Speech & Drama · Australia & New Zealand
Canberra’s national eisteddfod, with real Drama (Character Solo) and Drama Group classes across a 6-tier age ladder from 8 Years & Under to Open (17 & Over).
Sets up a national eisteddfod style drama section: solo character pieces across six age tiers from 8 and under to Open (17 and over), and group plays from 14 and under upwards, each with its own time limit and a ten point judging scale.
This template rebuilds the drama section of a national eisteddfod held in Australia’s capital, a speech and drama festival in which entrants perform in front of an adjudicator and are placed within their age tier. A coordinator opens an event that already carries the age tiers, the two drama items and the timings, rather than a blank catalogue. It suits any speech and drama festival, school drama day or youth theatre showcase that wants solo and group performance classes ranked by age.
There are two items. Drama is a character solo: one performer presents a single character piece, and the source publishes it as six classes, from 8 years and under through 10, 12, 14 and 16 and under, to an Open class for 17 and over. Drama Group is a team item with three classes only, 14 and under, 16 and under and Open, because the source has no group drama class for younger entrants. The template therefore leaves group drama unassigned for the three youngest tiers instead of inventing one. Boys and girls compete together and the language is English.
Time limits come straight from the source and grow with age. A solo runs 2 minutes for the youngest tier, then 3, 4, 4, 6 and 6 minutes up to Open. A group play runs 7 minutes for 14 and under, 8 for 16 and under and 10 for Open. The source prints no marking rubric. It describes mark bands (participation from 70, highly commended from 80, eligible for places from 85) and the first three placings, so the template uses a nominal ten point scale and installs places with zero points. Add a marking sheet before the day if you want criterion scores.
This is only the drama part of a much larger speech and drama division. Poetry and prose recital, reading at sight, mime, improvisation and public speech are not included, nor are entry fees, which are installed as zero so each organiser sets their own. Use the Registration Page to take entries, check each performer’s age on the day, and read your own syllabus for yearly changes.
Where this event comes from
The template follows the 2026 speech and drama event guide of a national eisteddfod in Canberra, whose drama classes are timed and tiered as described here.
Where this event is run
Australia, where eisteddfods are long-standing community and school festivals with speech and drama divisions, and the same structure of age tiers, timed pieces and an adjudicator is used by drama festivals in several other countries. The layout suits any organiser running solo and group drama by age, and is less suited to a festival that wants separate boys and girls classes or scored rubrics out of 100.
- Australia (national eisteddfod speech and drama)
Key facts
- Two items: Drama (individual character solo) and Drama Group (team)
- Six age tiers: 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and Open (17+)
- Group drama has three classes only: 14 and under, 16 and under and Open
- Solo time limits run from 2 to 6 minutes; group limits from 7 to 10 minutes
- Boys and girls compete together, in English, on a nominal ten point scale
- Entry fees are installed as zero; mark bands and places are described in the source but carry no points
- Age groups
- 6
- Competition items
- 2
- Competitions
- 9
- Grade bands
- 0
- Rank awards
- 0
Age groups
Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.
8 Years & Under
Candidates aged 5 to 8 compete in this group
9-10 Years
Candidates aged 9 to 10 compete in this group
11-12 Years
Candidates aged 11 to 12 compete in this group
13-14 Years
Candidates aged 13 to 14 compete in this group
15-16 Years
Candidates aged 15 to 16 compete in this group
Open (17+)
Candidates aged 17 to 120 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Years & Under | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 2 min |
| 9-10 Years | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 3 min |
| 11-12 Years | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 4 min |
| 13-14 Years | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 4 min |
| Drama Group | Team | — | English | 10 | 7 min |
| 15-16 Years | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 6 min |
| Drama Group | Team | — | English | 10 | 8 min |
| Open (17+) | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Drama | Individual | — | English | 10 | 6 min |
| Drama Group | Team | — | English | 10 | 10 min |
Frequently asked questions
Can I change this template after installing it?
Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.
Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.
Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to drama and skit competition judging criteria.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
