CALLING ALL CREATIVES!

Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s Inaugural T-shirt Design Contest

In the spirit of artistic collaboration, Silicon Valley Shakespeare is thrilled to announce our first-ever T-shirt Design Contest—and you’re invited to make your mark! We’re gearing up for an unforgettable summer at Sanborn Park, and we want your creative vision to help bring our repertory season to life.

This summer’s productions—William Shakespeare’s Richard III and Jane Austen’s Emma—are rich with style, spirit, and storytelling. Now it’s your turn to distill that magic into a dynamic black-and-white T-shirt design that celebrates one or both shows.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Theme: Your design should capture the spirit of SVS’s productions of Richard III and Emma, or a bold blend of both.

Richard III Production Description–Click here to visit the production page!

Richard of Gloucester's ambition to be King leads to manipulation, deceit, and murder. SVS explores this tale of treachery and revenge, set in a film noir world with an all-female and nonbinary cast. Summer 2025 just got a whole lot darker.

Emma Production Description–Click here to visit the production page!

Emma Woodhouse is clever, restless, and dangerously underoccupied. With nothing to do and too much wit to waste, she turns to matchmaking. Mischief, mayhem, and modern flair ensue in this sharp, feminist spin on Austen’s classic, where rules are broken, hearts are tangled, and the fourth wall doesn’t stand a chance.

Design Elements: You are encouraged (but not required) to incorporate one of the following:

Richard III:

  • “My conscience hath a thousand several tongues.”

  • “And thus I clothe my naked villany.”

  • “A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”

  • “I am determined to prove a villain.”

Emma:

  • Playing Cupid Since 1815

  • Not All Heroes Wear Bonnets

  • Meddle with Pride, Fall with Charm

  • Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Mess

  • I Never Make Mistakes. Just… Strategic Misjudgments.

Format Requirements:

  • 300 dpi resolution

  • 8.5 x 11 inches

  • Transparent background

  • PNG file format

  • Must incorporate SVS’ logo; click here to download

  • Black and white only

RULES

  • Each entry must be the artist’s original work, never before published, printed, or used elsewhere.

  • By entering, artists agree that Silicon Valley Shakespeare may use submitted artwork, whether selected as the winner or not, in marketing, promotional, and archival materials in perpetuity, with proper credit when feasible.

  • Artists are welcome to submit more than one entry.

  • Submissions must be received by 5 PM PDT on Friday, May 30th.

HOW TO ENTER

Email your completed design file by clicking the EMAIL button and using the subject line “SVS T-shirt Design Contest Entry.” Include your full name, phone number, and a brief (1–2 sentence) description of your concept.

THE PRIZE

One winning artist will receive:

  • A $150 cash prize

    • Winner will not receive any portion of the proceeds from the sale of items featuring their design.

  • Two tickets to each show in our 2025 Sanborn Park repertory season

Let your imagination run wild—whether it’s dripping with dramatic flair or sparkling with Austenian wit. We can’t wait to wear your art!