The World Cosplay Summit – is coming to Manchester for one time only this October! Play Expo and the HYPER JAPAN cosplay team are working together to give cosplayers in the north of England the chance to win the trip of a lifetime to the World Cosplay Summit 2014!
The World Cosplay Summit (also known as WCS) is a gathering of cosplayers from 23 different countries and 5 continents which takes place every year in Nagoya, Japan. At Play Expo, we’ll be choosing one team to represent the UK at next year’s WCS and sending them on an expenses paid trip to Japan! This is your chance to meet amazing cosplayers from all over the world and enjoy a week of fun activities in the country where cosplay began.
Throughout the week of WCS, representatives from each country have a chance to take part in cosplay parades, concerts, parties, photo shoots and of course – perform alongside world class cosplayers at the WCS Championship! To find out more about what the 2012 WCS UK Team did when they went to Japan, you can see a full diary of their adventures on the WCS UK blog.
WCS at Play Expo is organised in association with HYPER JAPAN– the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese pop culture.
Why enter?
The winning team will have the chance to travel to Japan and spend at least a week taking part in fun events with fellow cosplayers from all over the world! The beauty of WCS is that it’s not just about the contest – it’s also an opportunity to make friends and perform alongside cosplayers from across the globe. Many previous representatives have made friendships which have lasted well after the contest was over.
Who can enter?
- You must enter the Play Expo Cosplay Contest on Saturday, 12th October as a pair
- You must both be aged 18 or over by 1st July 2014
- You must live in the UK or have a British passport
- Your costumes must be from a Japanese source – e.g. Japanese video games, anime, manga or “sentai” shows (such as Power Rangers)
If you have any questions about which costumes are suitable, please email us at wcs@playexpo.net and we’ll be happy to help!
How is the contest judged?
WCS is judged on costume, performance and fidelity (how close your performance is to the original characters).
Performing doesn’t need to be scary – it just means that well-made simpler costumes have a fair chance at placing as well as complex ones if they have an interesting presentation to go with it.
What’s a progress book and why do I need one?
We ask that all the WCS contestants bring a few notes and photos with them explaining how they made their costume. This is just so our judges can see all the hard work you’ve put in!
If you can’t make a progress book (for example if you’re entering a costume you’ve already made) just email us atwcs@playexpo.net and we’ll work it out!
