Fear of Public Speaking is not unusual. In fact, up to 75% of the population is said to suffer from it to varying degrees. It even has a name, ‘Glossophobia’. The aim of the Speech and Drama Section at Ballymena Festival is to keep this fear at bay and indeed to banish it altogether from those young people who take part in the many classes available. Classes range from verse-speaking (probably the most well-known discipline) to prepared prose to drama to speech-making. The aim is to encourage our performers to gain confidence and skill in using their speaking voice to communicate clearly and effectively with an audience. This is very much a transferable skill which will be of value in the real world, not just for teachers or lawyers or actors but for anyone who has to make a presentation or attend a job interview. The Speech and Drama Section aims to provide an encouraging and supportive atmosphere for all those children who are finding their voice.

Due to copyright, we can no longer have the Set Poems available for download on our website. If you have any difficulty in sourcing the books or the poems, please contact the section secretary by email, and she will be happy to assist.

Click here to view the guidelines for the Speech and Drama section