News 16th May 2023
Shaftesbury School Student Reaches Poetry National Final
Shaftesbury School Sixth Form student Ethan S has been selected as a national finalist in this year’s ‘Poetry by Heart’ competition. Having made it through both the school and county rounds of the competition, he performed ‘A Forsaken Garden’ by Swinburne and ‘The Beast in the Space’ by WS Graham at the recent Southwest Regional Final and came away as the winner in his age group.
There were more than 2,000 entries for the competition this year, a large increase on last year, and Ethan is now one of just 10 Sixth Form finalists from across the UK. He will now perform at The Globe Theatre and The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London as part of the national finals on Monday 26th June.
Carl Davies, a teacher at Shaftesbury School, has coached students from the school for the competition and has himself been selected as a national finalist in the Poetry by Heart staff competition, for his performance of ‘Cousin Coat’ by Sean O’Brien.
Shaftesbury School Headteacher Donna London-Hill said “I cannot express enough how impressed I am with Ethan Speed’s performance and the performance of Mr Davies. They have demonstrated dedication, passion, and an unwavering commitment to the art of poetry. We are incredibly proud of all the students who entered, and we look forward to seeing how both Ethan and Carl do at the national finals!”
