Young Performer Awards Competition 2025

• The first round comprises of adjudicated events in each genre, where a Panel of Adjudicators nominate participants to proceed to the quarter final round. The dates for the First Round will fall within the broad timeframe of 01 – 15 March 2025.
• The quarter finals take on a similar format: the Panel of Adjudicators for each genre will select 15 – 20 participants / groups that will then compete in one of the four semi-final rounds. The dates for the Quarter Final Rounds are 17 – 20 March 2025
• The 4 semi-final rounds of Young Performer Awards competition are presented in concert format at a theatre. Each concert is dedicated to a genre (classical and contemporary music, dance and drama. The best participants in the different categories, as decided by the Panel of Adjudicators, are then invited to compete in the final round. The  four Semi-final rounds will be presented at the Roodepoort Theatre on 9 – 10 May 2024.
• In the final round, a panel of experts, representative of the different genres, finally decides on the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. The date and venue for the Final Round will be announced soon.

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:

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 and proof of achievement should be submitted with the entry / entries.)
• Most performance categories are accepted (except for reading, improvised and novice categories are excluded).
• Proof of the said achievement needs to be submitted for approval with the entry.
• Entries can only be submitted on the ENTRY FORM (“hardcopy format”) at the applicable entry fee. (Download the entry form HERE).

• All prepared and unprepared reading items.
• All unprepared and improvised acting categories, e.g. unprepared storytelling, theatre sports, creative advert, improvisation and unprepared mime.
• One act plays and workshop productions
• Unprepared public speaking
• Debating and group public speaking.
• All Novice music items
• Elementary music items (Gr. R – 6)

The Preliminary Qualifying Round provides anyone that currently does not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition an opportunity to qualify by receiving a diploma award. For this purpose, an aspiring participant has to submit an ONLINE VIDEO entry as if it were submitted for Eisteddfod 2023. The closing date for these entries is 3 February 2024 and the proof of paying the non-refundable special entry fee of R190.00 needs to be submitted together with this entry. Please contact the NEA Office for more information in this regard or e-mail cindy@eisteddfod.co.za.

Preliminary Qualifying Round

Once it has been received (with proof of payment), all Preliminary Qualifying Round videos will be submitted to a member of the NEA Adjudicators’ Forum for adjudication. The outcome of this adjudication will be communicated by e-mail to all participants in this round not later than 10 February to allow successful participants to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition before any of the closing dates for live or video entries). (Kindly refer to ” Procedure for submitting an entry for the Preliminary Qualifying Round” below for more information).

This Preliminary Qualifying Round opportunity is open for:

• Participant(s) in the National Eisteddfod 2024 that did not qualify to enter this Competition in any particular genre.
• Anyone that did not participate in the National Eisteddfod 2024 or any other eisteddfod or similar event and subsequently could not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition 2025

Procedure for submitting an entry for the Preliminary Qualifying Round:

• Register on the National Eisteddfod ONLINE ENTRY platform if you have not done so before.
  • Click here to register or
  • For help with the how, click here.
• Login to your existing or new Online Profile.
  • Click here to login or
  • For help click here.
• Submit your entry ONLINE. For more information about submitting entries online, click here.
• Record your performance on video and submit your video for adjudication by following the Guidelines and requirements for Video Recorded Entries
• Should you get stuck or need further assistance, please call the NEA Office on 011 886 6005 (office hours). Alternatively, please send an email to admin@eisteddfod.co.za with more information about your query.

How to enter: Help file for Preliminary Qualifying Round

Participants are now allowed to present new material in the first round of the Young Performer Awards Competition, provided that it is on the same level or higher as the work performed in the previous year. 

This is more often the case in speech and drama items when students have moved on to new material.  Participants in the more senior grades in classical and contemporary music, as well as dance categories, mostly perform the same material as in the previous year. 

 Applicable to all participants in the National Eisteddfod of South Africa 2023:

We will attempt to accommodate all requests submitted in advance, but please note that given the particular demands of this competition, we cannot give any guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all requests. 

In order to facilitate the adjudication process, events are scheduled according to the participant’s grade (e.g. it does not make sense to schedule a Gr R participant with a group of Gr. 6 learners). For this reason and in the interest of the participant, we will be reluctant to allow any rescheduling of events.

Live performances in the 21st Young Performer Awards Competition will be scheduled on dates and venues from 1 March until 11 May 2024 as follows:

Provisional dates & venues: First Round: 1 March – 15 March 2025

• Linden Theatre (44 5th St, Linden, Randburg, 2104) (Crossover & Contemporary Music; Speech & Drama)
• Domus Dei Randburg Suid (30 Jean Rd, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2194) (Classical Music, Speech & Drama; Dance (individual and small group items))
• NG Kerk Roodekrans (7 Azalea Avenue, Roodekrans, Roodepoort) (Classical Music, Speech & Drama)

Combined First Round and Quarter Final Round for all DANCE items and LARGE GROUPS (Music & drama): Saturday 8 March 2025

• Roodepoort Theatre (100 Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709) 
  
  

Provisional dates & venue Quarter Final Round: 17  – 20 March 2025

• Roodpoort Theatre (Basement Theatre) (Classical, Crossover & Contemporary Music; Speech & Drama)

Semi Final Rounds: 9 – 10 May 2025

Roodepoort Theatre (100 Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709)

• 9 May 15:00 – 17:00 Semi-final 1 (Speech & Drama)
• 9 May 19:00 – 21:00 Semi-final 2 (Classical & Crossover Music
• 10 May 15:00 – 17:00 Semi-final 3 (Dance)
• 10 May 19:00 – 22:00 Semi-final 4 (Contemporary Music)

Final Round: Date and venue to be confirmed soon