2025 Syllabus - Speech Arts

General Rules
a) One selection only is required which must have been performed at the Local Festival, received a minimum mark of 85 and the recommendation of the local Adjudicator. The Adjudicator will take repertoire choice into consideration.
b) Competitors must enter the class corresponding to the age of the oldest member of the duet/trio.
c) All content and material should be age-appropriate and suitable for all ages/audiences.
d) The selection must be performed from memory, except for Public Speaking where cue cards are allowed.
e) Outlines are required for mime, public speaking and storytelling.
f) Full costume is not necessary. A suggestion of a costume (hat, shawl, jacket, vest) is sufficient.
g) Minimal, hand-held stage props are allowed.
h) For the purpose of this competition:
• Adult & Child duets: Adult is defined as anyone over the age of 19 speaking alongside a younger child.
i) All competitors must be an amateur which shall be defined as any person whose principle means of livelihood is not obtained from the performance or teaching of music in the particular category in which they are competing, even though, from time to time, they may receive remuneration on an occasional basis (not full-time). Please click here for the full definition of Amateur vs Professional: omfa.ca/glossary
j) All criteria listed in the OMFA General Rules (omfa.ca/virtual-festival/rules-regulations) must be strictly adhered to.

Video Submission Requirements
j) Video must be submitted by your Local Festival's entry deadline date for Provincials.
k) One original script with scene or excerpt, clearly marked or highlighted, (or printed text citing title, author and source) must be shown on camera prior to the beginning of the performance.
l) Only YouTube videos will be permitted (i.e. google drives, vimeo, mp3's, mp4's, dropbox etc. are not permitted).
m) All videos must have "YouTube kid" settings turned off. You may choose to have your video "unlisted" but "private" videos are not permitted. Please also ensure that the video is allowed to be embedded in other programs.
n) The video must clearly show the full bodies of each performer. A stationary camera position must be used throughout.
o) No mixing or sound enhancement is allowed through any kind of soundboard, including a recording studio or computer. No reverb can be added to the recording. The recording must be honest and acoustic – as if the adjudicators were in the room listening to you perform live. You must perform live on the video. No audio dubbing over your video is allowed.
p) The video should be in the spirit of a recital or an audition and therefore you should dress appropriately.
q) You are required to introduce yourself and your selection in the video, either verbally or with a title card and must be limited to the following:
• Your Name
• The Level you have entered
• The Name of author, playwright or poet, and name of larger work (if applicable)
r) Do not announce your teacher/s name, where you are from or at which local festival you performed. Do not use your teacher's YouTube channel to submit your videos.

Speech Arts Selections and Resources

The RCM Speech Arts Syllabus is a good resource for examples of poetry and prose excerpts for all age levels.

You may select your selection from one of the following categories:

Poetry– (Lyric, Narrative, Humorous, Canadian, Original, Slam):

• Lyric Poetry – a short poem that is contemplative, an expression of the inner thoughts and feelings of the poet. It includes sonnets, odes and elegies. Selections exhibit a graceful musical rhythm and flow. The content is reflective and emotional, typically written in the first person, and the story element is of secondary importance to the emotion/feeling. Not dramatized. No (or limited) movement or gestures so that attention is never drawn away from the language. (Examples include select works of Dickinson, Shelley, Keats, Rossetti, Tagore, etc.)
• Narrative Poetry– a poem that tells a story, or recounts an event, through verse. It contains a plot, characters, and a setting. It often contains action and dialogue but is told from the narrator's perspective. Usually written in metered verse but does not need to rhyme. Gestures are allowed for emphasis but it is not dramatized. Any movement should flow naturally from the text and the narrator's interpretation. (Examples include select works of Poe, Longfellow, Tennyson, St. Vincent Millay, etc.)
• Humorous Poetry– a light or humorous poem (examples include select works of Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash, etc.)
• Canadian Poetry – a published poem written by a Canadian/Indigenous poet. (Examples include select works of Roberts, Service, Carson, Lampman, Atwood, Cohen, Montgomery, Ondaatje, Thomas, etc.)
• Original Poetry– Competitors perform their own original poem from memory. Performa