GRADE 11 & 12
High school is when young people need to urgently learn communication skills before they leave the protection of high school. But you don’t need to have experience before entering BLAH.
Devices have caused young people’s face to face communication skills deterioration. But it is never too late. If students are coached in the tips and tricks of public speaking it improves their self-confidence and self-esteem. They realise they can master this skill and then carry it with them through the rest of their lives. Never received any communication coaching ? BLAH is the experience you have been looking for.
gives all Grade 11 & 12 students who have never delivered a speech, a chance to receive live coaching and then enter a heat with the potential to be selected to compete in the North Queensland Final at Sir George Kneipp Theatre, James Cook University.
Just $49 includes
- 1 x 3 hour live coaching session at James Cook University.
- Online support resources
- Editing of student speeches
- Entry into a BLAH heat
- 6 tickets valued at $10 each to attend final if selected
- Each student will receive a participation certificate.
Gift Vouchers Sponsored by 
1. Topics to Choose From
Three minute speech on your choice from these Topics
- The future of artificial intelligence
- What’s important to me
- My perspective on Education
2. Coaching Information
The 3 hours of coaching, which is 95% practical, begins with the children firstly playing fun communication games in order to relax and meet other students. The students will learn basic speech structure and how to deliver their speech using pitch, pace, pause, volume and emphasis. Good manners and values, eye-contact and the impeccable word practice is at the core of this coaching and speech preparation. Following the live coaching and access to online resources and online coaching students will be registered in a heat at the Science Place Theatre, at James Cook University. Family and friends can come along and watch them deliver their 3- minute speech on a stage at JCU. The winners of the heats will go through to an entertaining evening held at the Central Lecture Theatre, James Cook University.
3. Coaching Date & Times
Saturday 3rd & 10th August
9am – 12pm or 1pm to 4pm
Building 28, James Cook University
Schools Workshop Coaching
23rd July to 30th August
4. Heats Date & Times
When: Saturday 24th August
Where: Central Lecture Theatre, James Cook University
5. Final Date & Times
FINAL
When: Saturday 7th September
Where: Central Lecture Theatre, James Cook University.
| PRIZES $250 first place PLUS other prizes |
6. BLAH Rules
- You must deliver a speech based on the TOPIC list. Choose one topic.
- You do not have to attend the one of the coaching sessions in order to compete in the heat.
- If there are spaces you can call BLAH organisers and ask to attend a second workshop ( which will be a repeat of the workshop attended, but provides more practice), if there are vacancies you may take advantage of a second workshop.
- Please notify the BLAH organisers if you cannot attend the BLAH coaching workshop, heat or final. This is critical as 80 % of success is showing up.
- A random drawer will be conducted for the order of speakers at a heat or final. If you require due to other commitments to be near the beginning or end, please contact BLAH organisers and everything possible will be done in order to accommodate your busy child.
- At the heat and the Final you will be introduced along with the topic of your speech.
- You must follow your time limits. A warning bell will be rung 30 seconds before your final bell, you should begin summarising and concluding your speech when the warning bell rings. You should finish your speech within 15 seconds of the final bell, past 30 seconds the adjudicators will take this into consideration if there is a close positioning between speakers.
- The adjudicators decision is final. Remember no matter how experienced the adjudicators are, this is a subjective form. Each person’s opinion is valid. For this reason there will be 3 judges at the Final speech event at Central Lecture Theatre at James Cook University.
- Students delivering speeches can sit in the auditorium and listen to the other students speeches.
- Following the adjudication, individual adjudicators will be available for speakers to receive direct feedback toward constructive improvement for their next speeches.
- The prizes given by BLAH are final and cannot be exchanged. We thank OFFICEWORKS for this sponsorship.
- Please note during the workshop, video reflection will be used a learning tool. This footage will be deleted following the workshop.
Finalists’ speeches will be filmed professionally and with permission, placed on the BLAH you tube website for future reference and learning. If at anytime you want this taken down BLAH is happy to accommodate this.