Junk Kouture 2015

When entering this competition we were novices. oblivious to the entent as how large this competition was. after sending our entry away we kept level headed as we didn't know what to expect and whether or not we would get through. when we recieved the news that over 3000 students across Ireland also entered my optimism of getting through was a little knocked. however, i was delighted at the news we had made it to the regional finals and were short listed to the top 80 in northern Ireland.

The regional final took place in Derry in the Millenium Forum. As the day approaced our preporation with 'The Rised Of Lady Titanic' for it built up however, upon arriving we didnt know what to expect so we could not fully prepare. when we arrided it was evident that this was our first year competing as we were a bit lost. however, it didnt take us long to adapt and get in to the swing of things. we were then able to prepare for the dress rehearsals and perfecting Emmas performace as she had to be on the cat walk for 1 minute 30 to our chosen song from the Titanic. the atmosphere and experience of being back stage and seeing how everything works was great. i got and insight to the performace world of being backstage and thoroughly enjoyed it. the show itself was great, being able to gain inspiration from other students from all over the north was great and to be able to take to them and share their designs with us. the show was a great production overall with everything running smothlty and Emmas performance going well.

regional final photos:

However, we were a little disappointed to not hear our pieces name called during the announcment of the 20 chosen to go onto the All Ireland Finals although we were proud and greatful for how far we got. during the regional final they announced 18/20 to go through and reserved 2 'wild card' choices to be given the news at a later stage by Glenda Gilsen, tv personality.

To our absolute surprise we were chosen as a wildcard!! meaning we were to compete against 79 other pieces from across the whole of Ireland. this gave us a great sense of pride and achievement, that our hard work paid off. we then attended the final in April at the 3 Arena in Dublin. this huge set up was both amazing and daunting to be part of, especially for Emma who was to be on stage performing alone infront of the large crowds.

when we were announced as the wildcards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlWdu3fels

arriving in the morning we were a little aware of the process and were guided by the asigned helpers for each region. we were then given a changing room where we could prepare Emma for the show which we shared with 2 other finalists. this was a great opportunity to gain insight to their ideas and thier pieces for our own inspiration. it was a great experience to be part of.
our day was packed with preparation, media coverage and meeting the judges. during the day we had the opportunity to speak with some of the judges and showcase our work. along with us we brought a portfolia full on my own and Emma boards to show our thought process behind the outfit. this was a great experience as we felt a senese of pride and achievement when they were impressed with our work.
we made it through to the final with great pride and a sense of achievement therefore we just enjoyed the final days an experience overall as the standard was so high we didnt expect anything higher than we already achieved. looking back i do not regret entering this competiton at all. despite the hours of prep work put in it was all worth it as the experience i gained was great. it has really interested me into perusing a career in that industry later in life as this was a great taster of the performace work and a great insight to the reality, i was particuarly interested in the makeup aspect of it as well as seeing everybody elses creations and ideas. that it is not all glamourous and there is infact alot of waiting around. But non the less i really enjoyed this experienced and it game me the drive to successfully finish my first project.