Starting an arts fest from a blank page is the hardest part of the whole job — before you can set up age groups, assign competitions, or print a single chest number, someone has to decide what competitions you’re actually running. Below is a ready-to-copy item list organised the way most school and community arts fests actually structure their programme, by age group and by individual vs. group participation, so you can adapt it instead of starting from scratch.
This is a starting catalogue, not a fixed rulebook — every fest trims, renames and reweights items to fit its own community, venue and time budget. Use it as the first draft you edit in eTalenter’s Competition Categories / Items Setup, not as a list you must run exactly as printed.
Age groups first, then items
Most Arts fests split entrants into four age bands before assigning any competitions — commonly labelled by school stage rather than raw age:
- LP (Lower Primary) — roughly Classes 1–4 / ages 6–9
- UP (Upper Primary) — roughly Classes 5–7 / ages 10–12
- HS (High School) — roughly Classes 8–10 / ages 13–15
- HSS (Higher Secondary) — roughly Classes 11–12 / ages 16–18
Community and church events often relabel the same four-tier idea as Junior / Intermediate / Senior / Super Senior, and university-level youth festivals skip age bands entirely and run one open category. Whichever labels you use, decide the cut-off dates up front — eTalenter’s Age Groups Setup locks an entrant’s band from a birth date, so there’s no manual recount later.
Sample on-stage item list (individual)
| Item | Typical age bands | Typical time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Solo Song (Classical) | UP – HSS | 3–5 min |
| Solo Song (Light / Film) | LP – HSS | 3–4 min |
| Classical Dance (Bharatanatyam / Mohiniyattam / Kuchipudi, etc.) | UP – HSS | 5–7 min |
| Western Dance (Solo) | UP – HSS | 3–4 min |
| Elocution / Speech | LP – HSS | 2–4 min |
| Mono Act | UP – HSS | 5–7 min |
| Mimicry | HS – HSS | 3–5 min |
| Recitation / Poem Reading | LP – UP | 2–3 min |
Sample on-stage item list (group / team)
| Item | Typical age bands | Typical team size |
|---|---|---|
| Group Song | UP – HSS | 6–12 |
| Group Dance (Folk / Classical) | UP – HSS | 8–16 |
| Group Dance (Western / Cinematic) | UP – HSS | 6–14 |
| Tableau / MIME | HS – HSS | 8–20 |
| Skit / Short Drama | HS – HSS | 6–12 |
| Oppana / Margam Kali (community-specific) | UP – HSS | 8–12 |
Sample off-stage item list
| Item | Typical age bands | Judged on |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing / Painting | LP – HSS | a set theme, given on the day |
| Essay / Story Writing | UP – HSS | a sealed topic, timed |
| Quiz (written prelim) | UP – HSS | a scored answer sheet, feeding a stage final |
| Collage / Clay Modelling | LP – HS | a given material/theme, deduction-based rubric |
| Rangoli / Decoration | UP – HSS | a plotted floor space, on-site judging rounds |
How to turn this list into a real event
- Trim to what your venue and timetable can hold. A one-day school-level fest usually runs 15–20 items; a multi-day district or state-level event can run 40+. Cut by popularity and stage time before cutting by age band.
- Decide Individual vs. Team per item — this is set once, in Assign Competitions to Groups, and determines whether a single Candidate or a registered Team is the participant.
- Set a time limit, gender rule and language (where relevant) per item — not every item needs all three, but write down whatever you decide so judges and participants see the same rule.
- Decide the scoring model before registration opens — placings (1st/2nd/3rd), grade bands (A/B/C from a percentage), or a rating scale. See our guide on placings vs. grades if you haven’t picked one yet.
- Publish the list before registration — our sample rules and guidelines template is a ready clause-by-clause document to pair with this item list.
FAQ
Do I need to run every item on this list?
No — treat it as a menu. Most fests run a subset chosen for their community, venue, and judge availability.
Can the same item run for both individual and team entries?
Some do (e.g., Mono Act is sometimes run as a team “skit” variant instead), but each item is normally configured as one or the other in the platform, not both at once.
Where do I actually set these items up once I’ve picked them?
In eTalenter’s Competition Categories/Items Setup, followed by Assign Competitions to Groups (age band × item × individual/team × gender/language rules).
See it before you build it
Open a live demo and log in as a demo coordinator or judge — no sign-up needed — to see how an item catalogue like this one becomes age groups, competitions, and a judging panel in the app. Questions while you plan your item list? WhatsApp us at +91 96056 56508 or email support@etalenter.com.
