Purpose of the festival:

• The organisers of “Cătălina” contest-festival wish to cultivate children’s love for folklore and reinforce their status of preservers of the local traditions.
• Discovering and nurturing young talents willing to carry on the folklore legacy.
• Make the folklore in the participants’ original areas known internationally
• Cultivate the love for songs and dances in children and not only
• Shape and develop the capacity of perceiving authenticity in the art of performing folk dances and songs
• Make young people sensitive to the necessity of preserving and capitalizing on tradition
• Stimulate children’s competitive spirit

Program:

• The contest-festival addresses folklore ensembles; each of them must have a name and a number of maximum 30-35 members, including the group co-ordinator.
• Each group will present a compact artistic program that must not exceed 20-25 minutes. Any time overrun will be penalized!
• Each instrumentalist / vocalist will perform one single song and dancers two suites at most.

Conditions for participation:

• Participants will perform elements of locally or regionally specific repertoire.
• The festival addresses school students exclusively.
• The folk costume parade will take place on August 24^th, at 3 p.m. and the Awards Night on the 28^th  at 5 p.m. The participation to both is mandatory.
• Participants’ accommodation and meals during the contest days are provided by the organiser. The participants’ arrival will be on the 24^th by 12 a.m, the departure on the 29^th, at 9 a.m.

Evaluation criteria:

• authenticity and artistic value of the performance;
• authenticity and ethnographic value of folk costumes;
• quality of interpretation;
• stage presence.

Jury and awards:

• The Great Prize of “Cătălina” contest-festival;
•  1^st , 2^nd , 3^rd  prizes, titles and special awards.