Engaging local schools in a pre-eisteddfod poetry competition

A pre-eisteddfod poetry competition gives pupils a welcoming first encounter with Welsh poetry before they enter the wider programme of a local eisteddfod. It can bring teachers, families, community members and young writers together around a shared cultural occasion, while giving the main event a steady flow of new competitors and supporters. The emphasis is on participation, confidence and discovery rather than reproducing every feature of a full eisteddfod.

For Australian organisers, the model must respect a mixed reality: term dates and public holidays differ across states, regional schools face travel and online-access barriers, and school calendars already contain assemblies, speech nights and house competitions. A practical Australian approach makes the poetry event feel like a school tradition, gives every child a “come and have a go” opportunity, and connects classroom learning with the community halls, councils and cultural networks that sustain local Welsh life.

Build a competition with a clear purpose

Begin with a simple promise: every participating school will have a route into Welsh poetry, whether pupils write in Welsh, write in English, or work with both languages. Offer age-banded categories and separate prizes for written and performed entries. A short poem on a set theme can be the core task, with optional extensions such as an englyn, a response to a traditional story, or a group piece created with a visiting poet. This keeps the task focused while allowing teachers to connect it to literacy, music, history and arts programmes.

Define the roles before entries arrive. The school appoints a teacher coordinator and confirms the pupils, timetable and consent arrangements. The local eisteddfod provides a mentor, an adjudicator or a panel, and a place in the main programme for selected work. Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru can advise on the cultural framework, workshop delivery, promotion and links to established community expertise. Family volunteers may support rehearsals, refreshments and fundraising, while keeping educational and assessment decisions with the school.

Make entry easy to understand. Publish one page for teachers, a shorter pupil version, plain-language guidelines, key dates, word limits, accessibility options and a single contact point. A modest entry fee, or no fee at all, prevents cost from becoming a barrier; donated prizes and sponsor support can cover certificates, books, recording equipment and travel. Market the competition as a celebratory Welsh cultural event, not an extension of high-stakes testing, and invite every school to acknowledge participation rather than ranking only the strongest entries.

Work with the Australian school year

Build the timetable around the school year, not around an existing festival date. Australian term dates vary by state, and Easter, Christmas and other public holidays can alter the weeks available. Identify term and staff weeks early, then allow several weeks for workshops, drafting and rehearsals. Schedule the final event for a time when families and invited community members can attend without requiring pupils to miss a full day of instruction. An assembly may suit one school, while a twilight gathering or weekend workshop may suit another.

Regional and remote schools need a different delivery plan. In a regional New South Wales or Victorian community, a visiting poet may need to travel overnight or work through videoconferencing; in a metro area around Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane or Hobart, schools may be able to share one event. Provide downloadable workshop materials, a recorded introduction and a digital submission option. If pupils travel to a central venue, organise transport, supervision, meal arrangements and accessible toilets well before the day.

Check local council or community-hall availability, insurance, emergency procedures and the school’s own risk-assessment process. Budget for accompanists, microphones, adjudicator expenses, printing, postage, prizes and contingency, then approach local businesses, Welsh societies and cultural grants for practical support. A head teacher or school board may need to approve the event and any photography or recordings. Holding a pre-event briefing for teachers, volunteers and performers helps everyone understand arrival times, access needs, judging criteria and escalation contacts.

Teach Welsh poetry with confidence

Give teachers enough cultural and practical support to lead the work confidently. A workshop sequence can begin with listening to Welsh song, then move towards spoken and written forms, performance conventions and local eisteddfod history. Use familiar classroom methods: model a poem aloud, map its structure, invite pupils to draft, and use paired rehearsal before a public reading. Teachers who are not Welsh speakers can still lead creative sessions by working alongside a Welsh-speaking mentor, Welsh cultural organisation or experienced parent volunteer.

For a performed category, the cerdd dant accompaniment guide explains how poetry is set to a melody and supported by accompaniment. That resource gives teachers and accompanists a common starting point for rehearsals, including decisions about instruments, tempo and balance. Have the musical support identified early, rehearse without pressure, and record a practice version if pupils are nervous about the first performance. The aim is to make the form understandable, not to turn a classroom activity into an audition for professional standards.

Make language access explicit. Some pupils will be fluent Welsh speakers, others may be beginners, and many will be writing in English while learning Welsh vocabulary and pronunciation. Provide recordings, pronunciation notes and the option to submit a translation. Set judging criteria so creativity and understanding can be recognised without assuming that English-language entries are culturally less valuable. A translation-supported category can welcome careful work in either language, while a Welsh-language category remains available where teachers and mentors can assess the language with confidence.

Protect participation and make the event welcoming

Safeguarding belongs in the first planning meeting. Schools should apply their usual policies for adult volunteers, visitor checks, supervision ratios, consent, transport and emergency contact. Offer a clear route for a parent or carer to discuss access needs, including hearing, vision, mobility, anxiety, attention or a preference to work without performing. Auslan interpretation, live captions, large-print materials and a quiet waiting space can be arranged where needed. Recordings and photographs should be published only with specific permission, and every entry should carry a simple code of respect.

Treat cultural authority with care. Welsh language, pronunciation and traditional forms should be presented accurately and central to the event, while teachers avoid asking pupils to imitate unfamiliar customs for decoration. Where the school works with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students or communities, involve local First Nations partners in decisions about language, welcome protocols and public presentation, and resource that participation properly. Wider cultural partnerships should also be reciprocal rather than extractive. The community-led approach associated with community arts advocacy demonstrates how creative work can support public participation, while each tradition should retain its own governance and meaning.

Run the event so that first-time readers feel they belong. Use a warm welcome, explain the Welsh-language context, allow a short preparation period, and make applause part of the judging. Adjudicators can give each class or school group a brief feedback comment, followed by individual written feedback that celebrates a specific strength and suggests one possible next step. Announce results with all categories represented, thank accompanists and volunteers, and explain how pupils can progress to workshops, choirs, dance groups or the main eisteddfod. A good final round should leave participants looking forward, rather than measuring worth by a prize.

Turn one competition into lasting engagement

Plan the first event as the start of a pathway. Record which schools take part, how many pupils use each entry route, which support makes participation possible, and what teachers need next year. Ask for short feedback from pupils, families and adjudicators, then review those findings with the school coordinators. Identify pupils who want to join the local eisteddfod and invite them to a taster session in folk singing, folk dancing or further poetry work. This creates a natural bridge from competition to the society’s broader programme of workshops and development projects.

Keep the public story simple: a school partnership, a date for writing, a celebration of young voices and a route into the local eisteddfod. Use school newsletters, parent networks, local media and Welsh community channels, but ask organisers to nominate one spokesperson so families receive consistent information. Share the call for entries with neighbouring schools and include transport, access and language-support details. Prepare a simple risk plan, adjudicator brief and volunteer schedule before promotion starts, since accurate information strengthens trust and reduces pressure on participating families.

Start with a named school coordinator and a date for a half-day staff briefing. The coordinator can invite language teachers, generalist classroom teachers, Welsh cultural volunteers and one family representative to form the working group, then ask the local eisteddfod committee to confirm its mentor and adjudicator. Use the competition launch to announce a workshop date, entry route, accessible submission option and safeguarding contact. Secure the venue before publicity begins, so families receive accurate information. Share the entry pack with neighbouring schools and invite a local partner to help with prizes or transport. Review entry forms, teacher feedback and participation data at the first debrief, then decide what to repeat. Keep poems, performance recordings and photographs only with agreed permissions, and credit every young poet and collaborating adult. By making the competition a shared local project rather than a one-off assembly, the event can become a dependable feeder for the eisteddfod and a practical expression of Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru’s commitment to future generations. Choose one school, name one teacher liaison, and place the first poetry workshop in the calendar.