Woodend Primary School takes out national Wakakirri story-dance award

Woodend Primary School in Sheidow Park has taken out a National Raising Awareness Award at the 2022 Wakakirri National Festival Awards.

The City of Marion school was among four schools to win this category in the well-known national performing arts and dance event for Australian schools.

Woodend Primary’s environmentally-inspired story-dance 'Rise Up. We Help and Heal Together’ was based around the school community’s efforts to create ‘Shoe Boxes of Love' for people in the eastern states affected by recent floods.

Their dance told a story of devastating floods turning towns grey and then through kindness, one person brings a community together to help others in need, sending love and donations, and support to the towns to get their colours back.

National Raising Awareness Award recognises schools that use their own community work and their Wakakirri story-dance to raise awareness about an important community issue.

Other winners were McLaren Vale Primary School in South Australia, Edgeworth Heights Public School in New South Wales, and Hoppers Crossing Secondary College in Victoria.

Wakakirri is Australia’s largest performing arts event for schools with over 180 schools taking part in 2022.

Participating schools are inspired by the Wakakirri ethos ‘great stories inspire change’ to create and perform story-dances that reflect students’ thoughts, ideas, and aspirations.

Image: Students from Woodend Primary School at Sheidow Park perform their environmentally-inspired story-dance 'Rise Up. We Help and Heal Together’. Photograph courtesy of Woodend Primary School and Wakakirri National Festival Awards.

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