Entering Competitions
Entering a kingdom A&S competition is easy, and anyone is welcome to! All you need is something you’ve created, and a pen. Your entry can be a physical object, a performance, or even a piece of research.
How to enter
1. Check the competition information, and make something that fits one of the themes
- There are three themes for each kingdom competition, and at least one of them is usually very broad
- Your entry doesn’t have to be absolutely finished, just finished enough to be judged
2. Make some notes about how you made your entry, why you made it that way, and what you know about the historical items it is based on
- All five judging criteria usually score better if accompanied by documentation, but there is no minimum documentation to enter. If you don’t want to write things down, you don’t have to.
- For more about documentation, see our page here
3. Bring your entry to the event where the competition is being held
- find the A&S table before judging is scheduled to begin. Information about the day’s competition should be in the timetable, or may have been announced by a herald. If you aren’t sure, look in the main hall, or ask for the A&S co-ordinator.
- You can ask someone to bring your entry to the event on your behalf – try a friend, or the event’s A&S coordinator. If something will need printing, don’t assume this can be done – contact the recipient to check beforehand.
- If you can’t present your entry for judging on the day, there are still options – entries can be judged locally, or submitted online (this is a new option being trialed in 2026). These options require your entry to be submitted three weeks earlier than the event date, so that everything can be collated to produce final results on the event day.
5. Fill out an entry form (do this beforehand if you can, or there should be some spare forms available at the judging table)
- If you have documentation to share, you can write it on the form, or attach it on a separate piece of paper
- The form will ask you what category you are entering. Pick whatever seems like the best fit out of:
- ‘Beginner’ – if you are in your first couple of years of doing this kind of A&S.
- ‘Intermediate’ – if you have 3-5 years experience with this kind of A&S, or if you consider yourself somewhere between beginner and experienced levels.
- ‘Experienced’ – if you have more than 5 years experience with this kind of A&S, or are a Laurel. Laurels in any field are considered to have developed skills and resources which will help them start from a higher level, even in a new field.
- ‘Beginner’ – if you are in your first couple of years of doing this kind of A&S.
- If you are under 18, there is a special form for Youth Entrants, or you can use the standard one.
- Group entries – if more than one person worked on the entry, please choose a category based on the MOST experienced person in the group.
6. Put your entry (with your entry form) on the judging table before judging begins.
Congratulations! You have now successfully entered a kingdom A&S competition. Remember to collect your entry and paperwork at the end of the day.
What happens next?
Entries are usually displayed throughout the day, and at some stage, at least two judges will evaluate it in comparison to this rubric (on page 3) to decide how many points to give you. They will also provide written feedback, and most judges are happy to discuss their feedback with entrants after the competition.
At the end of the day, once the A&S Coordinator has recorded all the results, you can collect your entry and the comment sheets from the table. The results of each competition round are announced in court, at the Coronation or Crown Tourney that marks the end of that season, and will be published online after the event.
No matter what the final scores are, we hope you have enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to share your work!