"Thanks for organising such an inspiring competition; all the children were motivated and highly engaged in writing a piece that meant something to them."
Teacher, 2023 Competition
Do pupils in your school want to be the change when it comes to the environment?
We are once again proud to partner with the acclaimed stage musical Wicked to create a persuasive writing competition. We are looking for young people aged 9 to 14 to take part in this incredible writing challenge.
Open to all UK schools, Wicked Writers: Be the Change asks students to write persuasively about any environmental issue that is important to them, for example, the climate crisis, pollution and endangered species.
Making a positive change is a key theme in Wicked and the subject of the song ‘For Good’.
Entries will be judged in two categories:
- ages 9 to 11 (UKS2/P6, P7)
- ages 11 to 14 (KS3/S1, S2, S3)
We have a range of exciting prizes for winners, runners up and shortlisted students.
The competition will open on 29 January 2024.
We will publish a learning resource pack filled with engaging lesson plans and content to inspire your students.
Register your interest below to receive updates about the competition.
About entries
- Open to all UK schools
- Must engage with the environmental theme
- Teachers can submit an unlimited number of entries
- There is a word limit of 300 words for the younger age category, and 500 words for the older age category
- Entries must be submitted in a typed Word document or PDF
- 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.
"When I heard I had come first in the competition, I was overjoyed… I am so excited to see Wicked with all my classmates."
Winner, Younger Category, 2023
Prizes
- Four schools will receive free class tickets to see the stage musical Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London, including a travel subsidy.
- Two winning schools will receive free writing workshops in school.
- 16 shortlisted schools will receive a book bundle.
- 16 shortlisted students will see their writing in print in a publication which will be distributed to their schools.
Sign up using the form below to receive updates about this exciting competition. You may need to create a free account here first.
Have a question about the competition? Email Wicked Writers.
Read more about last year's winners and the topics that they were championing.
Class trip - competition winners 2023.
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.
Explore Wicked Active Learning
Register your interest
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