About the Competition

SU-AO! On Air! is open to any public-sector secondary school delivering the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum (English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) 2017).

Students work in teams of 4 to 6 to create and perform a 4-5 minute radio drama on a given stimulus. Teachers can arrange team practices in a face-to-face setting or online setting via video conferencing. Teams are strongly encouraged to use improvisation techniques in the preparation of their radio dramas.

Competition sessions were held with online video conferencing in March 2023. At the competition sessions, the radio drama was  performed, teams shared what they had learnt from their experience in the competition, judges adjudicated the winners and prizes were announced. Performance team members were gathered in one classroom or they gathered virtually online.

There are two categories for the competition, a ‘1-day’ category and a ‘2-week’ category.

• In Speak Up – Act Out! On Air! 1 Day (SU-AO! On Air! 1 Day), students work in teams of 4 to 6 and are given 90 minutes to create, without teacher supervision, a 4-to-5-minute radio drama and then perform it live with online video conferencing.  This category adds a higher level of challenge to the competition.  Each team will perform at one competition session with 7 to 10 other schools. This category is limited to one competition session, held on a Saturday morning.

• In Speak Up – Act Out! On Air! 2 Weeks (SU-AO! On Air! 2 Weeks) students will be given approximately 14 calendar days to create a 4-to-5-minute radio drama on a given stimulus under the supervision of their teacher. Each team consists of 4 to 6 performers plus up to 4 other students who may have helped to prepare for the performance (in capacity as a director, writer or deviser). Each team will perform at one competition session with 7 to 10 other schools. The competition sessions will be held on a morning or afternoon on a weekday.