: AWARDS I agree that the Flamingo Award presentation was an embarassment but I don't agree that it should be moved to the gym. I think this award's recipient deserves the adulation/applause of a big, focused audience. I think in the aftermath of last year's presentation, we could trust the Flamingo Club to control the presenter better next year. :(Board policy is needed for non-IJA awards - Flamingo Award and Educational Award. Specifically, who is responsible for them? What is the Board policy for IJA Awards?) More control from the top isn't always the answer. These awards have worked well in the past. Just make sure the groups confer/consult with Ginny or Craig before the day of the award. : EVGENI BILJAUER That was very unfortunate. I know that one year we had Chris Majka to interpret for Ignatov - too bad he wasn't available. This will need quite a bit more early planning next time there's a language barrier. We learn as we go eh? : although on the final day of the workshop two Russian performers were there to help translate more properly. Those remaining throughout the sessions feel that the students who dropped out expected a different sort of workshop - they wanted to push ahead to new skills, rather than have their current skills corrected and strengthened which would lead to new skills later on. This should be made much clearer in advertising for our for-pay workshops. The instructor must be clear on what the daily objectives will be. : CHAMPIONSHIPS I agree that it was a good idea but it raises a personal problem. I am bored with the Youth Showcases but have always enjoyed the Juniors Champs. So I skipped it this year and missed out. Rats. : Once again it was noted that conduct by some jugglers was inappropriate Forget it. You can't control what Jason is going to do. : One person wrote that the judging system should be changed to an objective point system and should be done by the end of each act. They explained that it shouldn't be four judges discussing each act, and the scores should speak for themselves except in the case of a tie. Can you say "Kappel"? This topic has been discussed over and under and over again. Sometimes it's just best to let sleeping dogs snore. :t was suggested that the IJA award contestants (particularly the children) recognition for entry, certificates, trophies, etc. This is a good idea. An inexpensive certificate or little trophy would be a nice thing for the non-winners to have. This happens in lots of different competitions. : A number of people commented and thought someone was going to get hurt during combat, and a little boy was hit in the face and injured during combat on Friday. : There is potential for serious injury during the organized games. No written risk management plan is available, nothing is being done to reduce risks and the IJA does not provide an itemized release that discloses potential risks. This is fiscally irresponsible and may reach the level of criminal indifference if a participant is killed or seriously disabled. Again, this is old hat. One of the boards I served on withdrew Combat from the festival. I agreed both due to the fact that we couldn't cover our liability and that I don't play it myself so why not? :-) : PUBLICITY Is that a *good* thing? : IJA Membership: That's a good question. We force people to join if they just want to juggle on the floor for an hour. Of course the other side of the coin is that we DO want world-class competitors performing for us and we don't want to put anything in the way of them doing that. After all, it's not so much a competition as it is a show for our entertainment. : Performers' waivers: Another good point. How do we have the right to put their act/image on video without a release? : As festival coordinator I received many positive comments on all of the shows. This probably answers part of Katje's question about who participated in writing this post. : Waldo and Woodhead were honored that we asked them to perform. They stated that it's a tough audience to perform for but glad they did, other performers said they wouldn't. Most people found the show to be hilarious and fun. Some compared them to Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Which one is which? :-) : The Youth Showcase accomplished it's goal of having all the kids involved being able to perform. The format and length is being considered. Note my comment above. : Money is spent bringing in performers because we can't rely on what talent is going to be available at the festival and willing to perform. I can't possibly support this any more fervently. We MUST have world-class performers committed to performing well in advance of publicity dates. That is one of the major reasons many people attend. : Adding a special box just for ordering Youth (Kids) sizes That would help my family a lot. We would like to reserve children's sizes in advance. : Several people noted that Renegade had the best location for heavy traffic. Some vendors did not seem pleased with this arrangement. That's ridiculous. If Renegade got that spot it's because they were probably there first. If there aren't reserved spots then it must be, by default, "first come - first serve". The same will apply if the board's idea of Vendors reserving spots by paying early comes to pass. : VIDEOS That would be GREAT! It would be wonderful to be able to have titled chapters for each section so you can just jump right to them. And of course the audio and video is as sharp as is possible (except for HDTV). : There was concern regarding the fire workshop. This became a safety issue and a liability issue due to the absence of an approved instructor. We need to avoid a repeat, as the IJA clearly would not have passed the reasonable and prudent person test. Who was in charge of workshops on that day? Isn't there someone whose responsibility it is to walk to each workshop to be sure it's happening? Steve S.
: Lots of people noted that the presentation of the Flamingo Award reflected poorly on the IJA and on women in the IJA. Some suggested that future awards be presented on the juggling floor. Next year Russ O'Brien, the man who makes the People's Choice Award, will present this award to the winner(s) on the gym floor after the Games.
: ... The students admit that the lack of a knowledgeable Russian translator was a hindrance - the local translator hired was not as good as we had been led to believe, and lacked any juggling knowledge
: ... Having the Junior Championships on a separate night also made things go more smoothly for everyone. So it looks like we have a decent system now and lots of good, experienced people to help out. All the judges and assistants noted they had a very positive experience and would be happy to do it again.
: And this doesn't cast a good light on the IJA and juggling. Festival conduct policy needs to be reviewed and enforced
: (Board policy is needed.)
: ... Willard Scott of the Today Show mentioned the festival...
: Competitors do not have to be IJA members or to register for the festival to enter the preliminaries. Why?
: Most performers do not register and sign a waiver. They go directly to the theatre for ehearsals. Who is responsible for getting waivers signed? Videographer? Video Director?
: Someone requested that videos should also be made available on DVD.