Teachers wanting to inspire their budding class poets have the perfect opportunity through the Urban Country Music Festival’s 2011 bush poetry competition.
It’s free for poets aged 15 and under to enter, and the competition’s junior first prize this year is $75.
Organiser and local bush poet Wally “The Bear” Finch said that in previous years, teachers had organised their classes to submit entries to the junior section of the festival competition.
“Poetry has a lot to offer kids. It makes them express themselves in a structured way,” he said.
“From wordsmithing to performance, it’s a long journey, but it’s a worthwhile journey.
“Tomorrow’s politicians, judges and captains of industry would all benefit from the skills that are developed through bush poetry.”
Mr Finch said bush poetry should reflect the Australian way of life and that an injection of humour could play a major part in creating a top bush poem.
Last year’s junior bush poetry competition was won with an entry titled Why I didn’t do my homework.
“The important thing to remember is that good bush poetry is defined by its good rhyme and meter,” Mr Finch said.
He advised reading finished poems out loud to judge how well the rhyme and meter were working in a piece.
Entries are due by April 15. For more information or to find out more about bush poetry activities at the 2011 Urban Country Music Festival, see the festival website at www.urbancountry.com.au
The Urban Country Music Festival, presented by Moreton Bay Regional Council, is supported by major sponsors Caboolture Shire Herald and Grand Prix Mazda.
The festival is benefiting from funding under the Events Queensland Regional Development Program (EQRDP)
The EQRDP is an investment program designed to extend the flow of economic and social benefits of events to regional Queensland
A state-wide initiative, the program is committed to enhancing existing events in regional Queensland
Since the EQRDP began in 2001, more than $16.4 million has been invested in 762 regional events, an indicator of the important role these events play in their communities and wider Queensland
