Wakakirri (Waka)

Established in 1972 Wakakirri is Australia’s largest Story-Dance Festival.

Mean school girl in Escape from Cockatoo Island 2016

A great story can change the way people think about the world around them. Wakakirri is a performing arts festival where schools aim to do just that.

http://www.wakakirri.com/primary-school-challenge/

A Wakakirri Story Dance is a 3-7 minute performance by a group of students who theatrically tell a story using a combination of dancing, creative movement and acting to pre-recorded music. Schools can tell any story and use any combination of dance, acting, music, sets, props and costumes. The possibilities are endless! You’re invited to incorporate the annual signature item into your story for an extra challenge.  In 2018 the signature item is a FLY!

The Waka crew getting ready to go on stage 2017.

The aim of Wakakirri is to teach students about themselves and others through the creating and sharing of stories and by this process develop students’ educational outcomes, lifestyle choices and community awareness.

Performing in Wakakirri is an experience students never forget. Schools spend Show Day rehearsing and meeting other schools and that same night walk the Red Carpet with the Panel Reps and perform on the big stage. Every schools’ story is filmed for Wakakirri TV as part of the search for ‘Story of the Year’.

Wakakirri is for every Primary School in Australia and has categories for all levels of experience. Every school can enter. Wakakirri encourages schools to minimise their footprint when creating props and costumes for their performance and offers special awards for schools that excel in this area.

Established in 1992, Wakakirri is Australia’s largest Performing Arts Event for schools, involving over 20,000 students across every State and Territory.  Over 1 million people watch Wakakirri performances each year.