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Mango Hill State School in Queensland has claimed the top award in the biggest performing arts festival for schools in Australia!

Wakakirri is Australia’s largest performing arts event for primary and secondary schools. This year’s search for the Story of the Year saw 240 schools hit the stage at 40 events at professional theatres around the country.

Mango Hill State School took out Story of the Year with their inspiring performance ‘What About the Children?’, in which a young boy discovers a way to make a difference when he learns about children who have been left homeless after a hurricane in Haiti. This was the school’s fifth year participating in Wakakirri and their first time winning Story of the Year.

Mango Hill showed everyone that they too can become a “helping hero” in a performance the Wakakirri National Panel called “visually and creatively sensational”. The students also became real life helping heroes, dancing for donations just like the characters in their story and donating money raised to the Save The Children Foundation.

Big stories about big issues have been at the forefront of Wakakirri this year. Popular themes explored by students have included reconciliation, environmental conservation and mental health.
Wakakirri provides a platform for thousands of students to tell stories that explore their thoughts, ideas and aspirations through dance and drama.

Other national winners in Wakakirri’s Primary Challenge include Carranballac P-9 College, Seaforth Public School, Sacred Heart Primary School Thornlie, St Philip’s Christian College Gosford, Torrens Primary School, Enoggera State School, Jells Park Primary School, Rose Park Primary School and Richmond North Public School.

In the Secondary Challenge, New South Wales school Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College Tumbi Umbi Campus took out Story of the Year for their stirring interpretation of John Marsden’s ‘The
Rabbits’ .

The Wakakirri Story Dance Challenge will return in 2019. Registrations open now, see website for details: www.wakakirri.com

We Remember 1918-2018

One hundred years ago, on 11 November 1918, four bloody years of brutal conflict came to an end. Almost 62,000 Australians died fighting for our freedom and in service of our nation in WWI.

As a celebration of this significant event in our history, the Mango Hill Progress Association has proudly organised the Mango Hill Armistice Centenary Festival for the entire community to come together and celebrate.

This Festival is a free family orientated event that will commemorate the Centenary of the Armistice of 11/11/1918 that led to the cessation of fighting on the Western front to end World War I.

Chris Whiting, MP for Bancroft, said that “The signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918 brought an end to the horrors of the First World War, and I am pleased that the Mango Hill Progress Association has been chosen to help our community commemorate the centenary.

“The Mango Hill Progress Association have a history of running great events for our community, and I have no doubt that the Armistice Day Festival will be another event that is embraced by the local community.

“The Mango Hill Progress Association has been granted nearly $10,000 in funding from the Queensland Government to run their Centenary of Armistice Day Festival.

“The funding for this festival will allow our community to better commemorate our service men and women,” Chris Whiting said.

Laurence Christie, Mango Hill Progress Association President said that the event will provide an opportunity for the local community to remember and commemorate the final months of the First World War.

“We will have period music, static displays and other entertainment to provide an enjoyable experience for the entire family,” Mr Christie said.

The Festival will feature free rides for kids, a re-enactment of the actual signing of the Armistice by students of Grace College in an official Ceremony, a theatre presentation of the “Journey of a Bugle through WW1”, participation of Army Cadet Unit, re-enactors in Period Uniform and period musical entertainment by Fin Taylor’s WW1 Ensemble.

Ringing of the Bells: At 7.00pm at the very moment that was 11.00am on the Western Front, 150 Bells will chime out over Danzy Buchanan Park to replicate the Bells chiming out of the Churches of Europe at that time and the Guns falling silent to end the fighting. Shortly after at 7.05pm, KC’s Fireworks Spectacular Finale will light up the night sky as a Celebration of the end of WW1.

Join in on Sunday 11th November, from 2pm at Danzy Buchanan Park, Mango Hill Village.