AV News 186 - November 2011
E d ito ria l
Jill K Bunting CPAGB & John Smith APAGB CPAGB
Judging by the awful weather that
almost all of Britain seems to be
experiencing at the moment there are
obviously not that many AV events
taking place!
The by-now annual 'British Monsoon
Season' has one distinct advantage,
you maybe don't feel quite so guilty if
you are getting on with the making of
that often planned but long awaited
sequence and it takes priority over a
little bit of gardening, DIY or, heaven
forbid, even cleaning the car!
The Nationals have been and gone and are now but a distant memory, but
as a recollection for those who attended and to whet the appetite of those who
were unable to attend, we have some reports and pictures starting on page 21.
I am sure that those who attended will join us in thanking the organising
committee for all their efforts in promoting another successful event.
Unfortunately that old chestnut of 'Pre-Selection' once again caused some
upset and is something that we feel should be fully discussed and sorted out
prior to the next major competition. When we are not working on the magazine,
a great deal of our time is spent visiting clubs encouraging and spreading the
gospel of AV to a wider audience. It is therefore most disheartening when some
members of these clubs fail at pre-selection with sequences that have received
commends in a previous international competition, without actually being told
the reasons why - and being charged for the privilege. Yes, we know that all
judging is subjective, that maybe some of the newcomers don't know what a
'proper' sequence is - but sadly it is unlikely that following this rejection they will
ever attend a major event to see one... and if they did, without any feedback to
the audience on the day, would they actually learn anything?
Maybe the AV fraternity should think about actively promoting appraisal type
events that are only open to entrants who have not achieved major awards.
Sequences would be shown for the enjoyment of the audience and, more
importantly, for the subsequent constructive comments given by some of our
more experienced workers. As with the Essex Novice event, it would be a
condition of entry that a sequence would only be shown if the author was
actually in attendance! If held at a reasonably priced venue, within travelling
distance of local clubs, then we feel more newcomers would attend.
The long awaited RPS Distinctions criteria has now been published (Page
43) and an explanation on the reasoning behind this was given by the
Distinctions Advisory Board Chair, Mike Hallett FRPS, during the last session of
the 'Nationals'.
We look forward to seeing some of you at the Great
Northern Festival, being held at Wilmslow Guild on the 2nd to
4th December. Lets hope the weather is kinder than last year!
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