PLEASE NOTE: The ASTC / USITT Venue Renovation Challenge will now be held every two years 2019, 2021, etc. with the Cash prizes significantly increased. READ ALL ABOUT THE CHALLENGE, its history, past entrants and their projects. All the forms and information needed to enter are also on this page.

Florida State was the winner in the 2017 ASTC – USITT Student / Consultant Renovation Challenge. (Click image to enlarge)

ASTC and USITT are pleased to announce the fifth collaborative project between university students and ASTC member theatre consultants. Projects will be presented at the USITT 2019 Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky – March 20-23, 2019. By working together with a professional theatre consultant as a mentor, students will learn more about how venues are designed or renovated. Additionally, students will see performance spaces differently and therefore will be exposed to other available career paths within the entertainment industry. Teams may consist of undergraduate or graduate theatre students and should be under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

Working together, the teams will select a theoretical project of a building that is on, or accessible, from the team’s campus. They will survey and study the current conditions and develop a plan to transform the subject space to meet the team’s stated concept goals.   Potential projects include:

• Substantial improvements to an existing theatre
• Conversion of non-performance space into a new performance space
• Changing the form and function of an existing theatre.

Save the dates below to make sure students and advisors plan this project for the 2018-19 academic year. Advisors should consider including this project into the Team’s curriculum for academic credit. A $400 travel stipend will be provided, and conference registration fees will be waived for the first four students from separate teams who request financial assistance.

Applications and concept statements are to be sent to the email addresses below. Find your nearest ASTC member at https://theatreconsultants.org/members/astcmembership-roster/.

Contacts: Van Phillips ASTC, vanphill@gmail.com or Christine Troscher, USITT christine@usitt.org.

Applications Due: October 26, 2018 5:00 PM EST Forms will be available from the ASTC website (see below for application) or from USITT.

Team Concept Statements Due: November 9, 2018 5:00 PM EST (Instructions to Participants with detailed information are available from ASTC website) www.theatreconsultants.org. or from USITT.

Submissions Due: February 15, 2019 5:00PM EST; An electronic submission (.pdf, or PowerPoint) will be due in advance of the USITT Conference. Presentations may include electronic display, graphic boards and/or 3D model(s)

Conference Presentation: The public presentation will be during the USITT 2019 Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky – March 20-23, 2019. The exact day and time to be determined by the Conference schedule.

At least one student member of the team is required to present the team’s challenge and solution at a conference session in person. Judges do understand that the materials to be presented at the USITT Conference, may be re-worked to fit a public presentation, but must consist of the same essential elements submitted on February 15^th.

The ASTC member judges will make their final selection for Awards based on both the submitted design and the live presentation. One team will be presented the Edgar L. Lustig Honor Award, with a cash prize far greater than past years. And, now there is a new Director’s Award, which will also have a cash prize, that can be presented to a second team by the judges.

The Awards presented will be announced nationally by ASTC and USITT.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPANTS

By Van Phillips, ASTC