Who may enter and how does one qualify to enter into this competition in 2025?
This competition is open to all recipients of diploma awards in the National Eisteddfod 2024, as well as top achievers who participated in other local eisteddfods / festivals during 2024 (excluding ALL reading, improvised categories, as well as all novice categories).
The following options are available for participation in the FIRST and SECOND ROUNDS of the Young Performer Awards Competition:
Applicable to all participants in the annual National Eisteddfod of South Africa®
Diploma recipients in the National Eisteddfod 2024 have already qualified to enter the Young Performer Awards Competition 2025 and have TWO options available for participating in the FIRST and SECOND ROUNDS:
ALL PARTICIPANTS – LIVE PERFORMANCE – You are required to perform live at a given venue on the date that will be provided on the online entry platform. |
ONLY FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM OTHER PROVINCES -VIDEO RECORDED PERFORMANCE – You may submit a video recording of your performance no later than 1 March 2025. |
Participants in the National Eisteddfod of 2025 also have the following options available:
- Participants may submit their entries ONLINE at a lower entry fee.
- Participants also have the option to submit their entries in a Hard Copy format (a higher entry fee is charged for hard copy entries.)
- Individual participants are no longer limited to only the exact “approved” items as presented at the Eisteddfod in 2024:
- Similar items have been grouped together to create new broader categories that require a similar “skill set”. (For example: Lyrical Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Free Verse Poetry etc. have been grouped together in a “Poetry Category“).
- This approach now opens up new opportunities for the serious performer: If you have received a diploma award for any one item in this category, you may now enter any number of the other items in the same category. For example: if you only qualified with your performance of a narrative poem, you may now also enter a lyrical poem and/or free verse and/or another narrative poem in the same category.
- The rationale for this approach is that achievement on diploma level in any category is considered as confirmation that the participant has acquired the higher skills level required in the given category. This now provides for an opportunity to present additional items within the “approved” skill set and is also an incentive for the participant to stretch his/her wings.
- When submitting entries ONLINE, participants will notice that their approved entries include the item(s) that they received diplomas for, as well as all the other available items in the same category that they now may enter for. In addition, the items now also reflect their current grades (except for the open section).
Applicable to participants in all other festivals / events (in other words, someone who didn’t participate in last year’s National Eisteddfod events)
- Any participant that received a diploma or similar award in any other festival or event during 2024 may qualify (Achievement of 90%+ or on diploma level required). Proof of achievement should be submitted with the entry / entries.)
- Most performance categories are accepted (except for all reading and improvised categories, as well as novice categories that are excluded).
- Entries can only be submitted on the ENTRY FORM (“hardcopy format”) at the applicable entry fee. (Download the entry form HERE).