Pupils from across the north-east put on a spectacular display of stage performances at the weekend as they competed in this year’s Global Rock Challenge.
Fraserburgh schools took the first prizes for both the junior and teenage dance-offs, with Mackie Academy, Kemnay Academy, St Andrews Primary School and Strichen Primary named as runners-up.
The event attracts thousands of budding stage stars and involves pupils from primary to secondary age competing with dance routines to a soundtrack.
The three-day event is split between the secondary school’s Rock Challenge and the primary school-aged junior J Rock Challenge and this year was held in the BHGE Arena in Aberdeen.
Large audiences enjoyed a number of spectacular and colourful performances, many hugely creatively themed.
Fraserburgh’s South Park Primary school were crowned the winners of the junior event with their Trick or Treat dance, while Fraserburgh Academy scooped first place in the Rock Challenge competition with their interpretation of the 2010 Chilean gold mine rescue.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, presented the J Rock prize and said: “This a really wonderful event for so many local schools. Everyone who comes here enjoys themselves.
“It engages the communities and the entire schools and the skills and talent I see on the stage are a world away from the kind of kid I was when I was at primary school.
“Well done to everybody who has been involved and of course to tonight’s winners Fraserburgh South Park in particular.”
Event organiser Charlotte Payne said that the Aberdeen event was always the “most popular”, adding: “These were the regional heats and the winners will go on to a Scottish final being held in Dundee in June.
“We have been to Motherwell, Dundee and Aberdeen already and are now heading to Inverness. Across the country around 18,000 pupils have taken part this year.
“I think we had around 1,500 people coming to watch in Aberdeen, which is brilliant.”
The Rock Challenge is funded by the Be Your Best Foundation.
The competition aims to promote a lifestyle free of alcohol and drugs, through involvement in the performing arts
