Open Section - Competition Rules

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Heart Light Wearable Arts is produced and owned by LightnUp Incorporated (LnUp)

 

Entry requirements

• Entrants to the Open Section must be 18 years OR employed, a registered volunteer,  an enrolled TAFE /Community College student (entrants under 18 years should be accompanied by an adult for the Gala Night).

• Entries can be made by individuals under their own names OR as named Teams with a delegated representative/contact.

• Designers must choose from one of the following four themes*:

  • Jurassic World

  • Myths and Legends

  • Trash and Treasure

  • The Elements

• Entries must include

  •  significant amount of recycled/upcycled material, emphasising sustainability and

          creativity, and

• be illuminated by integrated lights and/or external lighting effects

• No obvious or dominant trademarks, logos or brand names can be used in an entry.

• All entrants should complete the Photo and Video Consent Form. (Under 18yrs need a parent or guardian signature).

 

Entry and Judging process

• Open Section Participants should firstly submit the online Open Section Registration Form by Monday 18th May at the latest. So that we know how many entries there will be.

• Garment Registrations should then be submitted on the online form by Tuesday 2nd June (unless by arrangement). A link will be sent to you when you register online.

• At the time of Garment Registration, entrants are required to submit Design Sketches or Photographs depicting the final garment. Design Sketches/Photos must include details of materials to be used, proposed dimensions and lighting systems.

• Each garment must have its own model provided by the entrant. (Unless by arrangement)

• Each Garment Registration should be accompanied by an Artist’s Statement (no more than 150 words) indicating how your garment relates to the theme and how your choice of materials for your garment makes it sustainable or low impact on the environment.

• The Design Sketches and Artist’s Statements will be assessed in the judging process.

• Technical and Dress rehearsals will take place on Thursday 18th June at the Star Court Theatre. 

• Judging of the Open Section will take place during dress rehearsals.Times and details to be advised.

 

Garment safety

• The garment must be safe and comfortable for a model to move and perform in over several wearings, including strong comfortable footwear.

• Models must be able to see clearly and breathe easily while wearing the garment.

• Garment weight must be evenly distributed over the body.

• LnUp will not accept the following components for safety reasons: stilts, roller skates or roller blades, any hard materials such as glass, ceramics, plastic, metal with raw unprotected edges. Please AVOID glitter (plastic) and staples.

• Entries are not permitted to use real animal fur.

 

Garments height & width restrictions

• When worn by an adult model, the garment must be easily able to enter and exit the stage via a 1.5m wide x 2m high doorway (you can duck)

• Models in costume will be required to walk up several short flights of stairs.

• Once onstage, the garment may extend or expand in size but must be able to retract and exit the stage in line with the entry and exit size restrictions specified above.

 

Garment delivery, storage, ownership & responsibility

• Garments will be stored before and after rehearsal, and prior to the event in a secure place in the Star Court arcade or nearby.

• Entrants from outside the region should contact LightnUp to arrange delivery prior to the event.

 

Please note delivery is at entrants’ own cost

• The designer retains ownership of any garment submitted to LnUp/Heart Light Competition.

• LnUp will not be liable for any damage or loss caused as a result of events outside its reasonable control.

 

Original creation

• It is a requirement that a designer’s garment is an original creation and must comply with Copyright and Trademark Guidelines (does not infringe, or pose a risk of infringing, the intellectual property rights of any third party). No minions please!

 

Judging Process

• Judging of the Open category will be undertaken by a panel of independent judges at the dress rehearsal on Thursday18th June 2026

• Winners will be announced at the end of the Gala Catwalk Parade that night

 

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Judging Criteria

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• Open Section entries will be judged on:

  • Interpretation of Chosen Theme

  • Materials

  • Artist Statement

  • Originality and Innovation

  • Construction

 

 

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CATEGORY                                 DESCRIPTION                                            WEIGHTING   

                                                                                                                                           Max points       

                                                                                                                         

INTERPRETATION           Demonstrate a strong interpretation of and

                                        engagement with your chosen theme.                                           25

                                                                                                                                                                    __________________________________________________________________________________________________                            

 

MATERIALS                      There are no restrictions on the materials you use;

                                         however, Heart Light Wearable Arts is a sustainable

                                         fashion design challenge.

 

                                         Consideration of the source & full life cycle of the

                                         garment and its impact on the environment, including               20

                                         what will happen to it after the Lantern Parade.

 

                                        Winning garments will be those that demonstrate the

                                        best use of a significant level of sustainable/recycled /

                                        up-cycled or reused materials. 

 

                                        Illumination is an important part of the design criteria.

                                        The innovative use of light (either integrated or external) will

                                        be considered.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

ARTIST’S                          The MC will read each Artist’s Statement while the garment

STATEMENT                     is being modeled on the catwalk during the Dress                       15

                                        Rehearsal and again, in the Catwalk Show.

 

                                        The Artist’s Statement (150 words max) needs to include:                                                                   • How your garment relates to the theme

                                       • How your choice of materials for your garment makes

                                         it sustainable or low impact on the environment

                                       • Any topic research you undertook or new skills you

                                         developed in the design/construction process.

                                        Your Artist’s Statement must be included with your online

                                        Garment Registration Form which must be submitted by

                                        Monday 2nd June 2026.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Originality &                 The judges are looking for the WOW factor, an entry that will make

Innovation                    an impression. An original garment designed with a unique

                                     Interpretation of the theme.                                                              25

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Construction               The garment must be comfortable and safe for the model to wear.

                                    Models must be able to see clearly and breathe easily while wearing

                                    it. No sharp objects or scratchy surfaces eg staples. (See rules re      

                                    unacceptable materials) Garments must be of a suitable size to     15                                               fit through doorways backstage (see Rules for dimensions)           

                                    Mechanisms for extensions and retractions (if any) be robust,

                                    practical and fully tested by the model.

                                    Remember spare batteries for your lights.

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Many thanks to Eye on Nature Wearable Arts. NZ for their help

and input for the Judging Criteria

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