Published at 19:26, Thursday, 25 June 2009

CHILDREN from across Cumbria took to the stage last week in the 2009 Junior Rock Challenge.

ROCK SOLID: Pupils at Workington’s Ashfield Junior School who took part in Rock Challenge with their production of Jonah and the Whale

Pupils from 20 junior and primary schools competed at The Sands Centre in Carlisle to showcase their talents in the contest, organised by the Be Your Best foundation.

On Thursday, Ashfield Junior School in Workington presented Jonah and the Whale, bagging the healthy lifestyle award, the Cumbria Healthy Schools award for costume design and the West Cumbria Excellence Cluster award for set design.

A tale of a carnival dancer, entitled The Mardi Gras Ugly Duckling, won Maryport’s Ewanrigg Junior School awards for cultural and educational achievement and student leadership, the Cumbria County Council community safety award for performance skill and the West Cumbria CDRP award for concept interpretation.

Flimby Primary School took the Cumbria County Council children’s services award for soundtrack with its performance of Everyone’s A Winner – billed as the dance show of the year.

Seaton Junior School performed Team Seaton, representing the importance of teamwork, to take the West Cumbria Excellence Cluster award for staging and the Tega award for lighting design.

St Mary’s Primary School, of Salterbeck, Workington, took the West Cumbria CDRP award for hair design for its performance of Fitting in and Being Accepted.

Friday’s event saw Beckstone Primary School, of Workington, take the Cumbria police awards for drama skills and video performance following its performance of Of The Circle, based on the quotes of Black Elk, who was honoured among his people as a wise and holy man, showing what could be achieved through working in harmony.

Broughton Moor Primary School presented Frankenstein and took the Cumbria County Council community safety award for performance skill and the Cumbria County Council children’s services award for soundtrack.

The West Cumbria CDRP award for hair design was won by Broughton Primary School with a performance of Noah’s Ark.

Mayfield School and Hensingham Primary School in Whitehaven also performed Noah’s Ark, taking the West Cumbria Excellence Cluster award for set design and the award for achievement in drug awareness.

Northside Primary School, Workington, won the Be Your Best Foundation award for stage crew, the award for healthy lifestyle and the Tega award for lighting design for its show Fruit Time, which was inspired by the school’s five-a-day healthy-eating policy.

A tale of a boy and a tiger making friends in the Indian jungle helped St Michael’s School in Bothel earn the Cumbria Healthy Schools award for make-up design and the award for cultural and educational achievement.

Narnia: Edmund’s Betrayal was the theme for Victoria Junior School, Workington, which won the Cumbria Healthy Schools award for costume design, the Be Your Best Foundation award for stage crew, the Tega award for lighting design and the awards for student leadership, media management and school community support.

Westfield Nursery and Primary School, Workington, took the Cumbria Healthy Schools award for choreography, the West Cumbria Excellence Cluster award for staging and the Cumbria County Council community safety award for concept originality with its production of Matilda.

The annual challenge is run to show youngsters they can have healthy fun without turning to drink and drugs.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk