Rock Eisteddfod Challenge

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The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is a series of dance and drama events staged worldwide by school pupils as part of the Global Rock Challenge. These events are initiated by the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Foundation, and aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices, particularly abstinence from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. A more recent event was started for primary students - J Rock - in 2004 to raise awareness about obesity by promoting dance as a fun way to exercise. Rock Eisteddfod shows mean telling a story on stage in 8 minutes. Participants can have between 10 and 120 students on stage, as well as up to 20 back stage crew. The entire show is set to a pre-recorded soundtrack of contemporary music, and the aim is to use dancing and drama to tell the story. There are also sets and costumes to be thought of and the performances often combine elements from the whole arts curriculum. Schools choose their own theme and story and work collaboratively with teachers and parents to bring their ideas to life. Almost every school student in Australia especially has heard of or been in a Rock Eisteddfod sometime in the past 28 years^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] History

The concept began in Sydney, Australia in 1980 known as The Rock ‘n’ Roll Eisteddfod, a NSW Arts Council sponsored-event, featuring a handful of Sydney high schools at the historic Hordern Pavilion. The idea has been developed by Sydney radio station 2SM - then Sydney’s number one youth music station. With support from Coca-Cola, the NSW Arts Council promoted the event as an example of local youth culture in action.

In 1988the New South Wales Health Department was the first to see the Rock Eisteddfod as an opportunity to deliver the “Quit For Life” anti-smoking message to secondary school students in New South Wales. At the same time, Peter Sjoquist AM took over and revitalised the event which is now know nationally as Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.

In 1993 the event was introduced into New Zealand starting with 20 schools and 2000 participants, and has grown to include 171 schools and 16,381 participants.

In 1995 Inspector Mark Pontin of the Hampshire Constabulary visited Australia o­n a Churchill Scholarship. He saw the Australian Rock Eisteddfod Challenge first hand and was so impressed that he persuaded the Chief Constable to introduce it to their area of the UK. In 1996 the inaugural event of the Rock Challenge was staged in Portsmouth with 11 schools and 800 students. This has now turned into a national series of competitions, usually starting in Aberdeen in February and running through many parts of the UK (including London, at the Hackney Empire) until the northern and southern Grand Finals around the end of May / beginning of June.

(Plans are now well advanced to hold the first-ever all-UK Grand National Final in 2009, with the best teams from both the northern and southern series of events together at last.)

Rock Eisteddford events are now staged in several locations worldwide. New Zealand, Germany, the U.S. (but in 2003 stopped in the US), United Kingdom, Japan, Dubai and South Africa have all taken up what's known as the Global Rock Challenge phenomenon. A sister event The Croc Festival stages a series of festivals in remote and regional areas of Australia, aimed at both indigenous and non-indigenous communities are held each year. In addition to performing under the stars the three day festivals provide the opportunity for rural and remote students to participate in many health, education, employment, sport, visual and performing activities during the day.

Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Logo

Rock Challenge Logo (Used Globally)

Croc Festival logo

[edit] Concept

While performances are professionally-staged events, the Global Rock Challenge is about having fun along the way. Students, teachers, parents and communities work together over many months helping to prepare the school's performance. Students gain valuable communication and leadership skills as well as the more practical aspects of producing such as financial management, fundraising, writing and development, construction and design. Many students benefit from a strong sense of pride in their school and student / teacher relationships are enhanced through the experience. Students finally take part in an exhilarating live event performance in front of thousands of family and friends.

These events are a proven way to boost resilience amongst students. A world first research project led by the now Pro-Vice Chancellor of Sydney University, Professor Don Nutbeam in 1999-2001, found that participants in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge in Sydney secondary schools had higher self-esteem than the control group of schools who did not participate in the event; that participants smoked less tobacco and marijuana and drank less alcohol than the control group. The PhD candidate who undertook the research, Dr Rose Grunstein also found that students in participating schools but not in the actual team also had lower propensities to smoke, drink excessive alcohol or take other drugs. Hence, the positive effects were felt throughout the school.

Since then many State and Government Health and Education Departments have put their support behind the event – recognising the ability of the event to promote anti-substance abuse and healthy lifestyle messages. The Australian Department of Health and Ageing have sponsored the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge television specials with various tobacco, alcohol and drug prevention messages for 18 years. Each year some 30% of all young people in Australia watch the specials and of that audience group 90% of the viewers recall the prevention messages contained within the programmes.

Almost a million young people aged 11 to 19 have now performed on stage. In 2005, 100,000 young people from 800 schools took part in one of the hundreds of shows staged worldwide.

Over 400 schools and 40,000 students competed in 50 Rock Eisteddfod Challenge shows in 17 regions across Australia in 2006.

[edit] Divisions^[1]

In all REC events there are Open and RAW Divisions. In Melbourne and Sydney there is an open, small and premier division.

[edit] J Rock

• Team Numbers- max 143 participants
• Performers- Min 10 Max 100
• Stage Crew: Min 0 Max 20
• Support Crew Max 20
• Expenditure Maximum- $2,500

[edit] Small Teams

• Team Numbers – max 73 participants
• Performers: Min 10 Max 40
• Stage Crew: Min 0 Max 10
• Support Crew: Max 20

[edit] RAW

• Team Numbers – max 128 participants
• Performers: Min 20 Max 100
• Stage Crew Min 0 Max 5
• Maximum Expenditure $2,500

[edit] Open

• Team Numbers – max 143 participants
• Performers: Min 20 Max 100
• Stage Crew Min 0 Max 20
• Support Crew: Min * Max 20
• Maximum Expenditure - $8,500

[edit] Premier

Premier division is exclusive to Sydney and Melbourne shows only.

• Team Numbers – max 143 participants
• Performers: Min 20 Max 100
• Stage Crew: Min 0 Max 20
• Maximum Expenditure - $8,500

[edit] Raw Division

Introduced in 2006, RAW Division is the new division of REC which has a 'no set' rule, focussing purely o­n dance.

Participants are encouraged to explore using the human body in order to tell their story, and as a result RAW division has greater emphasis o­n choreography, dance and drama.

This new division is structured in a way that is also presents an opportunity for students to rise to the challenge and create and lead their performance, minimising the commitment required from teachers.

Schools may compete in Open/Small/Premier AND Raw divisions.

[edit] Outcomes

Global Rock Challenge events in each country have successfully delivered specific health and lifestyle themes such as anti-tobacco, drugs and alcohol messages. Now, research^[2] shows how the events make their impact.

Independent research conducted on Global Rock Challenge events support the belief that such anti-drug and alcohol messages are having a positive impact on young people who participate.

A three-year study from the University of Sydney Department of Public Health and Community Medicine was the first cross-sectional analysis of participating and non-participating students.

The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge as an Intervention to Increase Resiliency and Improve Health Behaviours in Adolescents (1999-2001), study confirmed the effectiveness of the events as a youth program.

The overall findings were:

• There is a lower incidence of drug, marijuana and alcohol use among

participating REC students compared to students in non-participating REC schools.

• The intention to smoke and binge drink is lower among participating REC

students compared to students in non-participating REC schools.

• The REC is an intervention programme which is associated with increased resiliency among students from participating schools.

• Participation in the REC has a positive impact on school climate.

Specific results of the study include:

In terms of adolescent substance use:

• Students from non-participating schools are 1.6 times more likely to have ever used marijuana, than from participating schools.
• 23% of participating students reported that they had ever used marijuana compared to 33% in students from non-participating schools.
• 23% of participating students reported that they had tried drugs compared to 34% of students from non-participating schools.
• 42% of participating students reported that they had ever been drunk compared to 51% of students from non-participating REC schools.
• Participation in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge suppresses the intention to smoke and binge drink.

In terms of resiliency:

Resiliency factors are defined as:

• sense of identity
• sense of belonging
• sense of purpose
• problem solving skills
• social competence

In addition, attitude to drugs and the influence of peers and families were measured. Other studies have shown that a low level of resiliency can result in anti-social behaviour.

As an intervention program, the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge (REC) showed that:

• Participants and non-participants from REC schools had significantly higher overall resiliency during the rehearsal period than students from control schools.
• Within REC schools participants scored higher for overall resiliency than non-participants.
• At no point do control schools students reach the same level of resiliency as participants in the REC.
• Some of the factors of resiliency such as flexibility, empathy and caring, good communication skills, sense of belonging and sense of purpose can be enhanced through participating in the REC.

In terms of message recall:

• 90% of students from REC schools and 87.5% from control schools knew that the message was an anti-substance abuse message.
• The study found very positive attitudes toward the REC, particularly amongst those who took an active role in the event.

[edit] See also

• Rock Eisteddfod Challenge results

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Australian Rock Eisteddfod Challenge website.
• Global Rock Challenge website.