Word of Mouth Monologue Competition

On September 9, 2024, Streams Community Hub will launch the fourth annual Word of Mouth Monologue Competition.

This annual competition provides an exciting opportunity for children and youth aged 8–17 from Dufferin County to be engaged, develop and express their creative voices, and showcase the work of diverse Canadian playwrights. They will also have the opportunity to win some significant cash prizes.

The event will include online submissions, with an in-person coaching session for finalists and a filmed final event, where the winners will be selected. The final event will be shared via a live premiere broadcast (via YouTube/Social Media).

The details

  • Submissions will be open to two age categories: 8-12 and 13-17.
  • Contestants in these two age categories will choose one monologue, from a list carefully curated by Streams Community Hub, to reflect topics relevant to their experiences.
  • Contestants will film their performances according to the competition recording guidelines and submit them online through our website.
  • Once the submission window has closed, the public will be engaged and invited to vote for some "Fan Favourite" awards. Concurrently, a panel of judges, consisting of actors, teachers and playwrights will select three to five finalists from each category for the live final.
  • Finalists will present their monologues live on stage, after which the judges will decide on the winners.

This event is designed to accomplish several objectives

  1. Youth engagement, excitement and inspiration
  2. Youth exposure to dramatic arts through diverse storytelling experiences
  3. Community engagement in supporting and encouraging young and aspiring artists
  4. Frankly, fun. We all need an outlet of expression and something to make us smile and keep us encouraged!

Why this matters

As a provider of youth programs and services, especially in North Dufferin County, we know first-hand just how needed these programs and activities are. Our organization was founded specifically to meet this need for young people.

While young people are forced to adapt and to learn new technological skills, are their communication skills suffering? How is their self-esteem being affected? Are their social skills being stunted before they have even had a chance to develop?

Well here’s what we know. In addition to building social and communication skills overall, involvement in drama, and theatre performance has been shown to improve students' self-esteem as well as their confidence in their academic abilities. By providing access to both an online and physical stage on which to perform, we can challenge their esteem to grow and support them as they rise to the challenge.

We’ll combine individual, personal creativity, with the rallying support of the community, and the rewards of not just winning, but having participated in something excellent and beautiful.

This is an opportunity to be part of some good news. It's something to feel good about, at a time when there is so much to feel bad about. We believe this event can lift the spirits and voices of young people, and enrich the hearts and minds of the wider community in Dufferin County.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of Crewson Insurance Brokers, who, for the third year in a row, have generously stepped up as the presenting sponsor of our Word of Mouth Monologue Competition. Their unwavering commitment to our event not only highlights their dedication to fostering the arts within our community but also reflects their belief in the power of creative expression. With Crewson Insurance Brokers' support, we’ve been able to provide a platform for young voices to shine, offering them an opportunity to share their stories and develop their talents in a meaningful way. Their partnership has been instrumental in making this competition a success year after year, and we are deeply thankful for their ongoing support.

Here’s how you can get involved.

As a sponsor, your logo will be prominently placed on the event website and in our social media posts. Social media is one of our most successful avenues for sharing content about our work. As an example, our most popular video post on Facebook reached an estimated 20,000 people, with 3,449 engagements.

The marketing plan for this event also includes print and radio advertising. These channels will drive traffic to the event website, increasing your sponsorship exposure. In addition to this, specific sponsorship opportunities offer more specific benefits, detailed below.

Fan Favourite Award Sponsor - $250

Fan Favourite awards sponsor receives these benefits

  • Prominent logo placement on event website
  • Mentions in media promotions
  • Increased additional exposure during the public voting period of the competition (includes radio mentions)

Broadcast Sponsor - $1,000

Final show broadcast event sponsor receives these benefits

  • One 30 second ad spot during the final online broadcast, produced by Studio Streams.
  • Prominent logo placement on event website
  • Mentions in media promotions
  • First right of refusal to retain sponsorship position in next year’s event

Tentative Timeline

  • August 27 - Promotion begins
  • September 09 - Launch (open call for submissions)
  • October 13 - Submission window closes, public voting begins
  • October 25 - Public voting ends, fan favourites announced
  • November 4 - Finalists announced
  • November 15/16 - Final show is filmed
  • TBD - Final show online broadcast event
Your sponsorship opportunity spans five months.

Questions?

If you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities in more detail, please contact us via email at info@streamshub.org. We would be happy to chat with you about this exciting, prospective partnership!