The end of June/beginning of July saw three performances in a week involving students from the three Cockburn secondary schools.

On the Monday, Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy hosted their annual Shakespeare Festival. Cockburn John Charles Academy students performed a hilarious “Love Island” version of Twelfth Night.

Cockburn School performed a dark and angry version of Othello. Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy performed Hamlet, set in a prison, with the “play within the play” being the Lion King (which is loosely based on the story of Hamlet. There were also spoken word and dance interpretations of Shakespeare plays in front of a packed audience.

Twelfth Night | Othello | Hamlet

On the Wednesday, students from all three schools (and also from Middleton Primary) headed to Leeds First Direct Arena to perform as part of the choirs at the ArtForms Leeds Youth Music Festival. Students from nearly 60 schools, representing all 33 wards of Leeds, performed in the choirs. There were also performances from youth orchestras, bands and ensembles across a range of different musical genres.

On the Thursday, the three secondary schools took over the main Quarry stage at Leeds Playhouse as part of their Open Season community project. This performance, titled ‘Together Means More’ celebrated the diversity of the students within South Leeds and the future of a United Leeds. Either through musical performances, dance pieces, drama work or spoken word, students explored and celebrated what makes them who they are and how they will create the future of their City. The students wanted to show everyone what the future of a ‘United Leeds’ will look and sound like.

What a week! Proof again that the cultural offer for the young people in the Cockburn MAT is outstanding.

 

This post is based on a press release issued by Cockburn Multi-academy Trust

Main photo: Massed choirs at Leeds Arena

 

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