I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. These Regulations define the goals, content, thematic directions, and participant categories of the "International Music Laboratory of Alisa Gitsba" (hereinafter - Laboratory).

II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
2.1. The Laboratory aims to identify and support young performers aged 18 to 45 and academic genre ensembles. Selected participants will engage in an informal educational program and gain competition experience. Top performers will participate in final concerts across Russia and Abkhazia.
2.2. Objectives include:

• Informing target audiences about development opportunities through the educational program.
• Engaging participants in an informal, competitive environment.
• Creating conditions for showcasing their talents via concerts in Russia, Abkhazia, and abroad.

III. LOCATION AND DATES
3.1. Locations: Moscow, Saransk, Voronezh, Saint Petersburg, Republic of Crimea, Sukhum, Pitsunda, and others.
3.2. The Laboratory events will take place from July 2024 to June 2025.

IV. FOUNDERS AND ORGANIZERS OF THE LABORATORY
4.1. The founder of the Laboratory is Alisa Gitsba, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia, and recipient of the Order of "Honor and Glory" II degree (hereinafter - Founder), with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.
4.2. Event organizers: 4.2.1. Government of the Republic of Abkhazia; 4.2.2. Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Abkhazia.

V. PARTICIPANTS OF THE LABORATORY
5.1. Young representatives of academic performing arts aged 18 to 45 from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia;
5.2. Young representatives of academic vocal arts aged 18 to 45 with visual impairments (partially sighted, blind) from Russia, Abkhazia, and other countries;
5.3. Professionals in academic vocal arts from Russia, Abkhazia, and abroad (honored artists, university students, music college students, soloists, and teachers).
5.4. Beneficiaries: residents and guests of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Saransk, and Crimea.
VI. MANAGEMENT OF THE LABORATORY
6.1. The coordination of all Laboratory activities is carried out by the Organizing Committee. The Organizing Committee is formed from representatives of the Founder and specialists in the topics of the Laboratory’s nominations and competition.
6.2. For the purpose of evaluating competition materials and determining the composition of participants for the final event, the Laboratory's Organizing Committee forms the Laboratory Jury. The jury consists of well-known professional musicians and honored figures in the arts and culture sectors.
6.3. Laboratory Jury:

• Conducts an evaluation of the materials submitted to the Laboratory, issues expert conclusions and recommendations based on the results of both remote and in-person Laboratory events.
• The jury may, at its discretion, stop a participant during an audition.
• The jury's decision is final and cannot be reviewed.

VII. STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND NOMINATIONS OF THE LABORATORY
7.1. The International Music Laboratory of Alisa Gitsba takes place from July 2024 to June 2025 and includes an informal educational program and competition trials. Implementation stages:

• Stage 1 (July - October 2024): Distribution and acceptance of participation applications, review and initial evaluation of video materials by experts (jury), and formation of the list of Stage 2 participants with at least 100 individuals.
• Stage 2 (October 2024): Implementation of the informal educational program (meetings, workshops, master classes, press conferences, offline events) and conducting the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the International Music Competition of Alisa Gitsba within the Laboratory framework. Finalizing competition results and awarding winners.
• Stage 3 (November 2024 - June 2025): Organization and conducting of concerts in Abkhazia and various regions of Russia.

7.2. The Laboratory’s competition trials will be held in two nominations:
7.2.1. Nomination "Academic Vocal Performance"
Age Category: 18 to 45 years inclusive.
7.2.2. Nomination "Ensemble Art"
Directions: Chamber, instrumental, vocal ensemble.
Age Category: 18 to 45 years inclusive.
7.3. Throughout all stages, auditions will be conducted. The forms and rounds of auditions are detailed in the Laboratory Regulations (Appendix 3).

VIII. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
8.1. Video materials for the first stage of the Laboratory should be submitted electronically to gitsba-competition@mail.ru by September 30, 2024, along with the participation application (Appendix 1), consent for personal data processing (Appendix 2), and the full set of required documents (Appendix 3).
8.2. Participants of the second stage will be determined at this point.
8.3. The results of the application selection and the list of participants advancing to the second stage will be published online on the Laboratory's official VK page or other electronic resources no later than October 5, 2024.

IX. AWARDING LABORATORY PARTICIPANTS AND WINNERS
9.1. Awards, prizes, and special distinctions will be presented based on competition audition results.
9.2. The Grand Prix is a single, indivisible prize awarded to only one participant.
9.3. All other prizes are awarded separately in each category at the jury's discretion.
9.4. Prizes may be shared among participants. A participant diploma will be issued to all contestants who took part in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

X. FINANCING OF THE LABORATORY AND ITS ACTIVITIES
The Laboratory is financed by attracted subsidies for specific purposes. Expenses for organizing and implementing the Program will be allocated according to the approved budget.
CONTACT DETAILS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
Responsible Secretary for all Laboratory stages: Raisa Ruzavina +7-903-662-5619, Organizational Questions: Astanda Bagatelia +7-925-241-9298.

List of Documents for Participation in Stage 1
To participate in the competition, the following set of documents must be submitted by 23:59 on October 5 to the competition's email: gitsba-competition@mail.ru:
· Completed participant application form (for the "Ensemble Art" category, each ensemble member must fill out a form);
· Copy of passport (pages with personal details and registration);
· Copy of diploma from a music institution or certificate/student ID copy (for students);
· Signed consent form for personal data processing;
· Digital photograph (at least 3 MB);
· Short artistic biography (Word format);
· Link to a video recording of the competition program with open access.