Wakakirri wraps up 2017 season on a high

Wakakirri 2017 has been a brilliant eight-week show season with almost 250 schools shaking and grooving their hearts out to be in the running for the National Story of the Year Award. Recurring themes were homelessness, cyber bullying, the environment, technology and friendship.

Thousands of young students have danced across the stage, and hundreds of teachers and parents have supported behind the scenes in making incredible Story Dances culminating in performing for an audience of over 20,000 people.

The heart of what makes Wakakirri such a special and valuable experience are the stories. With the world not always making sense, giving students an opportunity to tell their own stories in a meaningful and creative way outside of a traditional classroom setting is a powerful, educational and social tool.

There were stand-out stories from: the importance of bees in our ecological system (Aveley Primary School);  thinking about colour beyond just sight (Mount Brown Public School); and the true story of Deng Adut a young Sudanese refugee who is now an Australian Human Rights Lawyer (St Thomas Aquinas Primary School). 

Secondary school students dived in to the deep end, tackling issues of gender equality (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College); bushfires and the importance of regeneration in the Australian bush (Karabar High School) and stories of resettling in Australia (Hoppers Crossing Secondary College).

Wakakirri is open to any and every school in Australia. Email [email protected] to find out how your students can participate in 2018.