Series 3: Ep 10: Live from the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition 2023

In this month's episode we've done something slightly different, our co-founder Karen Latto recorded the content live from Churchill College at Cambridge University for the ESU's (English Speaking Union) prestigious Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society. It is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson). The different roles allow students, from Years 9 - 11, to practise and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building. We were thrilled to be there for the live event and to be able to catch up with Annabel Thomas and interview her to give us more understanding and context to the whole event. We hope that as teachers and theatre educators you gain some insight into the ESU's work and the opportunities they offer for young people.