BYLAWS of the 9th International Music Festival for Children, Youths, and Adults with Hearing Impairments “Beats of Cochlea”

1. Organizer

  1. The Organizers of the 9th edition of the International Music Festival for Children, Youths, and Adults with Hearing Impairments “Beats of Cochlea” and the Scientific Conference “Music in Human Auditory Development”, referred to jointly as the Festival “Beats of Cochlea,” organized under the Program “Music in Human Auditory Development”, referred to as the Program, are the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing – World Hearing Center, 10 Mochnackiego St., 02-042 Warsaw, Poland and the Institute of Sensory Organs, Kajetany, 1 Mokra St., 05-830 Nadarzyn.
  2. The Organizers invite the cooperation of companies, institutions, and individuals who would like to make an in-kind, financial or organizational contribution to the preparation and realization of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea.”
  3. The Organizers agree that the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” will include the “Final Gala Concert.”

2. Dates and place of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea”

  1. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” is held annually in July as part of the Polish Program of Treatment of Deafness with Hearing Implants’ anniversary celebrations.
  2. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” and the Final Gala Concert may take place in music studios or venues belonging to the Organizers and partners of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea.”

3. Aims of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea”

The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” is an international art and educational event for musically gifted children, youths, and adults with hearing disorders who use auditory implants. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” includes the Scientific Conference “Music in Human Auditory Development”. The aims of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” are:

  1. to popularize and promote musical abilities and talents (instrumental and vocal) of children, youths, and adults from different countries who have hearing disorders and use auditory implants;
  2. to raise global awareness of the fact that hearing problems are not a barrier to professional interest in music and musical career;
  3. to discover musical talents among children, youths, and adults with hearing disorders using auditory implants;
  4. to promote the “Music in Human Auditory Development” Program,aimed at speeding up the rehabilitation process with the help of specially composed music for those with hearing impairments;
  5. to unite the community of the deaf and hard-of-hearing people with musical talents;
  6. to share musical experiences among people with hearing problems;
  7. to organize the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” with clear and transparent rules of selection of Participants.

4. Rules of participation

  1. The Participant entries are only accepted through the electronic entry form available in 2 languages (Polish and English) on the website festiwal.ifps.org.pl. The application deadline is announced on the website of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea.” After that date, the Participant entry form is not active. The Organizers reserve the right to extend or shorten the application deadline.
  2. The Participant entry should include:
    1. music material (own composition or cover, instrumental, vocal or vocal-instrumental piece), max. 5 minutes, in the following formats: audio files mp3, wma, or video files avi, mp4, mov, wmv;
    2. a short note about the Participant (max. 500 words) in Polish or English and a Participant’s portrait photo;
    3. the type of the hearing implant used by the Participant;
    4. the date of implantation;
    5. the consent to share personal data as required by  Polish law and consent to the use of the image.
  3. The Organizers select Participants and Laureates of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” from submitted entries.
  4. According to the laws of Poland or the country of Participant’s citizenship, Minor Participants are required to present the signed Parental/Legal Guardian Consent Form to participate in the Festival “Beats of Cochlea”. The Form is available for downloading on festiwal.ifps.org.pl
  5. The Festival Participant or their guardian declares and is liable for having the copyright to the work or rights or license to submitted work or composition or is entitled to perform the work by law.
  6. The Organizers reserve the right to shorten the recording presented during the Final Gala Concert.
  7. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” are addressed to children, youths, and adults who have hearing disorders and use auditory implants.
  8. The Organizers reserve the right to change the number of Participants for the Final Gala Concert.
  9. Participants will be qualified for the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” based on musical and artistic skills presented in a submitted recording.
  10. Preselection of Participants is done by the Organizers, who may appoint the Jury of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea.”
  11. To participate in the Festival “Beats of Cochlea,” it is necessary to provide a Participant’s consent to the image use. The consent form is included in the Entry Form on the website.
  12. Any implanted person may apply to participate in the Festival “Beats of Cochlea”, regardless of whether they participated in previous editions of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea”, except for the Laureates of the last edition of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” who cannot enter the present edition.

5. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” agenda

  1. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” will include the Scientific Conference “Music in Human Auditory Development”.
  2. The Festival “Beats of Cochlea” will finish with the Final Gala Concert presenting musical performances of the Laureates in a multimedia projection form.
  3. The Organizers decide the order of performances during the Final Musical Performance.
  4. The Program of the Festival may include accompanying events like concerts, guest performances, screenings of films, etc.

6. Organization

  1. The Organizers provide accommodation and meals and cover transportation costs for participants invited for personal attendance in the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” and the Final Gala Concert. The Organizers also cover travel and meals for one legal Guardian for minors or persons who do not have full legal capacity.
  2. The Organizers provide amplification equipment and technical and acoustic assistance.
  3. Participants of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” agree that their performances will be recorded and that the recorded materials will be used for marketing and promotion of the “Beats of Cochlea” and “Music in Human Auditory Development” Program.
  4. The “Beats of Cochlea”  may be canceled at any time due to circumstances beyond the Organizers’ control.
  5. The Organizers reserve the right to change the “Beats of Cochlea” program at any time.

7. Prizes

  1. The Organizers or the Jury of the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” may award prizes.
  2. The Organizers reserve the right not to award prizes and change the list of prizes.

8. Final provisions

  1. All matters not settled in these Bylaws will be decided by the Organizers. The Bylaws and the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” are subject to the law of Poland.
  2. The submission of an Entry Form to the Festival “Beats of Cochlea” equals accepting its Bylaws.
  3. The Organizers reserve the right to amend these Bylaws.