FAQs

• Registrations close: Friday 2nd June 2023 (Week 6, Term 2)
• Performance details due: Friday 4th August 2023 (Week 3, Term 3)
• Online Entries: filmed drama/dance entries, visual art, short films & song entries MUST be uploaded by: Friday 8th September 2023 (Week 8, Term 3)

Submit your information by Managing your Entries.

We are always looking to hear from awesome outstanding young people to become part of our crew to assist with the coordination of YOH Fest in their region.

Interested students should send us an email with a brief 'about them' summary and why they want to be involved : admin@yohfest.com.au

Alternatively, fill out an Ambassador application online and we'll be in touch.

'Respect' - Respect is something that everyone recognises as an important value across many facets of life.  But what exactly does respect look like to you and how do you hold yourself and others to a high standard of respect? 

Respecting your wellbeing plays an important part of your overall wellness and enables you to function well, have meaningful social connections, positive self-esteem and be better able to cope with whatever life throws at you.

Self respect is about treating yourself with care.  Respecting yourself also prevents you from comparing yourself and your life with other people.  Respect in relationships can also mean that you accept somebody for who they are, even when they're different from you or you don't agree with them - leading to feelings of trust, safety and wellbeing.

Do you believe respecting your mental health is just as important as your physical health?  How do you respect yourself and those around you?

Yes, there is a minimal administration fee to enter.

Yes, Schools are most welcome to enter multiple entries. However, for the live heats - depending on the number of performances a schools enters, we cannot guarantee that all entries will be scheduled on the same day.

Apart from the solo/duo drama category, you can enter as a solo performer or as a group as large as you can manage!  Please take in mind the size of the performance space at the venue you are performing at though.  You will find all stage dimensions at the back of the production manual.

These are the times for both Junior & high school entries.

LIVE HEATS:

The need for Scripts are being reviewed - check back later to see if scripts are required.

The judging panel expects to be able to pick up a copy of your script and should be able to direct a fully-fledged performance from it. A good idea would be to refer to a professional script for a guide. It is important that teachers proof read the scripts before submitting.

No, all YOH Fest heats are a combination of dance & drama entries.

Once we have received all the 'performance details' we can put together the schedules. You will be supplied a copy of this as early as we can prior to the event.

All rehearsals are ‘timed’ and watched by the judging director.

Allowed times are:   Drama (Group): 30 minutes | Solo/Duo Drama:  15 minutes | Dance:  15 minutes

All performances MUST be rehearsed in FULL to allow the judging director the opportunity to view the whole performance and give valuable feedback for your evening’s JUDGED performance.  This includes your spoken introduction.

No, all rehearsals are CLOSED rehearsals. The only students permitted in the auditorium during rehearsals are the students on stage and their backstage crew. Students from the same school, but in different performances are not permitted into the rehearsal without prior permission from YOH Fest personnel.

Please make sure you have enough teacher/parent supervision organised.

Approximately 15 minutes before you are due to go on stage, one of the YOH Fest Crew will come and collect you from your dressing room and take you to the holding area side of stage.

Please do not come earlier as there is limited space and can get congested.

All performance MUST fill out an LX plot sheet and bring along with you to your rehearsal.

The lighting grid will be of a standard configuration, consisting of spots and floodlights with various coloured gels. Roving spotlights are not available. If your venue has a cyclorama, then this can also be lit for your performance. You may have to adjust small parts of your lighting program on the day; however we have found that usually the arrangement is more than adequate.

PLEASE DO NOT USE A BLACK OUT STAGE WITH SPECIAL SPOTS - INSTEAD A GENERAL WASH WORKS BEST WITH FROZEN POSES. WE HAVE FOUND THAT STUDENTS DO NOT STAND IN THE SPOT AND OFTEN PERFORM IN DARKNESS AND SO LOOSE VALUABLE POINTS.

When you arrive at the venue, bring all large props to the loading dock. Your backstage crew is responsible for working with the venue staff and YOH Fest personnel to ensure safe and convenient placement of props.

Smaller props can be taken and stored in your allocated dressing room.

All props need to be removed from the venue on the night of your performance, unless prior arrangements have been made with venue staff and YOH Fest Crew.

This is entirely up to you. You are most welcome to stay at the venue for the day. In fact we encourage this - it gives the students a chance to get to know other students and be part of the YOH Fest vibe as well as squeeze in some extra valuable rehearsal time.

However, ALL Primary students are NOT allowed to remain at the venue for the day. Primary students MUST arrive at the venue 30 minutes prior to their rehearsal and MUST return back to school afterwards.  Primary students can then return to the venue in time for the preparation for the evening performance which commences at 6.30pm

Please remember to ask students to bring adequate healthy food and drinks with them.

Every YOH Fest entry is to provide a 'short' introduction of their entry, which should include:

• Name of School/performer/artist
• Our Act-Belong-Commit YOH Fest item titled "........."
• A brief outline of the health message you have portrayed

These will be performed by a student, live off-stage in the wings using a handheld microphone.

Online Entries: These will be displayed as a caption as the introduction to your entry.

• Short Films - MP4 film file (please compress the file before uploading)
• Original Song - MP3 song file
• Visual Art - JPEG image

All online entries will be available to view for FREE via our online portal from Friday 27th October.  

*(Winners will be identified by a displayed 'Star' on their entry)

As well as online, entries will be shown as follows:

• Visual Art will be showcased digitally as a Virtual Exhibition on a large TV screen in the foyer at the regional heats & during the Grand Finals weekend.
• Short Films will be played as a digital showreel on a large TV screen in the foyer during the Grand Finals weekend, with the finalist short films included as part of the Finals program.
• Songs will be complied as a playlist, which will be playing in the foyer and main auditorium throughout the regional heats and the Grand Finals weekend.

YOH Fest events are performed in front of an audience who MUST purchase a ticket to enter the auditorium. Tickets are available from the venues directly.

Discount tickets are available to participating YOH Fest teachers/performers, who are encourage to watch and support their peers.

Online entries can be viewed FREE of charge to the general public via the link on our website from 27th October; aswell as during the regional heats and grand finals weekend via the large TV screens in the foyer and listened to an the playlist in the auditorium.

YOH Fest Ambassadors are volunteers who help run YOH Fest and are advocates for youth mental health.

Nominations to be apart of the YOH Fest Crew/Ambassador program are on the website or contact us at admin@yohfest.com.au for more information.

We will be putting the call out for students to recreate their own Act Belong Commit commercial, within the competition guidelines. The winning commercial not only wins a cash prize but will be shown at the YOH Fest Grand Finals, and across all our social media channels.

Keep an eye out on social media or subscribe to our mailing list to stay in the loop.