When the first speaker steps onto the stage at the Orange Function Centre shortly after 9am next Tuesday, more than five weeks of competition for speech, dancing, music, theatre and more will be officially underway.

Speech and drama committee member Meredie Wright said students and adult speakers had been preparing all year for their moment on stage.

“They’d be working at it for 12 months and be spending 20 to 30 minutes a day on it,” she said.

The maximum time for most events in the Speech and Drama section is four minutes.

“A lot of them are going in several events. Some up to 18.”

The contests range from delivering Australian verse to mime, news reading, bible reading, being shown a picture and having to comment on it and dramatic monologues.

“It’s about voice projection, getting a rapport with the audience, connecting with the audience, making eye contact and being a confident speaker,” she said.

Some speakers are making their debuts while others are almost veterans and barely in high school.

“Some of them started when they were five and six and now they are in the 12 and under section,” she said.

Contestants will not only be from Orange.

There is a big contingent from Bathurst plus smaller towns including Molong and Condobolin.

Mrs Wright said school groups would also be competing with separate events for small schools.

The Speech and Drama section will run from August 8-12 with school choir speaking contests on August 11 at the Function Centre.

The focus then switches to the Dance section which will be held at the Civic Theatre from August 13-27.

Schools day is on August 18 at the Function Centre while the dance groups competitions will be held at the Civic Theatre on August 18-20.

 The final section of the 2017 Eisteddfod will be the Vocal and Instrumental competitions which run from August 27-September 8 at the Orange Regional Conservatorium.

The open choral events are on August 27 at the conservatorium.

School choir singing days are on August 31-September 1 and band day is on September 6 at the Function Centre.

Adult tickets are $6 per session and $5 for schools.

Go to www.orangeisteddfod.com for information.