WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIAL INTERESTS AND DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE?

• Are you attracted by enterprising new ideas, interested in producing something that could benefit others and be turned into a marketable product, even a business venture? Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur, creating a business yourself or with friends?
• Are you methodical, analytical by nature? Do you enjoy creating order, organising data into rational categories for better understanding?
• Do you love beauty and creative imagination? Do you long to shape your ideas into artistic forms?

The Maxine Award invites you to explore your natural leanings, your interests, your flair in an exciting new opportunity, open to all young women currently attending any of the further education colleges founded by SCAD, Social Change and Development. It is offering a prestigious prize in 3 categories: BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, SCIENCE AND ART.

Please read on, find out more. We would love to hear from you.

WHAT IS THE AWARD?

The Maxine Award consists of 3 prestigious new prizes offered by Dr Eleanor O’Sullivan, a leading Radiologist and Council Member of the British Medical Association in London, England. She has herself just been awarded a “Gold Medal for Services to Medicine” this year in the UK. She qualified as a Doctor in London at a time when only 10% of medical students were girls. Now the number of girls is over 60%. Indeed, they are progressing and excelling in all fields and these prizes are to recognise and encourage this.

This Award itself is named after the noted Artist Maxine Relton, who has been bringing sketching groups to Tamil Nadu from Europe since 2009 to support the important work that SCAD, Social Change and Development, carries out in the rural communities of Tamil Nadu, S India. Maxine herself is inspirational and an outstanding example of how much a woman can achieve artistically and in business. She is passionate about helping people to achieve their full creative potential in life.

The annual prizes are offered exclusively to SCAD’s female students, whatever their field of study. They will be awarded to the winners of the competition on given themes, designed to encourage broad-based endeavour and excellence in business enterprise, science and art. The winners or winning teams (up to 4 members) will:

• Be invited to the Public Award Ceremony to receive their Certificate of Outstanding Merit
• Receive a cash prize
• Be celebrated on the International Profile on SCAD’s official website
• Have their names inscribed on the relevant Maxine Award Board of Winners displayed at SCAD’s main site

Read on to find details of the themes in the 3 categories set out below or visit www.scad.ac.in & www.scad.org.in. This year’s options have been chosen by the Award Committee but in future years, your suggestions for alternative themes will be welcomed.

WHO CAN ENTER FOR THE AWARD?

The Award is open to all female students currently attending any of SCAD’s further education colleges, whatever your chosen discipline. There is no participation fee. You may compete individually or in small groups of up to 4 students. Each entrant may submit only one response to the set theme.

WHAT ARE THE AWARD THEMES?

You are invited to enter themes under one of the 3 different headings, outlined below. The judges will award the prizes to the most outstanding entry in each category and will be looking for a spirit of enterprise and new approach in the business enterprise category, academic rigour in scientific entries and artistic creativity under the art heading. A commercial outcome in all fields will be welcomed.

The subjects chosen for each category this year are as follows:

1. Business Studies – with business case: Classical Dance

A study of regional dance in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. You are invited to document this disappearing and significant art form in a form that is of potential value to the wider community, such as an educational tool or saleable product. For example, a documentary sound recording for teaching purposes, a DVD that captures social-interest aspects for valuable historical reference, a small handmade or printed book of recorded data and illustrations which could be sold as a fund-raiser for SCAD and yourself.

Options you might consider, for example:

• gather and contrast various forms, research differences in steps/clothing worn/associated dates of performance/historical origins/age and gender of the dancers/related music/ceremonial or religious links/descriptive words/any renowned performers. Find ways of presenting this data clearly.
• illustrate the dances visually by, for example, showing the pattern of the steps/photographing some dancers in costume/painting pictures of any special footwear or headdress, etc.
• Make a short video of a live performance with accompanying music
• Set up an interactive website listing forthcoming dance performances, teaching sessions, active blogs, etc.

2. Science: Medicinal Herbs

Research into the variety of healing herbs traditionally used by women in Tamil villages. A scientific study will need to demonstrate a systematic approach involving accurate and balanced research, resulting in findings that are clearly described and compared. Initial fact-finding and data collection could be extended to include, for example, observations, experiments, practical tests, measurements, theoretical conclusions, etc.

Your first steps might include, for example:

• interviewing village herbalists/investigating different forms of preparation/recording the variety of uses/gathering interesting personal anecdotes of cures/identifying the plants, their categories and habitats/looking into links to modern medicines, etc.
• making careful comparative drawings or photographs of the herbs themselves/some treatment preparations/portraits of practitioners/some medical conditions such as skin rashes, etc. Making a map of typical habitats where the plants can be found and in what seasons.
• Gathering the data and the illustrations into a handmade or digitally printed book. It might be important, as a responsible author, to include a caveat to readers to consult an expert herbalist before trying any of the remedies without professional advice.

3. Art – Kollams

This beautiful art of South India, traditionally carried out with great skill by the female members of the family and sadly fast disappearing, is well worth documenting for posterity. An artistic approach would seek to interpret or illustrate the variety of designs in an imaginative and visually interesting way. For example, this could take the form of paintings, drawings, handmade prints, videos, three-dimensional objects, stitched textiles or photographs.

You could consider, for example:

• talking to different families in various villages to compare differences in design and the number of patterns memorised
• illustrating these visually, showing the step-by-step stages of creation – a valuable teaching tool for would-be practitioners as well as useful historical documentation.
• Collating the findings in book form to provide a visual encylopaedia of designs or produce a short teaching video.
• producing postcards to raise revenue

We encourage you to think of commercial outcome, whichever theme you choose. We hope the contest will stimulate you and be inspiring but also that it will be fun. Remember teams of up to 4 can enter each category.

HOW DO I ENTER?

Registration and Entry Forms

Available with the heads the heads of the institution

Closing Date for Entries

All competition material must be received by 18.01.2016 at the head office

Please Note The decision of the judges will be final and will be announced at a Public Award Ceremony. All entrants and colleges will be notified of those details in due course.

For further details, visit www.scad.org.in & www.scad.ac.in

Contact

Mr. Jessiah Selvam CCO SCAD +91 99429 78 636

Mr.Charles Project Manager SCAD +91 99429 78 487

Mr. Sajin PA to MD +91 99429 78 559

WE GREATLY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR IDEAS AND TO MEETING YOU AT THE PUBLIC AWARD CEREMONY.