Students and teachers from flood-affected schools in the Northern Rivers travelled to Sydney yesterday to watch the musical extravaganza, Schools Spectacular, thanks to the NSW Government.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell praised the resilience of the Northern Rivers school communities and said the trip was provided as a much-needed morale boost.
“These students and teachers have been through so much this year. We wanted to let them know that we’re thinking of them and give them an opportunity for a bit of fun to end what has been a tough school year for them,” Ms Mitchell said.
“I am also very aware and focused on the students being impacted right now by floods across NSW and we will be supporting them during this time and through the recovery.”
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Schools Spectacular is back with more than 5,000 NSW public school students on stage at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
“As the world’s largest amateur variety show, students come from as far away as Ballina, Bourke and Bega to star on the big stage,” Ms Mitchell said.
The show features students and teachers from more than 350 NSW public schools, a 2,500-voice choir, 2,300 dancers, an 80-piece symphony orchestra, 45 featured artists plus more than 250 students involved in signing choirs, stage bands, VET entertainment crew and specialist ensembles.
A total of 65 students and six teachers from 14 schools in the Northern Rivers were given the opportunity to travel to Sydney to watch the matinee performance of Schools Spectacular 2022 on Friday 25 November 2022.
After the performance, the students were given a guided tour behind the scenes to talk to the cast and crew. The students also participated in SpecFest, an outdoor festival on the forecourt of Qudos Bank Arena.
Transport, accommodation, meals and Schools Spectacular tickets were supplied at no cost to the students and accompanying staff.
The Schools Spectacular experience for the Northern Rivers students is the latest initiative aimed at helping rebuild arts in regional, rural and remote school communities and supporting students after the challenges of the past two years.
The NSW Government established the 2022 Minister’s Arts Recovery Grants to support the development and implementation of arts-based projects for students who had been impacted by bushfires, floods, drought and COVID.
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