Burdekin Junior Eisteddfod – Speech & Drama — A North Queensland Junior Eisteddfod Speech & Drama Section: Six Classes from Recitation to Group Mime

Speech & Drama · Australia & New Zealand

The 42nd Burdekin Junior Eisteddfod’s (Queensland, Australia, AESA member) Speech & Drama section: 6 real classes (Recitation-Prose, Solo Drama, Solo Mime, Public Speaking, Small Play Group, Mime Group) across 3 real age bands, built from the eisteddfod’s own official 2026 syllabus.

A ready-made speech and drama section for a junior eisteddfod, with four solo classes and two group classes across three age bands, real time limits per class and a nominal mark out of 10.

This template models the Speech & Drama section of a long-running junior eisteddfod held each May in the sugar-growing town of Ayr, in North Queensland, Australia. Children and teenagers present prepared pieces to an adjudicator, who awards a mark and gives spoken feedback. It is built from the eisteddfod’s published 2026 syllabus, so the six classes and their time limits are real; dates, fees and age rules change from year to year, so check the current syllabus before reusing it.

Six items are modelled. Four are solo classes: Recitation – Prose, Solo Drama, Solo Mime and Public Speaking. Two are group classes: Small Play (Group), a short staged play for an ensemble, and Mime (Group), a silent team piece. All are open to boys and girls and performed in English. The syllabus uses two slightly different age ladders, one for solo classes and one for group classes, so the template reconciles them into three non-overlapping bands: 12 and under, 13-14, and 15 and above.

Time limits are the real ones from the syllabus. Recitation – Prose allows a minute and a half for 12 and under and two minutes above that; Solo Drama allows two minutes, then three; Solo Mime one minute, then a minute and a half; Public Speaking two minutes, then three. Small Play runs to ten minutes, rising to twelve at 15 and above, and Mime (Group) to two minutes, rising to two and a half. The template calculates time per head.

The syllabus prints no judging criteria, so every class is scored on a nominal 10 with a single mark, and entry fees are installed as zero for each organiser to set (the real eisteddfod charged a modest solo fee and a higher group fee). Other classes in the real syllabus, such as verse speaking and character poems, use a finer age ladder and are not built here. Before the day, tell entrants what the adjudicator will weigh, such as clarity, characterisation, control of time and, for groups, how well the cast works together.

Where this event comes from

The Speech & Drama classes are one section of a junior eisteddfod that has been held for over forty years in Ayr, North Queensland, Australia.

Where this event is run

Eisteddfods are competitive festivals of speech, drama and music that grew out of Welsh tradition and are now a familiar part of community life in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries with similar school systems. Local arts societies, schools and drama teachers run smaller versions of the same format, with an adjudicator, an age-based time limit and one mark per performance.

• Australia

Key facts

• Six competitions: Recitation – Prose, Solo Drama, Solo Mime and Public Speaking (individual), plus Small Play (Group) and Mime (Group) as teams
• Three age groups: 12 and under, 13-14, and 15 and above, open to boys and girls and performed in English
• Solo time limits run from one minute (Solo Mime, 12 and under) to three minutes (Solo Drama and Public Speaking, 13 and over)
• Small Play allows ten minutes, rising to twelve for 15 and above; Mime (Group) allows two minutes, rising to two and a half
• Scored on a nominal 10 with a single mark; no criteria sheet is printed in the source
• Verse speaking, character poem and other classes of the real syllabus are not modelled

Age groups

3

Competition items

6

Competitions

18

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.

12 and under

4From

–

12To

Candidates aged 4 to 12 compete in this group

13-14

13From

–

14To

Candidates aged 13 to 14 compete in this group

15 and above

15From

–

120To

Candidates aged 15 to 120 compete in this group

Competition items

The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.

Recitation - Prose

LiteraryMarks

Solo Drama

ActionMarks

Solo Mime

ActionMarks

Public Speaking

LiteraryMarks

Small Play (Group)

ActionMarks

Mime (Group)

ActionMarks

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 mono act judging criteria guide.