PUPILS from Amery Hill and Eggar’s schools were among the hundreds of young people who took to the stage at Southampton O2 Guildhall for this year’s ‘Be Your Best Rock Challenge’.
Amery Hill competed on the first day of the Rock Challenge, coming fourth overall in a field of nine schools, and winning awards of excellence for choreography, stage use, visual enhancement, entertainment, and stage crew.
Entitled ‘Catfish’, their performance challenged the audience to consider: “The internet and social media enables forms of communication, but do you actually know who you are speaking to?”
Commenting on the school’s success, Amery Hill’s head of PE, Abi Haynes, said: “We are so proud of all of the students who participated in this year’s Rock Challenge event, from the performers and backstage crew to the props, staging and costume team.
“They all worked incredibly hard and put on a performance which was thoroughly entertaining while delivering a really important message about staying safe when using online media and the internet.”
And she added: “It was wonderful that so many members of the Amery Hill community came out to support our performers and to share in their success.
“Being placed fourth was a fantastic achievement, especially given the amazing talent on show from other competitors.”
Eggar’s School competed on the second day of the Rock Challenge, finishing fourth overall and winning awards for excellence for concept, drama, visual enhancement,
entertainment, lighting and stage crew, with the judges commenting on the different dance styles.
Entitled ‘Churchill’s Secret Army’, the Eggar’s team told the story of Christine Granville who, after watching her beloved Poland become occupied by the Nazis, fled to England where she enrolled in the Special Operations Executive and worked as a spy, completing countless dangerous missions for the British government.
The Eggar’s performance celebrated this inspirational unknown heroine, and her comrades, as she fought for her country, fell in love and evaded death against all odds.
Describing the competition as “friendly, positive and exciting”, a spokesman for the school said that the students had “been working hard since September” and gave “an incredible performance, with more than 100 contributing and attending on the day.”
Described by student Theadora Perignon as “an amazing experience” fellow students Kathryn Jackson said the Rock Challenge had improved her team work and her confidence, while Dexter Angell said that, with the set made by pupils, “even as a backstage performer you get so involved on the day”.
And Dexter added: “We were so excited to be the first Eggar’s School team to win the backstage award.”
The Rock Challenge was supported by Southampton City Council, Hampshire County Council, Stagecoach, Ian Wright Consulting, ACRO, Radian, and Securigroup.