"Isn't there a competition for newly composed unaccompanied songs in Newcastle? Maybe WAV can tell us more..."(S)...

I used to participate in a few festival comps (listed here), including one at Rothbury for unaccompanied self-penned songs; and, as you suggest, the John Birmingham Cup was/is similar - last I heard it had moved from the Cumberland Arms in Newcastle upon Tyne to be part of Whitby Folk Week.