An original stage-based mini broadway that follows the elements of Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Culture & Technology. Students design, produce and perform stories in a powerful performance of celebration and recognition from their community. Performances are centred around an issue chosen by what's important to students.
This is a simple outline for Showquest.
Performance team numbers are a maximum of 100 performers. All schools are welcome and teams can be any size smaller than this! These numbers do not include technical and support crew.
Showquest has two competing sections - Junior (Y1-8) and Senior (Y9-13). Senior groups can have junior students participating.
Entry fee is $10 per performer and backstage students (excl. adult support crew), it has been set at this level as we want it to be affordable to participate.
Each performance will follow a theme. Let your creative mind run wild! Points and awards will be given for originality. Make sure in your theme selection that you are not infringing copyright. If you have any concerns about your theme, please contact the Event Office.
Commercial music or original music created by musicians from your school may be used. Most schools choose to create a ‘mashup’ of songs and audio. Have fun with this as it is one of the best ways of telling a story and expressing a theme, idea or feeling.
School groups have the opportunity to combine their pre-recorded soundtrack with a live music element. This could be made up of a band, vocalists and/or narrators of up to 10 students and will take place in our Rockshop Live Music Pit, separate to the main stage.
Each performance can be a maximum of 10 minutes long. Your setup, entrance, performance, pack down and exit all need to take place in this allocation. You do not have to use the full time!
We allow hand-held props that can be carried on and off stage by one or two students. They can be no bigger than 2 metres high and must be able to be lifted on and off stage by one or two students.
Our LED video screen is a more sustainable option than large props and sets, and will help you to create the world of your show. From block colours, animation, images, moving videos and more, your options are endless when it comes to making your performance stand out.
All performances are required to provide one or two Lighting Designers, who will work alongside our Showquest Lighting Director through both your rehearsal time and performance. This student does not require any previous experience with lighting, take it as an opportunity to learn!
We have created a free NCEA resource e-book outlining how Showquest can be integrated with NCEA standards in Music, Dance & Drama. This is an entirely optional component - contact events@showquest.nz if you would like a copy.
Events will be held at professional venues in each region around Aotearoa. Ticket information will be released closer to the time. Find the date and venue info under the 'Dates/Ticket' tab.
Although Showquest is primarily about participation, there will be awards for both the Junior & Senior Sections.
This is a simple outline for TOI.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive the full Toi Manual.
We are very proud to be working in collaboration with our friends at World of WearableArt to integrate a different component of the performing arts into our programme. WOW have helped us shape this platform and Dame Suzie Moncrieff (WOW Founder) and Heather Palmer (WOW Competition Director) are our national judges.
All entrants must be enrolled in a New Zealand school (including home school and correspondence school). Students can enter in either the Junior (Y1-8) or Senior (Y9-13) category. There is no limit to the number of student designers per garment. Senior students (Y9-13) can enter Toi independently, even if your school is not involved.
Teachers and parents are not permitted to contribute to the design or creation of the garment above and beyond acceptable health & safety measures. E.g. helping with a hot glue gun or assisting in cutting tricky materials.
Toi has an entry cost of $10 per garment. Each garment can have up to 3 students attend on event day (student model and up to 2 designers/helpers).
Be inspired by one of our four design briefs created with WOW: Stories of the South Pacific | Year 3024 | Larger than Life|or Myths, Legends and Fantastic Creatures. Let your mind run wild when interpreting these briefs - you can be as literal, wacky or fantastical as you like! If you have an amazing idea that doesn’t fit into these themes, you can also choose to create something with a real WOW factor and enter our Open brief.
Student designers will have a professional photo taken of their creation on their model at a Showquest event. Toi mentors will meet with designers, and shortlisted garments will have additional photos taken for nationwide judging by our WOW judges, Dame Suzie Moncrieff and Heather Palmer. You can also choose to enter our additional Creative Photo Challenge by taking a magazine-style cover photo of you striking a pose!
On event day, a photoshoot studio will be set up backstage where our photographer will take a professional photo of each Toi garment. Each garment can only have up to 3 students attend on event day (student model and up to 2 designers/helpers). During the Showquest evening show, student models will walk a stage catwalk and showcase their garments in front of a live audience.
Although TOI is primarily about participation,
there will be awards presented for the categories below.
Ngā mihi nui to WOW, Bernina and The Fabric Store for their generosity in providing prizes for Toi entrants.
National Awards
Need help with something? Or just want to say kia ora, hit us up with the details here!
Phone (09) 845 1557
Email events@showquest.nz
Registrations close:
Showquest - March 18• Toi - April 15• OnScreen - TBC