These students presented a fusion of art, music, dance, drama, culture, and technology at Showquest Southland held at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill.
Participating were twelve school groups from Otago and Southland, making it the largest student performing arts competition in Aotearoa.
Kelsey Moller, the producer of Showquest, noted the increasing quality of performances each year and praised the young people for addressing important issues on stage.
She mentioned, “It was all really student-led, a diverse expression of creativity. Tonight, we’ve had performances about AI, our waÂŻhine toa, and disconnecting from social media. It’s a strong nationwide theme that we’ve seen.”
Moller anticipated a fantastic show due to the students’ support for each other throughout the day.
She added, “This was a beautiful opportunity for adults, teachers, and whaÂŻnau to witness the students showcasing what was important to them on stage.”
The group from Mount Aspiring College in WaÂŻnaka emerged as the winners in the open section with their ‘WaÂŻhine Toa’ dance piece honoring significant women in Aotearoa’s history.
James Hargest College claimed victory in the junior section with their performance themed ‘Best First Day Ever!’. Judge Travis Luke commended the relevance of the concepts presented, reflecting the current societal landscape.
Both colleges will progress to the Showquest digital national final, scheduled to be livestreamed on July 30.
