the Levant where they spent two years. I challenge to use your skills to create something that could have been worn, used, eaten, read, sung, or discovered during the crusade. My intent is to attract artisans from a wide range of fields to create items from a specific time and context.
Caligraphy/Illumination/Scribal
Weird and Wonderful Scribal Material Challenge – Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina. Ever work outside of your comfort zone? Maybe wanted to try a new medium using period ingredients that was just completely bonkers to modern sensibilities? Used New World ingredients for Old World art? Tried making your own paper or parchments to awesome, or, interesting results? Had a neighbor or partner question why you’re scraping verdigris off of copper pipes or ask “what’s that smell?!”? This challenge is for you. Failed experiments are welcome as long as they come with documentation and a good story. If using dangerous or toxic materials, please use proper care and labeling.
“If Someone Else Would Like Such a Handsome Book” – Co-sponsored by Eloise of Coulter, OL, and Jan Janowicz Bogdanski, OC. The Lord of the manor is in search of a new book of hours for his lady’s daily devotions. You are submitting an exemplar of your work to entice him to hire you. You may submit a simple, intermediate, or complex exemplar.
General requirements, all levels – your submission must be:
*In the style of an extant example, matching its size and proportions;
*The text must be appropriate to a book of hours. Any of the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Dead, the Gospels, or saints’ pages, for example, are acceptable;
*Your potential patron desires something different than what he is familiar with, and therefore does not wish anything in the style of France or Flanders.
Level specific requirements: Simple: Present a two page calendar layout, with appropriate illumination. The text may be in the vernacular if you choose. Intermediate: Present a two page text layout, with an illuminated capital, and border illumination as appropriate. The text may be in the vernacular if you choose. Complex: Present a two page layout, including a full page miniature and its accompanying text page. The text must be in Latin.
Music and Scribal Challenge – Isabeau d’Orleans, OL, and Jan Janowicz Bogdanski, OC. Beginner level: Write the words to create a contrafactum (new words to an existing melody) of a tune documentable before 1600. Once you have written your words, write out your words. Use your calligraphy skills to write a fictitious letter to a friend from your persona in a hand contemporary to the tune that shares the text you have created. Writing words for a 14th century tune? Write it out in a hand used in the 14th century. Intermediate level: Complete everything in the beginner level, and then submit a video recording of yourself in garb performing the song. Advanced level: Write a contrafactum to a period tune, or compose an original tune in a period style. Submit a video of yourself performing the tune. Create a document that replicates a page from a psalter or song book appropriate to the style of the period, including text, musical notation and illumination if appropriate.
Cooking/Brewing
Tristan de Worrell Memorial Challenge: “Help me Doctor Ibn Sina, you’re my only hope!” – Galefridus Peregrinus. Of many challenges I have attempted, one that was most interesting and rewarding was given by Master Tristan de Worrell of blessed memory: Propose a humorally appropriate menu for a family of persons with different temperaments. You will be given a description of each member of the family so that you can determine their respective temperaments, as well as the season of the year and the geographic location.
Non-Alcoholic Medieval Beverages – cosponsored by Lissa Underhill, OL, OP, and Mael Eoin mac Echuidh, OP. While it is common to find medieval food at our feasts and dayboards, medieval beverages tend to be somewhat more limited. Aside from water and alcohol, what might be found and recreated? This challenge asks you to find examples of drinks – with recipes, if possible, and to recreate them, if you are able. As you do, consider whether they can be offered as options for events. Are ingredients a limitation in terms of availability or safety? How would they appeal to the modern palate? If you need suggestions about where to get started with your research, we are happy to help.
Martial
Martial Arts Challenge – Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova. Develop a project that explores a recreation of a historical martial technique and/or the culture and history of a particular culture’s use of arms, weapons and war. Project should be least one mode of presentation with historical references and can include a variety of modes as suits the presenter. Examples of projects could be a research paper with bibliography and/or annotations, physical demonstration against the same or different martial techniques, presentation in any form (power point, posters, handouts, plates, copies of paintings, art work, manuals, videos, treatises) of historical background, art of war, civilian arms, and weaponry. All levels are welcome and encouraged, open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
Two Manuals Enter, One Paper Leaves! – Cosponsored by Donovan Shinnock, MoD, and Magnus hvalmagi, OL. Many of us have a manual or a master that we really like to work from. Let’s reach outside that! Contrast for me two different manuals. How are they similar? How are they different? Do they describe different ways of putting theory into practice with the same weapon? What about different weapons? Why might these similarities and differences exist? If you pick two manuals that are fairly similar (say, Capo Ferro and Giganti) then entrants should expect to highlight the differences between them. If they’re wicked different manuals (Capo Ferro and… I dunno, Lichtenauer) then do more with similarities.
Metal/Glass
“Wash, tell me i’m pretty”: Create an historically piece of jewelry, or an item of adornment for our modern Middle Ages – Cosponsored by Lissa Underhill, OL, and Jarl Thorvald Halvorsen, OC. Create a piece of jewelry using any medium (metal, glass, etc). The piece created should be made either 1) for a theoretical historical person living in a specific time and place, 2) for someone living today based on a specific item from history that is used as inspiration for an “anachronistic” piece. Remember also that jewelry and other items of adornments are important, both then and now, because they signify something about the person who is wearing them. Conclude your project by explaining briefly (as best as you can) what an observer should be able to infer about the person wearing your item (class, gender, age, country or origin, modern subculture, etc.
Performance/Bardic
Solo Performance/Bardic War Challenge – Peregrine the Illuminator, with assistance from Drake Oranwood in conjunction with Bardic War, May 15th-23rd. Perform a solo piece from (or inspired by) pre-1650 CE cultures. I’d love to hear about your inspiration for the piece. I’d love to see you document your research into authentic performance. I’d love to see you write the piece yourself. The challenge is met by performing the piece, live or recorded, and entrants from Bardic War are encouraged to share their pieces in this challenge, either as prerecorded video or links to where to watch them live during War.
Period Poetry – Grim the Skald. Write a poem in a discretely period meter and a context appropriate to the poetic form. The form can be from any time or culture within the SCA period, but must be used in away that is appropriate for that cultural context – i.e. if the poetic form is only used with natural allegories then you need to use a natural allegory. Similarly the subject can be of whatever you chose, but must be appropriate to how the form was used in period. SCA specific subjects (SCA History, awards, etc.) are explicitly allowed if used appropriately, but not required.
Music and Scribal Challenge – Isabeau d’Orleans, OL, and Jan Janowicz Bogdanski, OC. Beginner level: Write the words to create a contrafactum (new words to an existing melody) of a tune documentable before 1600. Once you have written your words, write out your words. Use your calligraphy skills to write a fictitious letter to a friend from your persona in a hand contemporary to the tune that shares the text you have created. Writing words for a 14th century tune? Write it out in a hand used in the 14th century. Intermediate level: Complete everything in the beginner level, and then submit a video recording of yourself in garb performing the song. Advanced level: Write a contrafactum to a period tune, or compose an original tune in a period style. Submit a video of yourself performing the tune. Create a document that replicates a page from a psalter or song book appropriate to the style of the period, including text, musical notation and illumination if appropriate.
Textiles/Clothing/Embroidery
Documentable Wacky Hats or Headwear! – Agatha Wanderer. Research and recreate a pre-17th century wacky hat. Even better: a hat or headwear your persona would have worn!
Embellish It – Chiaretta di Fiore. The challenge is to embellish an existing item of clothing or create a new item of clothing with embellishment on it. Your entry can be as simple as adding pre-made trim to a garment or as complex as weaving or embroidering decoration on a garment. The goal is to spruce up your wardrobe for when we return to in-person events.
Macrame challenge – Barbeta Kyrkeland. Option 1 – Pick a macrame inspiration piece and make an object or sample (at least 6×6 inches) showing the techniques that were used. Show some documentation regarding macrame in our period. Option 2 – Add a macrame fringe to an existing piece of lace or embroidery. Show some documentation of macrame in our period. Option 3 – Do a research paper discussing extant pieces, what techniques appear in these pieces, and anything else that you think will interest the Arachne’s Web Lace Guild about Macrame.
Lace Challenge – Barbeta Kyrkeland. Option 1 – Start a new piece of lace in a technique new to you. If it is a large piece, it doesn’t have to be finished in this limited time. Show some documentation indicating that you know how the piece is period-appropriate. Option 2 – Complete an unfinished piece (show photos of the point where you started the challenge). Include documentation showing how this piece of lace would have been used (even if your piece won’t be used that way) Option 3 – Copy a piece you have already done (samples are ok) but in a different medium – eg. taking a linen strip of lace and making the same pattern in either silk or metal (and/or add spangles), and show some documentation of the differences working in the new medium.
“Ooo, Shiny!” – A Goldwork Embroidery Challenge – Amalie von Hohensee (scheduled to join the Order May 8th, supported by Elena Hylton until then). Want to add some bling to your embroidery but aren’t sure where to start? This is the challenge for you! To participate in this challenge, try at least one new-to-you goldwork embroidery technique. You can use the list provided below as a guide, though if you come up with a creative use for gold thread that I haven’t listed, go for it! Works in progress are welcome. You are also welcome to add a goldwork element to a piece you already have started. The goal of this challenge is to to expand your comfort zone in this marvelous art form. Beginning goldwork techniques: surface couching with passing thread, chipwork (using small “chips” of purl), cutwork (couching longer lengths of purl), couching pearl purl. Next-level goldwork techniques: cutwork over padding (felt or string), gilt leather couching -broad plate couching, underside couching, or nué, plaited braid stitch (or other braided/looped stitches).
Wool Applique Cushion – Sarah Davies. I would be pleased to see a reading cushion, pin pillow, or similar project of appliqued wool, in the style of the 14th century Tristan hanging in London or the Jesse Wurzel in Braunschweig. These items are quick and relatively easy to make, and I would be happy to advise anyone who attempts to create one. All artisans who respond to this challenge will receive wool fabric and hand-dyed silk thread in period colors, dyed by my own hand.
The Proto-Knitting Challenge – co-sponsored by Tola Knityr and Zipporah bas Yosef. Do you ever feel like just doing the research part of the project and not the actual knitting on size 5/0 (1mm) needles? Do you wish you could go back in time and redo an old project based on new data? Now’s Your Chance! We don’t want you to knit something new! We just want to know all about the thought process, the research, who you would contact to get more information, thoughts on materials, and all of that kind of thing. Write it up as an informal research paper and send it to us! Swatches are good! Charts are good! Actual written out patterns are incredibly good! We just don’t want you to start the knitting quite yet! (Frankly, Tola and Zipporah are just suckers for a good research paper.) You can either start a new project from scratch or you can reanalyze an old one based on new research and findings. Papers should be no more than 5 pages, but could be as few as 1 single solitary page. We would like a list of sources, too. This can include books, journal articles, museum web sites, emails back and forth to experts, anything that you can reasonably expect to use for a real life period knitting project. We can’t wait to hear what you come up with!
Woven Images – Albreda Aylese. Weave at least 12 square inches of a discernible pattern or image using either brocade or tapestry techniques. Your piece can be woven on any type of loom you like. Bonus points for sharing your working pattern draft, and bonus points for either replicating a period pattern, or for creating your own pattern evocative of period aesthetics; please include an image and citation of your exemplars for either choice. Please feel free to contact me for support along the way.
Youth
Share your art! – Elena Hylton, MOAS. This is a general challenge open to any project – we will pair you with someone who can help provide whatever types of feedback you are looking for, or you can simply share your work and let others be inspired by it with no feedback provided. Open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
Youth Challenge: Arts AND Service – cosponsored by Leonete D’Angely, OP, and Elena Hylton, OL. This challenge is designed for those 17 and under. Create an item or object that would have been made before 1600 that HELPS someone. For example, a pottery mug helps someone drink, a woven belt helps someone’s pants stay up, a scroll helps someone feel happy and wanted. Share with us your item, proof it was used in the SCA time period, and how you made it. Due to policies concerning youth, the consultation part of this challenge will use a site called flipgrid, allowing for asynchronous video back and forth, and/or text based feedback on the artisan’s work. A parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails.
Mistress Alys’s Research Challenge – Alys Mackyntoich. Identify a historical event that your persona (or your friend’s persona) would have lived through. Research that event and how it would have affected someone who lived through it. Prepare a brief presentation about it. The “presentation” can be anything allowed under SCA Youth policy — a brief oral explanation or story, a traditional written research paper, a letter written in the voice of the persona, a song about the event, etc. For example, if your persona lived through the Battle of Agincourt, learning to sing The Agincourt Carole is a valid “presentation.” Open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
Martial Arts Challenge – Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova, OL, MoD. Develop a project that explores a recreation of a historical martial technique and/or the culture and history of a particular culture’s use of arms, weapons and war. Project should be least one mode of presentation with historical references and can include a variety of modes as suits the presenter and allowed under SCA Youth policy. Examples of projects could be a research paper with bibliography and/or annotations, physical demonstration against the same or different martial techniques, presentation in any form (power point, posters, handouts, plates, copies of paintings, art work, manuals, videos, treatises) of historical background, art of war, civilian arms, and weaponry. All levels are welcome and encouraged, open to Youth entrants (a parent/legal guardian will need to be cc:ed on any/all emails).
