Verse and Eloquence Festival, London

Enrolment Guide and Video Requirements:

Everything You Need to Know

Enrolment Fee:

Complimentary

Deadline for Enrolment and Video Submission:

May 31, 2024

Results Announcement:

Jun 16, 2024

Competition Category:

1. Storytelling Solo
2. Public Speaking Solo (Recitation)
3. Public Speaking Team (Recitation)
4. Solo Verse Speaking
5. Solo Prose Speaking
6. Solo Bible Speaking
7. News Feature Presentation Solo
8. Choral Speaking
9. Shakespeare Monologue
10. Drama

The performance time limit is 5 minutes except category 7, 8, 9 & 10

Competition Classes:

1. Pre-Nursery Category
2. Foundation Stage / Kindergarten 1 to 3 Category
3. Year 1-3 / Primary School P1-P3 Category
4. Year 4-6 / Primary School P4-P6 Category
5. Year 7-9 / Secondary School S1-S3 Category
6. Year 10-11 / Secondary School S4-S6 Category
7. Open Category
(for Mixed Age, Mixed Voice, or Any Categories or Classes not listed)
8. Parent-child Category

Competition Format:

-Languages: Cantonese, English, and Mandarin
-Video submissions
(YouTube link is preferred. For those who provide google drive links, please grant the permission to ‘info@hkmarathon.com’)

News Feature Presentation Classes:

-Candidates should summarize the chosen articles and present the news in their own words
-Candidates simply reading out the chosen articles will have their marks affected
-Cue cards may be used in these classes

The performance time is limited to under 10 minutes

Choral Speaking:

-The number of members in a group for Choral Speaking is restricted to 10-50
-Group Assessment Criteria:
i) Create and perform a recital as a group
ii) Use appropriate technical skills
iii) Interact as a group

The performance time is limited to under 10 minutes

Shakespeare Monologue:

-This class is primarily for native speakers who use English as their first language
-The standard of adjudication for this class is highly maintained
-Candidates in this class should choose one of the set pieces or submit their Own Choice piece (if applicable) to perform
-Music and sound effects are not allowed

The performance time is limited to under 10 minutes

Drama:

-The standard of adjudication for this class is highly maintained

The performance time is limited to under 10 minutes

Theme:

Candidates are encouraged to select themes of their choice (such as poetry, speeches, stories, and more), and are also welcome to incorporate materials from other contests or other esteemed inter-school competitions.

Video Recording:

-Video submissions (Recommend using a YouTube link, at least 720p quality, set to 'unlisted.' )
-Neat, tidy and appropriate attire is required during video-recording.
-Candidates shall follow the below order in recording the video:
(i) Announce their names, category and class according to the enrolment.
(ii) Announce the title and the author of the piece.
(iii) Perform the whole piece once.

Video Requirements:

-If candidate(s) perform the same piece repeatedly in a video, only the first performance will be adjudicated.
-Candidates will be disqualified if they fail to comply with the following:
i) The video must be a single, continuous shot video footage. Candidates must not stop or pause the camera during shooting.
ii) Special effects (such as filters, transitions, colour adjustments, light adjustments or subtitles etc.), mixing, editing or post-production are not permitted.
iii) The video must be recorded live and dubbing is not permitted.

The Making of Video:

-Earbuds / in-ear headphones as sound receivers are not allowed.
-Candidates’ marks will be affected if they do not observe the following:
i) The audio and video have to synchronize and the sound quality is clear and smooth.
ii) The resolution of the video should be 720p (1280x720) or above.
iii) The shooting has to be done indoor with a simple background and sufficient lighting. Avoid having any bright lights from behind, and virtual or projected background. The recording environment has to be quiet.
iv) The entire video must clearly show the candidate's full body, appearance, actions and posture.
v) When shooting, the camera has to be stable without any camera movement (including zoom in / out).
vi) Not to use amplifiers for any purpose.
vii) If the video cannot be played during the adjudication period, regardless of reasons, the candidates will not receive any marks or be able to apply for certificates.

General Rules:

-Candidates should use their names identical to that of their ID cards / travel documents / birth certificates for all the entries.
-Candidates should enter classes according to the requirements stipulated in the current categories, e.g. the age, education level, gender, etc.
-All classes must be performed from memory at the competition, except News Feature Presentation classes.