Topical Talk Festival FAQs

Festivals are designed for flexibility and impact. Simply select the resources which best fit with the subject(s) your students will be studying during the Festival period. Four teaching resources will be published in the four weeks leading up to the festival (one per week) and six resources will be published during the Festival. All resources contain cross-curricular links and develop essential critical-thinking and communication skills: speaking, listening, problem-solving and creativity.

Festivals are suitable for learners 10-14 years-old and are open to government-funded schools. Some low-fee paying schools that serve students with high needs (for example, students with special educational needs or those from low socioeconomic backgrounds) are eligible to take part.

If you are unsure about whether your school meets this criteria please contact [email protected]

A festival costs £299 per class (up to 34 students). Funding is offered to some schools.

Monday October 31st - December 16th 2022. Registrations are now closed!

Festival #2 will take place April 10th - May 26th 2023. Registrations open January 2023.

Yes, simply take part for a reduced period of time: either before you go on holiday or when school reopens.

You will have access to the Festival Hub (website) from October 17th 2022. You should familiarise yourself with the content, events calendar and competition schedule in advance and activate your students’ access to the Student Hub.

The Student Hub is our online discussion platform. During the Festival, students access activities and global conversations which complement classroom discussions. Students can share their ideas, hear perspectives from young people across the world and receive feedback from topic experts. Individual login credentials will be provided to teachers ahead of the Festival.

We take safeguarding seriously and follow strict processes to keep students safe online. We require all teachers to sign an agreement before students take part and we work closely with schools if students post anything that causes concern.

All student work is anonymous and no identifying information is ever disclosed. We also provide resources that support students to build online safety habits.

Yes, we read every contribution before it is published. As with our classroom resources, our team of experienced teachers ensure that content is always age-appropriate and support students on the correct use of the Student Hub.

Simply complete our festival sign up form to register your class. You will need to review our terms and conditions and confirm that your school meets our eligibility criteria.

Gain recognition for your school on a global stage! Throughout the Festival, stars will be awarded for thoughtful conversations and ideas, and awards will be presented for stand-out contributions.

Standpoint competitions will be judged by a panel of experts and awards will be presented to schools with the most outstanding contributions.

Discussions lead to standpoints - a final opinion piece which students submit on a topic studied during the Festival. These may be written, film or audio pieces and we encourage students to get creative.

Entries must be submitted on the Student Hub by December 12th 2022.