Our offer to schools

On 24 September 2026, Eastbourne LitFest will hold its first Poetry By Heart event, and we are inviting all local schools to take part. There are competition events for KS1 - KS4 and we are accepting classic AND freestyle entrants: 

The classic competition: solo performances of one poem from the Poetry by Heart website

The freestyle competition: freestyle competitors perform solo or in a pair / group, and can select from the Poetry By Heart website but also:

• from any printed poetry book

• from the Poetry Archive, Children’s Poetry Archive, CLPE, Poetry Foundation or Poetry Society websites

• a published poem in another language or a pupil’s own poem (note: we will only select 1 or 2 of these for the final overall)

All participants will receive a poetry goody bag and the chance to meet our VIP performance poet!

Suggested preparation and timeline

It's important that children and young people have learned their poems well and feel confident and prepared to perform. This is why we want schools to hold in school and interschool competitions first. We suggest the following timeline to help make sure performers are ready.

Straightaway: Sign up here by 22 May 2026 to indicate your intention to enter pupils for the Litfest Poetry By Heart Competition.

Term 6 (Summer 2):

Week 1: Pupils choose poems

Weeks 2-4: Pupils learn poems (e.g. at home, through lunchtime practises, in class)

Week 5: In school / interschool performances and winners chosen

September: Hold assemblies and additional performance opportunities to help your entrants remember their poems ready for the festival final. Or, they can learn another! 

We will contact you for the names of your entrants and their chosen poems. Please be assured, if things go wrong on the day and pupils are unable to perform, that’s fine with us. The atmosphere will be friendly, inclusive and welcoming. 

School staff competition

We are also inviting school staff to get involved! ANYONE who works in the school can join in, including office and support staff, TAs, premises staff, lunchtime supervisors, teachers and leaders. This is a wonderful way for adults in school to share the experience with pupils, and to role-model the whole learning and performance process!

Terms and conditions

• The LitFest Poetry By Heart competition is a showcase for winners of local (in school or interschool) competitions. It is free to enter.

• The LitFest Poetry by Heart competition takes place on the afternoon of Thursday 24 Sept 2026 at Eastbourne Library. Exact times for each event will be communicated to participating schools.

• Pupils of any age can choose any poem in line with the classic and freestyle rules (above). Teachers can help pupils find the right poem; their key role is to support children and young people to learn their poems.

• We encourage a combination of voice, signing, movement, action, image, setting, costume, props, music, sound, dramatisation or dance. Anything goes really, as long as the poem is spoken aloud, and by heart!

• Parents of pupils who are taking part should be invited to the event by the school.

• Parents, accompanying teachers and other performers will be the audience for the LitFest final, and there will be a panel of judges. 

• Schools will be responsible for the normal risk assessment and trip arrangements relevant to taking part in this event. We encourage the use of public transport to the library, or to come on foot if possible. Please include photo permissions in your arrangements as we will want to post about the event and the winners on the festival social media sites and our website.

• Depending on the levels of interest we see, we may have to limit audience numbers for the final. We will let you know about this in advance.

• Winners in each category will be awarded with a prize.