The original stage-based mini broadway that follows the elements of
Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Culture & Technology.
These shows are held in professional venues around Aotearoa.
This is a simple outline for Showquest.
Once you’ve entered, you’ll receive the full Showquest Manual.
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 not include technical and support crew.
Showquest is split into Junior & Open Sections. Junior is year 1-8 and Open is year 1-13. Schools with a roll over 1,500 are eligible to apply to enter 2 teams (subject to confirmation from the Event Office). Each student may only take part in 1 performance.
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 put together an NCEA E Book on how you can earn credits in our Showquest, Wearable Art & OnScreen programmes. That'll be released shortly under 'Resources'. Keep an eye out!
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 ‘About’ tab.
Although Showquest is primarily about participation,
there will be awards for both the Junior & Open Sections.
Covid-19 over the past two years has become an everyday consideration for us all and will be something we are all thinking about as we move towards the event season.
We have always prioritised the safety of our event participants and their whānau and friends, and in these uncertain times, this is no different. We appreciate your patience and support as we’ve navigated this tricky situation and changes to best practice.
Vaccination Requirements
We are able to confirm, following the update to the COVID-19 Public Health Response Order, that students involved in a school-organised Showquest or Toi team will not need to provide a vaccine pass to participate. Involvement in Showquest/Toi is a school-organised activity, so all students attending on the day (performers, backstage, lighting designers, Toi designers etc) are exempt from providing a vaccine pass.
Masks
Whether or not it is mandatory for your school team to wear masks is at the discretion of the teaching staff, working within the policy of each school.
Our SQ event staff will be wearing masks throughout the event day.
Live / Digital Shows in 2022
Because we want to keep our events as consistent, accessible, and
safe as possible - we will not be having a live audience at our regional events this year.
Instead - each performance will be filmed individually on the Showquest stage in each region. The videos will be exhibited in a Digital Showcase following the event (release dates here).
The regional results will also be announced at the end of each Digital showcase, and then posted to the social media and website.
Thank you!
There are many moving parts, and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we all adapt alongside the New Zealand Government guidelines.
We are so appreciative of your ongoing support, especially in these difficult times for the arts.
As always - if you have any questions, send us an email at events@showquest.nz
A nationwide short-film challenge for high school students, get involved!
This is a simple outline for OnScreen.
Once we launch for 2022, you will be able to register and receive the full OnScreen Manual.
All participants must be enrolled in an NZ school (including home school and correspondence school). Schools may submit multiple entries, however students may only take part in one film production each.
Entry crew numbers are a maximum of 30 with no minimum number. Entrants must all attend the same school. However, feel free to have actors/whānau/friends in your shoot that aren't from your school. Just as long as the planning and filming has been done by your crew! All entries must have a student director.
OnScreen is a nationwide digital short-film challenge for high school students. We're committed to supporting young creatives and want to help remove barriers for access by making it accessible to any high school student anywhere in Aotearoa.
We will create film briefs for filmmakers to be inspired by, which will be announced in early 2022. These briefs will be intentionally thematic (not genre-based) and open to a wide array of interpretations. Stay tuned!
OnScreen does not allow any commercial music to be used in your film. You still have a number of options to incorporate music and sound effects though! You can source royalty-free music or audio, create original music or devise a scripted narrative performance with no music.
Think like Peter Jackson and use on-location filming to take your production to the next level. Film a school scene in a classroom, a dramatic scene on an overcast beach, film the sunset or clouds moving across the sky or rig up a green screen - your options are endless!
This is just as important in a short film as it is for our performers in the Showquest live events. Think about your characters and how to develop them with effective costuming, hair & make-up.
One of the biggest elements of OnScreen will be how you decide to edit your footage to create your final film. You can really get creative here. with editing effects, digital effects and filters, sound effects and camera cuts. Some great programs to start with are iMovie, Premiere Pro & Windows Movie Maker.
You'll be required to upload your final edit on the website by the due date. We will then upload all films to our platform and create a free digital show to share with your community, friends & whānau.
We will create a Digital Showcase from submitted videos. These will be available online to watch at the completion of the competition. This will allow all schools. students and the public to watch each other's amazing mahi.
We have put together an NCEA E Book on how you can earn credits in our OnScreen, Toi & Showquest programmes. That'll be released shortly under 'Resources'. Keep an eye out!
All practical means must be taken to ensure people are kept safe while creating this entry. If Covid-19 Alert Levels are in place, all gathering restrictions and requirements must be diligently followed. It is your responsibility to make sure your performance operates in a manner that doesn't jeopardise people's wellbeing and safety.
A huge thanks to the team at GoPro for providing epic prizes
to OnScreen award winners in 2021!
© 2024 Rock Quest Promotions Ltd
