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Competition Information
The competition entry deadline - 2nd April
10 Finalists announcement - 30th April
Grande Finale at Shakespeare's Globe - 6th July
There are two Poetry By Heart entry categories:
Classic is a competitive 2-poem national championship for solo performers. The emphasis is on competition with a formal set of judging criteria and trophies for National Champions.
Poem choice: Children choose two poems from the Poetry By Heart website – www.poetrybyheart.org.uk . One poem published in or after 1914, and one published from before 1914.
Judging criteria: Poetry by Heart is a poetry recitation competition rather than a drama competition and each recitation is judged by four categories: Voice, Understanding, Performance and Accuracy.
Freestyle is a more informal 1-poem celebration for solo, pair or group (max 15) performers. It’s about having fun and taking part, with an emphasis on creative, diverse and inclusive performances. As a freestyle celebration pupils can use any combination of voice, movement, action, image, setting, costume, music, sound, dramatisation or dance – as long as the poem is spoken out loud and by heart. Freestyle selection focuses on a compelling original performance of the poem.
Poem choice: The poem can be selected from any period. Children can choose any poem on the Poetry By Heart website – www.poetrybyheart.org.uk or they can choose a poem from the collections available on the Poetry Archive, Children’s Poetry Archive, CLPE or Poetry Society websites. It is also permissible to perform a published poem in another language or a child’s own poem.
Judging criteria: The team of expert judges will select a range of the most compelling original performances by pupils, school staff and trainee teachers. They’ll decide this through discussion and deliberation rather than formal criteria, and whoever impresses them most, for whatever reason, will be invited to come to Shakespeare’s Globe to take part in the Grand Finale and perform their poem on stage.
If you would like more information about Poetry by Heart please see https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/
Any questions please contact Mrs Lilley jlilley@thorngrove.herts.sch.uk or the class teacher.
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