Derrimut Primary School has come home with a National Story Award for excellence in performing arts and raising awareness about mental health as part of the 2022 National Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival.
The school’s performance of ‘A Journey in my Mind’, which details the inner battles of a girl dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of the COVID-19 pandemic, won the award.
Festival director Adam Loxley said the students should be “very proud” of their achievement.
“The standard of performance and the stories being told by schools this year was exceptional,” he said.
Wakakirri panel member Kristin Wantenaar said the performance was “an incredible, clever & committed performance with important messaging”.
A national program supporting schools in developing student, Wakakirri 2022 involved more than 180 schools.
Wakakirri’s sponsors included the state government, Reconciliation Australia, Muffin Break and the McCusker Charitable Foundation.
Schools participated by creating story-based dances, which they performed in live theatres in capital cities and selected regional areas around Australia.
Participating schools received inspiration by the Wakakirri ethos ‘great stories inspire change’ to create and perform story-dances that reflect students’ thoughts, ideas and aspirations.
Popular themes included environmental, social, cultural, health, historical and reconciliation stories.
Details: wakakirri.com
