Our Youngest Speech Writers Yet

Speaking up isn’t just for the big kids

This week, we watched our youngest speech makers yet wow audience at Shoreditch Town Hall, with a series of powerful and affecting speeches, at our first ever Speak Up event with primary aged children.

As part of this new oracy and citizenship-led project, pupils from Cyril Jackson, Harbinger and Thomas Buxton primary schools took up the baton to have their voices hear.

Classes from both schools worked with our expert writing facilitators and an amazing team of volunteer writing mentors, to research, craft and deliver speeches based on the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child.

Over a series of school-based workshops, children collaborated in small teams to develop their ideas, learn new skills and performance techniques and build the confidence to stand up and deliver their speeches in front of an audience.

The young speech makers hugely impressed the audience in the room, speaking with passion and fluency on a range of complex topics including children’s right to freedom of thought and religion, the right to be heard, treated fairly and not discriminated against, and the right to access clean water, healthy food and a safe environment in which to thrive.

‘It was truly a wonderful experience for our children.’

Lead teacher, Thomas Buxton Primary School

If you are interested hearing more about Speak Up or delivering a Speak Up project with your school, get in touch at schools@ministryofstories.org

Our primary Speak Up project was made possible in partnership with Tower Hamlets Education Partnership and generously supported by Fieldfisher.