As part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Lusophone Studies program, the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Toronto is pleased to open this call for entries to participate in our Portuguese Spoken Word Competition 2023 to all the undergraduate students enrolled in its Portuguese programs (Specialist, Major or Minor) and/or Portuguese courses.
Portuguese Spoken Word Competition 2023 Contest Rules
Eligibility
1. This contest is open to all undergraduate students enrolled during the Winter 2023 term in a Specialist, Major or Minor program in Portuguese at the University of Toronto. It is also open to all undergraduate students enrolled during the 2022/2023 academic year in a course offered by the Portuguese program (PRT).
2. Participants must be over 16 years of age on the day this call is published. Those under the age of 18 must have the permission of a parent or guardian to enter the contest.
3. First-degree family relationships (parents, children, siblings, including half- or stepsiblings) and/or those who live under the same roof as members of the organizing committee and/or jurors of this contest are not eligible to participate. To receive a complete list of the names of the members of the organizing committee and the jury, please write an email to comm.spanport@utoronto.ca requesting this information.
4. Entrants must answer two questions to be eligible.
5. Void where prohibited by law.
6. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter the Portuguese Spoken Word Competition 2023.
Overview
1. Spoken word is a broad designation for poetry intended for performance. The genre has its roots in oral traditions and is characterized by rhyme, repetition, improvisation, and word play. For the purpose of this contest, spoken word is understood as the oral artistic performance of a poem.
2. Participants must choose a poem originally written in Portuguese and give appropriate credit to the author. Translations of poems to Portuguese are not eligible to be considered. Alternatively, participants can enter the contest with an original poem of their own authorship originally written in Portuguese.
3. Poems promoting violence against individuals or groups of persons based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or physical or mental disabilities shall be disqualified from the competition.
4. Contestants must create a video of themselves reciting their chosen poem in Portuguese. This video should have a minimum length of one (1) minute and a maximum length of two (2) minutes.
5. Submissions will be judged on the selection of the poem (25%) and the artistic qualities of the performer (75%)
6. Only one submission is allowed per contestant.
7. Submissions will be evaluated according to three (3) categories based on their enrolment in Portuguese language courses:
A. Students who are currently enrolled or have completed PRT100Y1 or PRT120Y1 / PRT120H1
B. Students who are currently enrolled or have completed PRT219Y1 / PRT219H1 or PRT220Y1
C. Students who are currently enrolled or have completed PRT320Y1 or PRT420H1
8. Six prizes will be awarded as follows:
* First place in each category: a gift certificate for $75.00 CAD (Seventy-five Canadian dollars 00/100) to the University of Toronto Bookstore and a certificate of recognition.
* Second place in each category: a gift certificate for $25.00 CAD (Twenty-five Canadian dollars 00/100) to the University of Toronto Bookstore and a certificate of recognition.
* The jury may grant up to two honorable mentions per category, which will receive a certificate of recognition.
Submission Instructions
1. Each contestant must create a video of themselves reciting their chosen poem in Portuguese. This video should have a minimum length of one (1) minute and a maximum length of two (2) minutes. In addition, the contestant must submit the text of the poem they recite as a PDF document (preferably), MS Word or Pages document.
2. The name of the PDF file must include the last name of the poem’s author and the last name of the contestant: "Author Last Name _ Contestant Last Name". As an example: "Pessoa_Pereira dos Santos".
3. Submit your video and poem by Friday, March 10, 2023 to the following email addresses: prt.program@utoronto.ca with copy to comm.spanport@utoronto.ca Please use your official University of Toronto email account.
4. Write as the subject to your email "Portuguese Spoken Word 2023"
5. Include in the text of the email message: your full name, the title of the poem you are performing, a link to the video you created, the Portuguese language course you are enrolled in or have completed last, and a brief answer in under 25 words for each of the following questions:
A. Why are you studying Portuguese?
B. Why did you choose the poem for performance?
6. If the author of the video is a minor, as expressed in the eligibility criteria, the submission email must include the self-identification of the participant as a person under the age of 18. The message must also include the full name and a phone number of the person authorizing the minor’s participation in the contest.
By submitting an entry, the student contestant agrees:
1. To abide by the rules and regulations of this contest.
2. To declare that s/he meets all the criteria to participate in this contest.
3. To respect the jury’s decision on the results of contest or the organizing committee’s decisions regarding the administration of this contest and accept their resolutions in case of any situation not foreseen by the current rules and regulations.
4. To grant to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Toronto the right to publish their performance and the accompanying entry in a variety of formats (including print, broadcast, videotape, CD-ROM, DVD and electronic/online media) without further financial compensation.
Other important considerations
1. The deadline for submitting video entries is Friday, March 10, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
2. Winners will be contacted through the email address used to submit their entry on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The jury's ruling will be published on Friday, March 24, 2023 through the website and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese (@uoftspanport). The award ceremony will be held on Friday, March 24, 2023 as part of the Portuguese Programs’ End of Year Celebration – contingent upon public health and university administration directives.
3. The organizing committee may request, at its discretion, that a winner presents identification to verify name, identity, or age. If the winner refuses or does not respond to the committee's request five business days after the initial contact, s/he loses the right to claim the prize and will be automatically disqualified from the contest.
4. If for any reason the prizes described in these rules cannot be awarded as announced, the organizing committee reserves the right to substitute the prize or a portion of the prize for another of equivalent value at its discretion. In no way will the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, the members of the organizing committee or the jury, nor the collaborators of this contest be responsible for awarding more prizes or of greater value than those set forth in these rules and regulations.
5. This contest is organized by the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Toronto and it is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered or associated with University of Toronto Bookstore, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.