OREANDA-NEWS. October 4, 2012. The Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad has announced the launch of a public contest for creative groups willing to participate in the Cultural Program of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. This unique contest encourages the participation of talented teams from right across the world, with the artists performing a wide variety of genres - from modern stage singing and dancing to pantomime and acrobatics.

The winners and finalists of the competition will get the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on a global stage and become a high-profile part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad, as they will perform in Sochi in front of the numerous guests of the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The selection process will consist of two stages. Firstly, the finalists will be chosen through an online voting system, and then an expert panel, consisting of well-known cultural figures, will announce the three winners who could be solo artists or groups.

Entries from Russia and all of the participating countries in the 2014 Games in Sochi are invited and all musical genres are welcome to apply, including: pop songs (romance, ballad, folk songs), jazz, stage dancing (folk, ball dancing, ballet, modern), stage theater, spoken genre (a scene, sketch, story, monologue), pantomime, parody, acrobatics, gymnastics, balancing acts, clown show, juggling, athletics, magic tricks, costumes and others.

To participate in the contest upload a video clip of your performance by August 28th 2013 on a fully accessible video-hosting website and send the link and information about yourself to: contest@sochi2014.com. You can also send the video, along with a completed registration form, to: P.O. Box 154, Moscow 105005.

From October 29th 2012, the audition tapes will be available online for you to vote for your favorite at www.culture.sochi2014.com. Applications will be accepted until August 28th 2013. Finalists will be announced on September 10th 2013.