2026 OFFICIAL CONCEPT SCHOOL ART & LANGUAGE FESTIVAL RULES and REGULATIONS
2026 OFFICIAL CONCEPT SCHOOL ART & LANGUAGE FESTIVAL RULES and REGULATIONS
DATE and VENUE:
Saturday April 18, 2026
12:00-4:00 PM
The Copernicus Center is located at 5216 W Lawrence Ave. Chicago, IL 60630
Link to 2025 ALF full event
Link to Playlist
Link to highlights video
Link to recap video
Link to sample schedule event practice
Link to previous event schedule
CONTENT
PART I. PERFORMING ARTS (for 4-12 grades)
- CATEGORIES
- QUALIFYING TO PERFORM AT THE EVENT
- RUBRICS FOR CATEGORIES
- OTHER DETAILS FOR CATEGORIES
- GUEST PERFORMERS
- AWARDS
PART II. VISUAL ARTS (for K-12 grades)
- DESCRIPTION
- DISPLAY GUIDELINES
- SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- DUE DATES
- AWARDS
PART I. PERFORMING ARTS
- CATEGORIES
There are 13 categories for participation in the Festival.
- Turkish songs (Turkish teachers in charge)
- Spanish songs (Spanish teachers in charge)
- English songs (Music teachers in charge) limited to 2 songs for each school.
- Arabic songs
- French songs
- Chinese songs
- Japanese songs
- Songs of other languages (For ESL students specifically)
- Turkish folk dances (Turkish teachers in charge)
- Hispanic folk dances (Spanish teachers in charge)
- Folk Dances of other cultures (FL teachers, Dance teachers/coaches in charge) – group and individual
- Instrumental Solos, Duets, and Trios (Music teachers in charge)
- Instrumental or Vocal Small Ensembles (Music teachers in charge)
- QUALIFICATION for the FESTIVAL: The performers will be qualified to perform at the Festival by their video performances. Teachers are supposed to take the videos of the performers and submit them to the Head of Foreign Language Department by March 06, 2026.
Contact the Department Head (oz@conceptschools.org) about how to upload the videos
Uploading the video performances means registration for the Event.
- You do not need to enter the names in another excel sheet. However, please remember to label the video with the name of the singer/instrumentalists and the title of the song sung/played.
- For folk dances, you can just label the video with the title of the dance, and you do not need to write the names of the dancers.
The videos will be watched by the judges and the qualifiers will be announced on March 20, 2026.
- RUBRICS FOR EACH CATEGORY
Singing/Vocal Music
- Tone quality: resonance, clarity, control, and consistency.
- Intonation: accuracy of pitch, tone, and intonation
- Interpretation and Musicianship: style, phrasing, emotional connection.
- Rhythm: accuracy of rhythmic values, pulse, steadiness, and meter
- Technique: vocal diction and clarity, artistry, control of vocal range, technical skill
Dancing
- Cohesion and timing among group members.
- Execution of steps, movements, and transitions with clarity and accuracy
- Alignment of movements with the music’s tempo and rhythm.
Instrumental Music
- Tone quality: resonance, clarity, control, and consistency.
- Intonation: accuracy of pitch, tone, and intonation
- Interpretation and Musicianship: style, phrasing, emotional connection.
- Rhythm: accuracy of rhythmic values, pulse, steadiness, and meter
- Technique: articulation (winds)/bowing (strings)/strumming, artistry, control throughout musical range, technical skill
4A. OTHER DETAILS for SINGING/VOCAL MUSIC CATEGORIES
- Karaoke/recorded accompaniment of the songs qualified to perform at the Festival should be submitted to the Department Head via email by March 27, 2026.
- The singers are expected to sing with the karaoke/accompaniment music, not with the original song music. The accompaniment track should not have vocals.
- The songs should be sung by a single singer, or a duo or a trio but not by more than three singers.
- Any singer who performed a song at the festivals of previous years is expected to participate with a different song in 2025.
4B. OTHER DETAILS for FOLK DANCES CATEGORY
As the title of this category suggests, participating in dance should be a traditional folk dance, NOT a modern dance.
- The folk-dance group should consist of at least 6 dancers, not any fewer than that.
- A very limited number of individual dances or couple dances or group dances performed by fewer than 6 dancers will be accepted, but preference will be given to dance groups with at least six members.
- Any dance group who performed a folk dance at the festivals of previous years is expected to participate with a different folk dance in 2024.
4C. OTHER DETAILS for INSTRUMENTAL SOLO, DUET, TRIO MUSIC CATEGORY
- ONLY solo, duo, or trio instrumentalists accepted.
- Students must bring their own instruments. Neither Concept Schools nor the Copernicus Center will provide you with any instrument.
4D. OTHER DETAILS for INSTRUMENTAL or VOCAL SMALL ENSEMBLES
- Due to space and time constraints, this new category will be limited in the number of ensembles accepted to perform. Performances are limited to one song. If you would prefer to have your group be considered as a guest performer, please email oz@conceptschools.org and sheila@conceptschools.org
- GUEST PERFORMERS
Aside from the qualified performers of the categories mentioned above
- Folk dance groups of 3 guest cultures (outside our school network)
- One of the school bands/orchestras
- Free Form Winner of CS Spoken Word Contest
are also invited to perform at the Festival. (They do not need to submit a video performance for qualification).
- FESTIVAL DAY and AWARDS
There will be no voting by the judges on the Festival day, which means the performers (individuals or groups) qualified and invited to the Festival are only going to perform and receive their awards.
How much do they get?
Singing Category performers (English, Turkish and Spanish): $150
Instrumental and Vocal Small Ensemble Category performers: $150
Spoken Word Freeform Winner performer: $100
Folk Dances Category groups: $ 500
Bands and orchestras (guest performers): $ 500
- VISUAL ARTS
- DESCRIPTION
The artworks of Concept Schools Art Department will be exhibited on the Festival day. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your students to enjoy both the art show and the festival; however, attendance is not required in order to participate.
There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the three divisions of K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each winner will receive a gift card and certificate.
We encourage someone to pick up the students’ artwork after the show. If not possible, we will mail them back to your school at a later date. Certificates and any awards will be sent to schools attn. art teacher after the event.
Make the artwork look as professional and uniform as possible following the guidelines below.
- DISPLAY GUIDELINES
To uniformly display your students’ work:
- Mat your artwork yourself (using what you have available) with these restrictions:
- BLACK mat only – railroad board may used, such as this.
- The mat can be glued/rubber cemented to a black tag board, mat board, or heavyweight construction paper
- It need not be a black “hole,” but it can be solid behind the artwork
- Borders of the matting should be between 2 to 4 inches
- Do not use staples or tacks
- If the paper is thin, and you are using a “hole” format mat, please add a thicker backing behind the work (Make sure the work is sturdy enough to stand on an easel)
- You will need to create labels for the front (bottom right-hand corner) of each work.
- You may add pictures or your school logo, etc. But remember, the key is uniformity throughout the whole show
- Please use Times New Roman, size 14 PLAIN font (NO bold or italics)
- Please include:
- Student’s Name (double check spelling)
- Grade Level
- FULL School Name
- Medium used
-
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- FOUR EXCELLENT QUALITY, FINISHED pieces of artwork from each school will be accepted in the K-2 and 3-5 grade divisions. (if you teach at more than one school, it is fine to submit four pieces per school or competition division).
- FIVE EXCELLENT QUALITY, FINISHED pieces of artwork from each school will be accepted in the 6-8 and 9-12 divisions. Additionally, any 9-12 high school with advanced/AP art may submit an additional two pieces of artwork (if you teach at more than one school, it is fine to submit five pieces per school or competition division).
- All work must be 2-D only
- Any medium
- Size limits not to exceed 30” x 30” (including matting)
- Attach an artwork IDENTIFICATION FORM to the back of each work (linked). This will also show us the intended orientation of the artwork.
- Fill out the shared Google Sheet no later than Monday, March 27, 2026. (This is to guarantee correct spellings for use on participation certificates and to have records of who is participating to confirm your artwork has arrived at Concept.)
- Please mat the artwork in BLACK as listed above.
- * The only artwork that does not require a mat are wood framed stretched canvases or canvas boards/Masonite boards. These are stiff enough for display. (Please make sure sides are painted or blacked so they look nice too!)
- Please ship all works to us flat, not rolled! If a work is chalk, pastel, or pencil, consider putting a blank sheet on top so as not to transfer to other works or ruin the work itself.
-
- Send works to
- Concept Schools
Attn.: Carolyn Saylor
1336 Basswood Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
- DUE DATES:
By Monday, March 27, 2026, teachers must fill out the Google Form w/student info
By Monday, March 27, 2026, teachers must mail works to Concept w/ identification forms attached
- AWARDS
- First place in each category: $100
- Second place in each category: $75
- Third place in each category: $50
