Dundee’s Caird Hall will be a riot of colour and high-energy dramatic performance when it hosts around 1,000 young participants in the return of the Be Your Best Rock Challenge to the venue this month.
Dream Big, Shine Bright is the 2016 mission for pupils taking part in the nationwide initiative which aims to inspire youngsters aged 7 to 18.
Teams of pupils as small as 10, or as large as 135, have up to eight minutes to perform their chosen theme in front of what are expected to be sell-out Caird Hall audiences in the Rock Challenge and J Rock tour heats.
On Tuesday March 15, Arbroath Academy, Kinross High School and Montrose Academy will vie for glory alongside first time entrants St John’s RC High School from Dundee, Larbert High and Edinburgh’s Mary Erskine School.
The following night, last year’s Scottish final winners, Arbroath High School, will present a premier team showcase, with Morgan Academy, Forfar Academy, Perth High, Forfar’s Strathmore Primary and the two Arbroath primaries, Inverbrothock and Warddykes, all stepping under the spotlights with their spectacular offerings.
Arbroath High scooped a string of prizes in the 2015 Milton Keynes final and their dominance of the Scottish event in the past two years has seen them elevated to the northern premier division against the best schools in the north of England.
Senior event manager Samantha Eastwood said: “Every year we are amazed by the amount of time and effort that schools put into creating their Rock Challenge and J Rock performances.
“Schools learn the importance of team work and perseverance as their many hours or hard work pay off in spectacular performances.”