Wicked Writers: Be the Change
Take part in our Wicked Writers: Be the Change writing competition!
We are delighted to be running our Wicked Writers: Be the Change writing competition again in January 2025, in partnership with Wicked Active Learning, the acclaimed cultural and social education programme for the UK production of the stage musical Wicked. To stay updated about the competition, sign up using our expression of interest form below.
About the competition
The competition is open to all UK schools, for students aged 9 to14. Entries are judged in two age categories: 9 to 11 (KS2/P6, P7) and 11 to 14 (KS3/S1, S2, S3).
It opens on 13 January 2025 and closes on 28 February 2025.
This year, we are asking students to write persuasively about a positive change they would like to see in their local community. This could be anything from environment to mental health to social justice – it just needs to be local! Making a positive change is a key theme in Wicked and is the subject of the song For Good.
With prizes including class trips to see Wicked at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, writing workshops for your school, book bundles and publication in an anthology, this is an opportunity your students won’t want to miss!
Further information can be found at the bottom of this page.
Sign up to hear our competition updates
We’ll be publishing free classroom resources to support and inspire your students’ writing. Sign up below to hear the latest news about the competition, including how to enter, submission guidelines, and where to download resources.
If you have any questions about the competition, please email wicked.writers@literacytrust.org.uk.
Key information
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Eligibility
Open to all UK schools, for students aged 9 to 14.
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Theme
Entries must engage with the theme of local change.
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Entry submission
Teachers can submit an unlimited number of entries.
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Format
Entries must be submitted in a typed Word document or PDF. Do not include students' names on the entry.
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Length
There is a word limit of 300 words for the younger age category (9 to 11), and 500 words for the older age category (11 to 14)
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Winners
A winner and runner up will be chosen in each age category. Shortlisted students will have a chance to be published in the Wicked Writers Anthology.
In partnership with Wicked Active Learning
Praised by educators as “the gold standard for West End shows reaching out into education” and “enriching, engaging, and easy to use”, Wicked Active Learning is the London stage musical’s cultural and social education programme.
“Packed with content that mirrors the framework for personal development” (Belleville Primary School), Wicked provides a range of free classroom resources and lesson plans, a popular programme of official workshops, and post-show Q&As to maximise the educational value and learning potential of school trips to experience the award-winning musical.
The in-house Wicked Active Learning education team are on hand to provide expert advice and school trip planning support, including materials to assist in the completion of risk assessments.