JOIN THE ATHENSCON COSPLAY FAMILY It’s time to celebrate cosplay! Here at AthensCon we are want to be inclusive cosplay for all. Whether your cosplay is professionaly made, bought or homemade …we embrace it We ask you to register your name and costume when you enter our convention. We are giving everyone who takes part in this the opportunity to be entered into a raffle to win various prizes. All you need to do is simply say your name, email and costume to our volunteer that will be going around the convention so we can have a number of the total cosplayers that attended Then get ready to walk around with your cosplay in front of a supportive and excited crowd.
We also would like to take a photo of all of you on Saturday & Sunday at 17:00 each day. We look forward to seeing you and your awesome cosplay there!
See you there!
COSPLAY GUIDELINES
Please note, these guidelines are advice only, and any specific issues on the day we’ll address on a case by case basis. Remember, our volunteers are always there to help, so please do look out for a member of our team, and ask if there’s anything you need, or if you have any questions.
Here at AthensCon we welcome and admire the endless creativity of cosplayers at our event, and cannot wait to see the creations and characters you will bring to our convention. We want everyone to have as fun a time as possible, but we do ask for you to kindly abide by the few rules that we do set out and think carefully about your costume, props and their place within the event.
COVERAGE/COSTUME TYPE
-Regardless of gender identification, no bare chests or buttocks please. -Costumes replicating military, police or official law enforcement wear must be identifiable as a costume, and not seen as an impersonation. -We do not allow symbols or actions of hate or prejudice, whether on costumes or not. Hate, in general, is frowned upon. . -The use of make-up or prosthetics to change your skin colour to that of another realistic race is not tolerated. -Cosplayers are welcome and should be made to feel welcome in our venue regardless of how much of their costume is handmade.
SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION Your costume can be any size and shape but please be aware that all indoor areas will have doors approx 3meters wide and 2.5meters tall. Costumes must have no sharp edges or hard pointy bits that could cause injury. Metal, wood and professionally constructed costumes are allowed, but they must have properly finished edges. If you are in any doubt, please drop us a line before the event, and if it’s right before the event, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
WEAPONS AND PROPS Certain props may not be approved inside the convention halls. If your prop is large or deemed unfit for the busy indoor areas please be aware that we may ask to store it while you’re walking around the comic con. No BB guns, paintball guns, spray canisters, replica or actual weapons, nor anything of the like. Our comic con site is in a busy city centre location so this is a requirement, not just from us, but from the local police. Any realistic weapon must be entirely brightly coloured.
Your “weapon” or prop is your responsibility and should not, in any circumstance, be left unattended. Anything left unattended may be removed, damaged or destroyed by the police.
We advise that:
All weapon props should be kept sheathed, holstered or stowed while walking around and only drawn for photographs and controlled performance – Thought Bubble takes place in public areas, and we don’t want to be scaring any of the general populace.
All weapon props (and props in general) be constructed from lightweight materials such as cardboard or foam and should be light enough to be lifted easily with one hand.
Brightly coloured store-bought plastic toys are fine so long as they conform to British Standards.
BEHAVIOUR As an organisation, AthensCon trusts that you will act responsibly in your costume. However, if, at any point, you or anyone else is deemed to be acting irresponsibly we reserve the right to ask you to leave the event, and, in more serious cases, impose bans from our future events.
PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDINGS AND CONSENT By attending AthensCon you are consenting to being recorded. This includes being photographed, filmed, sound recorded and appearing on camera. As part of this we also require all of our guests, press and attendees to be respectful of you; you are within your right to refuse documentation.
For general reference our rules for the above are: Everyone should be treated with respect, at all times; Express permission should be granted by the subject/s for individual and small group photographs;
Cosplay is not consent – be respectful, and be nice.
If at any time during your stay with us you’re made to feel uncomfortable, or the actions of others are stopping you having fun, please let one of our team know – they’ll all be clearly identified as staff, and they’ll be happy to help. Please do try and let us know at the time, if you’re able – it’s much harder for us to take action after the fact, but if you do have an issue that you’d like to bring up outside of our events, please drop us a line.
THE FINAL SAY AthensCon convention staff and/or the Local Authorities will have the final say on any person, prop or costume. We expect reasonable cooperation from you and will work with you to ensure the best outcome for all, but please do stick within the guidelines detailed above. We’re a friendly team, and ultimately we want you and everyone else to have an awesome time at AthensCon!