A low-pressure performance class in which a young speaker, singer or instrumentalist gives a short own-choice piece in public for the experience, with a brief written comment and a certificate instead of marks or awards.
Confidence Builder is an unusual item because it deliberately takes the competition out of the competition. It is a performance class for the child, parent or school that wants the experience of standing in front of an audience and an adjudicator, but does not want a result at the end of it. The idea behind it is that many young people are frightened by the very thought of performing or of being judged, and so never find out what performing does for them. This class removes the fear of failing: nobody is graded, nobody is ranked, and nobody is compared with anyone else.
The choice of piece is the entrant’s own, within a short list of categories. On the speech side an entrant can give solo verse speaking, which is a poem spoken aloud, a poetry ensemble for a group speaking together, or a prepared reading. On the music side an entrant can sing a vocal solo with piano accompaniment only, or play an instrumental solo on an acoustic instrument. Every performance is capped at a strict two minutes, so a round is quick, and an entrant is allowed to take part in as many Confidence Builder events as they like.
An entry looks the same as an entry in a graded class from the outside: the entrant is called, performs the prepared piece and leaves. What differs is what comes back. There is no mark, no diploma, gold, silver or bronze award, and no result is provided or recorded. Instead the entrant receives a brief written report that says what was achieved rather than what could not be done, plus a certificate of participation. The adjudicator does not give spoken feedback at the end of the session, as happens in the graded classes, so nobody is singled out in front of the room.
Organisers run it for two reasons. It widens who takes part: a school in a remote area, or an institution that wants to put a large number of learners in front of an adjudicator at their own school, can use it at a fee well below the graded classes. It is also a rehearsal room: entrants who plan to compete in the graded classes later use it to practise a public performance, and the sessions are scheduled at the start of the festival so they come before the competitive programme.
Where Confidence Builder comes from
Confidence Builder was introduced by South Africa’s national eisteddfod as a lower-fee, non-graded offering alongside its graded sections, so that performers and families who dislike the competitive element could still perform and be listened to.
Where Confidence Builder is run
On eTalenter this item appears in one template, the template modelled on South Africa’s national eisteddfod, where it is offered in all three entry categories: Entry Level, Junior (Grades 4 to 7) and Senior (Grade 8 and above). The class is described by that festival’s own prospectus and is run in its regions across the country. Few other festivals run a purely non-graded class, so treat this page as a description of one festival’s offering and not as a general rule for “confidence” classes elsewhere. Check the organiser’s own notice for any other event that uses the name.
- South Africa
Key facts
- An Individual item, open to both genders, offered in the Entry Level, Junior (Grades 4 to 7) and Senior (Grade 8 and above) categories
- Own-choice categories: solo verse speaking (poetry), poetry ensemble, prepared reading, vocal solo with piano accompaniment only, and instrumental solo on an acoustic instrument
- The festival’s rules cap every performance at two minutes; the template itself sets no time limit
- The festival’s rules describe no grading: no marks, no diploma, gold, silver or bronze, no results recorded, and not eligible for showcase events or awards
- Each entrant receives a brief written report and a certificate of participation, with no spoken feedback at the end of the session
- The template carries a 100-mark working scale like its other items; that scale is eTalenter’s default and is not something the festival prescribes for this class
On eTalenter, Confidence Builder is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Confidence Builder is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Confidence Builder
What a Confidence Builder panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- There is no marking scheme to win: the source describes no marks and no awards, so the judging is a short written comment on what the entrant achieved
- Comments are framed around what went well, not around what the entrant cannot yet do, so the adjudicator looks for the strengths in the two minutes: a clear voice, a steady start, a piece that suits the performer
- Clarity and delivery in the speech categories: words that can be heard and understood, a pace the audience can follow, and a poem or reading that is plainly understood by the person giving it
- Pitch and steadiness in the music categories: a vocal line sung in tune with the piano, or an instrument played with an even pulse and a controlled start and finish
- Courage and commitment: finishing the piece, keeping going after a slip and looking up at the audience count for more in this class than polish, because the stated purpose is confidence
- Fit with the two-minute limit: a piece that has been chosen or trimmed to finish inside the time earns a calmer report than one that is cut off
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Confidence Builder under Scoring Setup, or start from judge scoring and tabulation software.
How to prepare for Confidence Builder
How entrants and their teachers usually get Confidence Builder right on the day:
- Choose a piece the entrant already likes: a short poem, a favourite song or a tune they can play without thinking, because the aim is enjoyment and not difficulty
- Time the piece with a stopwatch during practice and trim it to comfortably under two minutes, so the day does not end in an interruption
- Practise performing before a real audience of two or three family members or classmates, standing up, a few times before the day, so the first public performance is not the one at the festival
- For the poetry ensemble, rehearse the group as a single voice: agree where each person breathes and where the speaker changes, so the poem sounds shared and not shouted
- For the vocal and instrumental solos, rehearse with the accompanist or the exact instrument in the room where possible, and check the key and tempo so the entrant does not meet either for the first time on stage
- Prepare a plain first line and a plain last line: knowing how to begin and how to stop removes most of the fear of the middle
- Treat the written report as the prize: read it with the entrant afterwards, keep the good comments, and use it to decide whether a graded class is the next step
Ready-made event templates that include Confidence Builder
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Eisteddfod of South Africa (NEA) | On Stage | Marks | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Confidence Builder judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Confidence Builder a competition?
No. The festival’s own rules describe it as a class for performing without the competition element. There is no grading, no marks or awards, and no results are provided or recorded, and entries are not considered for showcase events or awards.
How long can a Confidence Builder performance be?
The festival’s rules set a strict maximum of two minutes per performance. The eTalenter template does not set a time limit of its own, so an organiser using it should state the two minutes in the entry notice.
What can I perform in Confidence Builder?
An own-choice piece in one of the offered categories: solo verse speaking (poetry), a poetry ensemble, a prepared reading, a vocal solo with piano accompaniment only, or an instrumental solo on an acoustic instrument.
Does the entrant get feedback?
Yes, but in writing and in brief. Each entrant receives a short written report on what was achieved and a certificate of participation. The adjudicator does not give spoken feedback at the end of the session, as happens in the graded classes.
Want the full judging picture? Read judge scoring and tabulation software, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Confidence Builder in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Confidence Builder, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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