The Highbridge Festival of the Arts is underway this week, with the Speech & Drama section drawing large audiences and winning praise at Burnham-On-Sea’s Princess Theatre.
The Town Crier officially opened the 2026 festival with a powerful demonstration of voice projection, setting the tone for two packed days of poetry recitals and spoken‑word performances.
He welcomed the strong number of entries and said the camaraderie and excitement of appearing on stage “is always with you, something never forgotten,” before declaring the festival open.
Monday saw some of the youngest entrants take to the stage with poems that had the audience smiling and applauding their confidence.
The Stuart Adams Trophy, presented by the Rotary Club of Burnham-On-Sea, gave children from Berrow School the chance to perform their own original poetry, with three pupils receiving Honours marks.
The evening session featured older children delivering polished pieces, followed by adults performing a mix of classic works and imaginative original writing that impressed both the audience and the adjudicator.
Tuesday began with more than 100 children filling the Princess Theatre to compete for the Dorothy Reaney Trophy for Choral Speaking. Pelican Class from Burnham Infants School took home the trophy after a lively morning of group performances.
The festival section concluded with solo poetry recitals from Year 5 and Year 6 pupils from local schools.
Festival Chairman Mary Lawrence said it had been “wonderful to see so many children taking to the stage and overcoming their nerves to recite their poems.”
She added that their enthusiasm afterwards was “great to see” and hoped the experience would give them confidence in public speaking, calling it “a very useful life skill.” She said the festival looks forward to welcoming schools and children back again in 2027.
