Freestyle judging criteria

Freestyle is a fun celebration of poetry which showcases creative, diverse and inclusive achievement in speaking a poem. It’s about celebrating poetry in any way pupils choose.

The team of expert judges will select a range of the most compelling original Freestyle performances. They’ll be looking for a really vibrant mix of poems, performances and performers. All the selected Freestyle performers will be invited to share their poem at Shakespeare’s Globe, at our Grand Finale.

At the Grand Finale, the audience will be invited to select their favourite Freestyle performances, and the winners will be presented with People’s Choice Awards.

See the Poetry by Heart website for examples of previous winners and more information.