General Rules

1. KAGW will host several competitions under the "Talent Time" banner for all age groups.
2. Participants must complete the online registration form available at talenttime.kagw.com and submit the mandatory registration fees on or before the due date to secure their participation confirmation. Your spot is not confirmed unless payment is received.
3. For all group events, the group leaders must register themselves first and provide the names of all the members of their group in the comments/notes field. In addition to this, each individual in the group will also need to register separately.
4. Organizers at their discretion may accept registrations after the last date for an additional fee.
5. Walk in registrations are based on the number of slots available and are not guaranteed. It is strongly discouraged.
6. The cost to become a member of KAGW and avail discounts in cultural events throughout the year, is $20 per individual and $25 per family.
7. Participants should upload their sound track via the registration portal by the deadline date, otherwise stand the chance to forfeit their registration for their specific event.
8. KAGW is not responsible for any claims of copyright violations.
9. KAGW reserves the right to publish poetries, essays, stories, paintings and drawings submitted in the competitions on the KAGW website and/or in the KAGW newsletter, the Onam Souvenir and any KAGW publication.
10. Participants must bring their own supplies (dance costumes, watercolor, pencil, pen, etc.) required for their events. The organizers will provide the paper for written competitions, painting and pencil sketching. Participants are not allowed to use their own paper.
11. Participants should report at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the event at the stage/venue. Participants who arrive after the conclusion of their event will not be allowed to participate and their registration for that event will be deemed canceled and the registration fees will not be refunded. The participant may still participate in other events for which they have registered provided they show up on time.
12. Participants shall not receive any communication from the organizers if they fail to report at the venue on time.
13. Respectful behavior and sportsmanship are expected from all participants and parents.

Competition Rules

1. Competitions will be conducted based on the following categories:
   • Category 0 - Below 1st grade
   • Category 1 - 1st grade to 3rd grade
   • Category 2 - 4th grade to 6th grade
   • Category 3 - 7th grade to 10th grade
   • Category 4 - Above 10th grade (no upper limit)
2. For administrative purposes, categories are determined based on the grade/class in which the participant is currently studying. The participant's actual age will not be considered to determine their category.
3. The mandatory minimum for Cinematic, Indian Folk, and Classical Dance (Group) is 6 participants and maximum of 15 participants.
4. For Group dance only (Cinematic, Indian Folk, and Classical), the below categorization will be followed.
   • Category 1 - 3rd grade and below
   • Category 2 - 4th grade to 6th grade
   • Category 3 - 7th grade to 10th grade
   • Category 4 - 11th grade to 29 yrs
   • Category 5 - 30 yrs and above (determined by completing 30 yrs no later than February 28, 2025)
5. For all group events the highest category of participants in the group will be used to determine the category of the group. For example, if the group has five participants from category 1, two participants from category 2 and one participant from category 3, the age category of the group will be category 3.
6. False representation of the category will result in disqualification of the participant and the team in the case of group events.
7. Organizers reserve the right to cancel a whole event or a specific category within the event if there are less than 3 participants for that event/category.
8. Participants will not receive any assistance for their positioning on stage. Adults cannot assist in placing the props on the stage. Participants in Category 1 can request assistance from stage managers.
9. Participants can only participate in one category. However, participants may be assigned a higher category for a group event based on the category of the other participants in the group. A participant cannot contest in multiple categories in any individual competition qualifying for Kalathilakam or Kalaprathibha.
10. To qualify for "Kalaprathibha and Kalathilakam" - participants must secure points in both Literary and Performing Art events. The Literary and Performing art events are classified in the individual event rules.
    • The male participant (Cat 1, 2, 3) who gets the maximum points in the eligible events as specified in the individual events rule will be declared the "Kalaprathibha".
    • The female participant (Cat 1, 2, 3) who gets maximum points in the eligible events as specified in the individual events rule will be declared the "Kalathilakam".
11. For an event to qualify for "Kalaprathibha and Kalathilakam", there should be 3 or more participants in the competing category.
12. Certain competition items are excluded from counting for Kalathilakam and Kalaprathiba. These competitions include: Mathmagician, Just Color, Spelling Bee, Little Prince/Princess, Fancy Dress, The Great Debate Competition, Group Dance, Cinematic Music Duet, and Let's be CrafTee.
13. Points are allocated for individual events as follows:
    • 1st place - 5 points
    • 2nd place - 3 points
    • 3rd place - 1 point
14. In case of a tie in total points for Kalathilakam and Kalaprathibha, the participant who got the maximum number of 1st places will be awarded the title. In case there is a tie in the number of 1st places, the number of 2nd places will be counted.
15. Runner-up for the Kalathilakam and Kalaprathibha, will be awarded "Rising Star (Male)" and "Rising Star (Female)" respectively.
16. A special award "Malayala Bhasha Ratnam" will be awarded (separate from Kalaprathibha and Kalathilakam) to an individual that attained the maximum points in the following events - Malayalam public speaking and Malayalam poetry recitation. There is one award across Cat 1, 2, 3 and there is no separate award for male/female. In case of a tie, the younger participant will be awarded for their accomplishment.
17. The judges' decision shall be considered final.

Disclaimer

1. To participate in the Talent Time competition, participants must agree to be bound by the following rules and indicate acceptance while completing their registration.
2. KAGW reserves the right to solely determine eligibility for the reasons stated herein or on any other reasonable basis.
3. KAGW reserves the right to make alterations to the rules or the venue at any time and participants must agree to abide by the most recent version of the rules. Participants are accordingly advised to refer to the rules document before the competition and review the rules document available on the KAGW website periodically.
4. By entering into any of the competitions, it is agreed that participants will not hold KAGW, or its volunteers responsible for injuries sustained or illnesses contracted while in attendance and/or participating. KAGW and the hosting facility are not responsible for personal injury or property loss or damage to either contestant or spectators.

Questions?