SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 25 & 26 MARCH 2023
CLOSING DATE: 31 JANUARY 2023
Redmaids’ High School, Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3AW
Speech & Drama Section Information
1. The Festival is open to all who do not make their living wholly or in part from the discipline entered.
2. The Festival operates a zero-tolerance policy towards any expression of racism, personal abuse, defamation of character, swearing and explicit sexual references or any other behaviour which may cause offence to others.
3. All entry fees must be paid for in advance. A commitment to the Festival dates must be ensured prior to entering the Festival. No refunds will be given should a class not be attended. Participants cannot enter the same class more than once. The closing date will be strictly adhered to. Late entries will incur a penalty of £2 per entry.
4. Trophies should be returned in a clean condition. If you wish your trophy to be engraved, this will be at your own expense and should be carried before the return date of 31 January the following year. All trophies remain the property of the Bristol Eisteddfod Association. Medals can be retained by the participant.
5. Substitutions are not permitted, except in exceptional circumstances. This must be discussed with the Speech & Drama Committee.
6. Appropriate material. Participants and teachers should ensure that their selected pieces are of a suitable standard for the age group. Please be sensitive towards the audience regarding the content of scenes. Offensive language must not be included.
7. Clean copies of all performance scripts must be available for the Adjudicator prior to the performance. Typed up copies of pieces are acceptable and can be collected after the performance. If they are not collected, they will be destroyed.
8. No instruction, mouthing of words, or gestures by teachers or parents is allowed during the performance. This may incur a penalty. It is not the role of the Adjudicator or Steward to prompt. Participants are advised to provide their own prompter.
9. There is to be no conferring with the Adjudicator on any matter. The Adjudicator’s decision is final.
10. Gesture and movement are not permitted in verse speaking classes.
11. Time limits must be strictly adhered to. Penalties can be put in place if the participant exceeds the given time limit. If the time limit is exceeded, the Adjudicator has the right to stop the performance. Introductions are not counted in the time limit.
12. Full costume is not permitted apart from practice skirts, drama blacks, and small hand-held props, i.e. fans, sticks, shawls and scarfs. Basic furniture props will be provided by the Festival, i.e. tables and chairs.
13. A neat appearance is expected at all times. Hair should preferably be tied back with no obstruction to the face.
14. Music may be used as a background to mime, acting and group work. This must be provided by the participant and own equipment must be used. This should be operated by the teacher or fellow student.
15. A group performance must consist of at least 3 speaking parts.
Rebecca trained as a journalist at Cardiff University - during which time she wrote a weekly column for The Guardian newspaper, before moving to study with The Actors Company. Appointed Head of Speech and Drama at Dean Close School (Cheltenham) in 2003, her pupils have been offered training places at all the major UK acting schools. Rebecca has worked for the BBC, Channel 4, RSC and Working Title.
She is Founder of Close Up Theatre - which has won the elite Sell-Out Status for nine years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is also Artistic Director for No Prophet Theatre as well as an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals.
Norma Redfearn BA, MA, LGSM, LLAM, LTCL, ALCM, PGCA
Norma trained at the Northern College of Speech and Drama and researched at Leicester University. She began her acting career in Rep, and then performed in professional tours all over the UK. As an examiner for Trinity College, she has examined students, lectured and performed on every continent, as well as setting and marking written examinations. She received the Chairman’s award for services to Trinity. Norma next examined for LAMDA and since 2014, has been examining for Vanguard Examinations.
She is proud to be an adjudicating member of the British and International Federation of Festivals (BIFF). She regularly adjudicates at the Hong Kong Festival and at the Sri Lankan Festival of Performing Arts. Norma is co-author of a book on Public Speaking for LAMDA and she often adjudicates at the National ‘Youth Speaks’ competitions in the UK. She has taught, lectured and been Head of Drama at a variety of schools and colleges and she continues to teach at her private studio. Many of her former students are pursuing successful acting careers in the theatre and television, and there are others who are qualified Drama teachers. Her greatest joy, however, is equipping students with life skills and the ability to take their place in society confidently.
She believes the Festival Movement is a wonderful tool to help the development of confidence in all who enter and she looks forward to sharing once again with the students at the Bristol Festival in this celebration of their achievements.