Tackling the human rights of prisoners, 42 dancers from Kuranui College ensured the South Wairarapa secondary school rose up to top this year’s highly anticipated Wellington Regional Showquest.

A performing arts competition that involves art, music, dance, drama, culture, and technology, Showquest provides students with a creative platform to heighten teamwork, confidence, and leadership qualities.

Since the beginning of the year, Kuranui students planned how they were going to showcase their talents. As a team they decided to base their performance ‘Prisoners’ on the Waikeria Prison uprising which occurred during the New Year 2021.

Cultural prefect and team captain, Anna Laybourn, said Kuranui’s performances aimed to inform people rather than simply entertain them. “We chose this theme because it is an important message to put out to a large audience,” she said. “We felt that when it happened, it was not in the media enough, and there were lots of hurtful perspectives being thrown around. As a team, we felt we should do our part to change the narrative.”

Year 12 students, Lola Armstrong, Sorcha O'Donoghue, Georgina Birrell, and Oliver Penman, assisted her every step of the way!  Unsurprisingly, Kuranui also took home a range of awards, including ‘Best Use of Drama’, ‘Most Effective Lighting’, and ‘Best Choreography’. Lola Armstrong also received an amazing scholarship for a week-long experience at the New Zealand School of Dance, which was credited to her significant dedication to the performance on the night.

The piece was fueled by passion and emotion. Utilising both hip hop and contemporary dance styles, the whole performance had the audience in awe. It also involved not one, but two dramatic lifts, as well as very heartfelt drama throughout. The video wall played an important role in helping to tell the story by showing the riot fires while audio played news reporters reporting on the event.

The judges will be reviewing the footage from each of the 15 regional Showquests to name the overall nationwide winner in September.

A massive well done to the cast and crew who put in hours of time in and outside of school, to show such an important message that everyone deserves human rights. Your effort will not go unrecognised.

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Year 13 Student Emma Rose. Article added: Friday 02 July 2021