UK Rock Challenge
The UK Rock Challenge was the British arm of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. The Rock Challenge was an anti-drug and crime-prevention event that took the form of a friendly performing arts competition for schools and colleges. Originating in Australia in the 1980s, it reached the United Kingdom after inspector Mark Pontin of Hampshire saw it in 1995 and was so impressed that he persuaded Hampshire's constabulary to form a joint venture with Tony Barron, chairman of the Hampshire Education Committee and Peter Coles, UK Rock Challenge's chief executive. Together, they introduced it in Hampshire and found joint funding to support it.
The first UK event took place in Portsmouth Guildhall in Portsmouth in 1996 and involved 11 schools and around 750 young people. Rock Challenge then expanded into many additional areas across the UK. In 2016, there were 49 days of events. The event stopped abruptly in 2019.
The event
The premise of the Rock Challenge is that each school puts together an 8-minute dance and drama production on a theme of their choice set to a soundtrack of commercially available music. Over the course of months/weeks schools create their production and finally bring it to an event day held at a professional venue where they spend the day rehearsing and preparing for an evening show where parents, peers, community members, and invited guests attend. During the evening, a panel of judges give verbal feedback on each performance and also score each piece based on strict criteria. Performances are judged on:Performance Judge
Marks:
- Choreography
- Performance Skill
- Soundtrack
Marks:
- Hair and Make-up
- Costume
- Lighting
Marks:
- Drama
- Set Design and Function
- Concept
At the end of the evening, a prize ceremony is held where a number of awards are presented along with the announcement of the top-scoring schools.
The Rock Challenge message
The core message of the Be Your Best Rock Challenge is to show young people how they can achieve a 'natural high' on life rather than with the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco - the concept is that through participation in the event at a professional venue with a professional production and technical crew, the students are helped in the belief that they can achieve a high on life rather than relying on substances. This is emphasised during the event where everyone is warned that if anyone is caught smoking, taking drugs or drinking alcohol the individual/s concerned will be asked to leave and their team will be deducted two overall ranking places.Participation in the Rock Challenge has shown to have many positive effects on participants, schools, and communities, including:
- Self-esteem
- Teamwork skills
- Anti-social behaviour
- Truancy rates
- Curriculum links
- Teacher-student relations
- School-community relations
Concept, history and Australian origins
Just like in the UK, since its inception in Australia the events have grown in popularity, so much that the National Finals are shown on the Nine Network over a period of weeks on a Saturday Morning. This television coverage has been happening since the early 1990s, but since the UK launch in 1996 it still does not have any major media coverage there.
The most famous participant of Rock Challenge in the UK was the actress Emma Watson from the Harry Potter franchise. She participated twice, once in 2006 and once as the Rock Challenge leader in 2007 with her school in Oxford.
Competition format
Rock Challenge is split into 2 age brackets:J Rock
J Rock started in the UK in 2005 for participants aged 7–11. Many J Rock events are not full competitions based on the desires of the local schools and sponsors.
Rock Challenge
Rock Challenge is for participants aged 11–18. As of 2004, Rock Challenge has been split into 2 competition divisions; the Open and the Premier divisions:
In the 'Open' Division:
- Open Division schools take part in heats across the country. Schools that win their heat progress to the Regional Open Grand Final.
- Due to the increasing number of teams entering, there are 2 Open Grand Finals for each region.
- In most cases each Open Grand Final winner is promoted to the Premier Division for the following year.
- Throughout the heats and finals, schools also compete for awards which merit the teams' performances in certain aspects of the piece - these range from hair and make up to video performance.
- In each region there are 12 Premier Division schools in any given year.
- In the majority of cases, Premier schools are required to showcase their performance before competing at the Regional Premier Grand Final.
- Premier schools compete against each other in the region's Premier Grand Final where they will compete for ranking places and awards.
- To remain in the Premier Division, schools are required to place in the top nine at the Regional Final, which, added together with the winners and runners-up from the Open Grand Finals, gives you the Premier Schools for the following year.
Scottish Grand Final
As of 2012, schools participating in Scottish events will compete at heats for a place in the Scottish Grand Final held in Dundee. Should a school win the Scottish Grand Final two years in succession they will be given the option of competing in the Northern Region Premier Division for the following year. Should a school win the Scottish Grand Final three years in succession they will be automatically moved into the Northern Region Premier Grand Final for the following year.
National Grand Final
In 2009 the UK's first National Grand Final was held at the Sheffield Arena. This consisted of the top 5 schools from each Premier Final along with the top scoring first place from the Open finals giving twelve schools: Sandown High School from Sandown, Isle of Wight won this event with their performance 'Cursed' after winning their Open Grand Final.
In 2012 the second UK Rock Challenge National Grand Final was held at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes: Kings Langley School, Hertfordshire won this event with their performance entitled 'Swift as a shadow short as any dream.'.
Events and venues
Since 1996, the Tour has been to many venues around the country and as Rock Challenge has become larger, so have the venues. Even just in the first year it grew from one night and one event to 8 venues and 11 nights.With the planned National Grand Final, it would bring the biggest ever venue ever used by the Rock Challenge team in the UK, The Sheffield Arena with a capacity up to 12,500 seated.
As of 2012 the events will have taken place in the following towns/cities across the UK:
• Aberdeen
• Arbroath
• Basingstoke
• Belfast
• Bournemouth
• Bradford
• Brighton
• Carlisle
• Crawley
• Croydon
• Derby
• Dundee
• Eastbourne
• Grantham
• Grimsby
• Hackney
• Hemel Hempstead
• Hull
• Inverness
• Leeds
• Lincoln
• London
• Manchester
• Margate
• Milton Keynes
• North Finchley
• Portsmouth
• Reading
• Rotherham
• Sheffield
• Skegness
• Southampton
• St Albans
• Stevenage
• York
Results
Since its inception in 1996, many UK Rock Challenge events have taken place up and down the nation; below is a full chronological list of results from the first event to the present day:1996
1996 Be Your Best Rock ChallengePortsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire
| 1st Place | Victory-Land Children's Theatre Group, Southsea, Hampshire | Things that go bump in the night |
| 2nd Place | Park Community School, Leigh Park, Hampshire | |
| 3rd Place | Cantell School, Southampton, Hampshire |
Awards:
| Cantell School, Southampton, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Set Design and Staging |
| King Richard School, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Backstage Crew |
| Mayville High School, Southsea, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Concept |
| Brune Park Community School, Gosport, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Lighting Design |
| Portsmouth YMCA, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Make-up |
| Victory-Land Children's Theatre Group, Southsea, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Costume Most Outstanding Soundtrack |
| The Wavell School, Farnborough, Hampshire | Most Outstanding Choreography |
1997
1997 Be Your Best Croydon Rock ChallengeAshcroft Theatre, Croydon, Surrey
Wednesday, 26 February
| 1st Place | Hurstmere Boys Secondary School, Sidcup, Kent | British Bulldog |
| 2nd Place | Eltham Hill Secondary School, Eltham, Greenwich | Dance Until Dawn |
| 3rd Place | Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke, Greenwich | Spiritual High |
Awards:
| Chislehurst and Sidcup, Sidcup, Kent | The Purrfect Pounce | Best Hair and Make-up BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Metropolitan Police Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Eltham Hill Secondary School, Eltham, Greenwich | Dance Until Dawn | Night and Day Award for Best Concept |
| Hurstmere Boys Secondary School, Sidcup, Kent | British Bulldog | Tacking Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Award for Best Soundtrack Award for Best Choreography |
| St Thomas More, West Grinstead, West Sussex | Title unknown | Greenwich Safer Cities Award for Best Set Design and Staging Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke, Greenwich | Spiritual High | |
| The Welling School, Welling, Kent | They Don't Really Care About Us | Greenwich Borough Council Award for Best Drama Skills Encouragement Award |
1997 Get Real Be Your Best Portsmouth Rock Challenge Day One
Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Tuesday, 4 March
| 1st Place | Park Community College, Leigh Park, Hampshire | Step Back in Time |
| 2nd Place | City of Portsmouth Girls’ School, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Fit for Life |
| 3rd Place | Crookhorn Community School, Waterlooville, Hampshire | A Devil of a Dream |
Awards:
| Brune Park Community College, Gosport, Hampshire | Is This The World We've Created? | Sony Award for Best Soundtrack Gosport Borough Council Award for Best Lighting Design |
| City of Portsmouth Girls’ School, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Fit for Life | Portsmouth Safer Cities' Award for Best Set Design and Staging |
| Crookhorn Community School, Waterlooville, Hampshire | A Devil of a Dream | Wella Award for Best Hair and Make-up Portsmouth City Council Award for Best Choreography |
| Frogmore Community College, Yateley, Hampshire | Title unknown | Night and Day Award for Best Concept |
| King Richard School Team One, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Love at Third Sight | Hampshire Constabulary Award for Best Stage Crew Hampshire Police Authority Student Leadership Award |
| Park Community College, Leigh Park, Hampshire | Step Back in Time | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Hampshire County Council Award for Best Drama Skills |
| St Luke's C of E School, Southsea, Hampshire | They Have Landed | Hampshire Police Authority Encouragement Award Hampton Trust Performers' Performers Award |
| Victory-Land Theatre School, Southsea, Hampshire | Do You Believe In Magic? | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Producer's Award for Excellence |
1997 Get Real Be Your Best Portsmouth Rock Challenge Day Two
Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Thursday, 5 March
| 1st Place | King Richard School Team One, Portsmouth, Hampshire | We are the Future |
| 2nd Place | Ratton School, Eastbourne, East Sussex | Lady Heroin |
| 3rd Place | Tideway School, Newhaven, East Sussex | A Taste of Honey |
Awards:
| King Richard School Team Two, Portsmouth, Hampshire | We are the Future | Portsmouth Safer Cities Award for Best Set Design and Staging Hampton Trust Performers' Performers Award Gosport Borough Council Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Mayville High School, Southsea, Hampshire | Hooray for Hollywood | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design |
| Portsmouth YMCA, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Feel the Rhythm | Wella Award for Best Hair and Make-up Producer's Award for Excellence |
| Ratton School, Eastbourne, East Sussex | Lady Heroin | Portsmouth City Council Award for Best Choreography Sony Award for Best Soundtrack |
| St Edmund's Catholic School, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Title unknown | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance |
| Tideway School, Newhaven, East Sussex | A Taste of Honey | Night and Day Award for Best Concept |
| Wildern School Team One, Hedge End, Hampshire | Girl Power | Hampshire Constabulary Award for Best Stage Crew Hampshire Police Authority Student Leadership Award |
| Wildern School Team Two, Hedge End, Hampshire | A Space to Grow | Hampshire County Council Award for Best Drama Skills |
1997 Get Real 2CR FM Be Your Best Bournemouth Rock Challenge
Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset
Friday, 7 March
| 1st Place | The Purbeck School, Wareham, Dorset | Psychedelia |
| 2nd Place | Youth Dance On | A Day on the Bridge |
| 3rd Place | Corfe Hills School, Poole, Dorset | Famous People |
Awards:
| The Bicknell School, Bournemouth, Dorset | Our Story | Night and Day Award for Best Concept 2CR FM Award for Best Soundtrack |
| Corfe Hills School, Poole, Dorset | Famous People | Award for Best Drama Skills BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance |
| Highcliffe School, Christchurch, Dorset | Aspects of American Culture | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Oakmead College of Technology, Bournemouth, Dorset | Dance to the End of the Line | Performers' Performers Award |
| The Purbeck School, Wareham, Dorset | Psychedelia | Award for Best Hair and Make-up Dorset Police Award for Best Stage Crew Bournemouth Borough Council Award for Best Choreography |
| Youth Dance On | A Day on the Bridge | Award for Best Set Design and Staging |
1997 Get Real 2-Ten FM Be Your Best Basingstoke Rock Challenge
The Anvil Theatre, Basingstoke, Hampshire
Wednesday, 12 March
| 1st Place | Wavell School Team One, Farnborough, Hampshire | Dreamers Cafe |
| 2nd Place | Wavell School Team Two, Farnborough, Hampshire | Games Without Frontiers |
| 3rd Place | The Hurst Community School, Baughurst, Hampshire | Dance in the 20th Century |
Awards:
| Fort Hill Community School, Basingstoke, Hampshire | Kaleidescope | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Hampshire Police Authority Encouragement Award |
| The Hurst Community School, Baughurst, Hampshire | Dance in the 20th Century | Night and Day Award for Best Concept Sony Award for Best Soundtrack Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Richard Aldworth School, Basingstoke, Hampshire | Be The Best You Can Be | Wella Award for Best Hair and Make Up Hampton Trust Performers' Performers Award |
| Wavell School Team One, Farnborough, Hampshire | Dreamers Cafe | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Hampshire Constabulary Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Wavell School Team Two, Farnborough, Hampshire | Games Without Frontiers | Award for Best Set Design and Staging Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Award for Best Choreography Hampshire County Council Award for Best Drama Skills |
1997 Get Real Be Your Best Southampton Rock Challenge
Southampton Guildhall, Southampton, Hampshire
Friday, 14 March
| 1st Place | Cantell Secondary School, Southampton, Hampshire | That's Entertainment |
| 2nd Place | Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh, Hampshire | Our Beautiful Neighbourhood |
| 3rd Place | Osborne Middle School, East Cowes, Isle of Wight | Staying Alive |
Awards:
| Cantell Secondary School, Southampton, Hampshire | That's Entertainment | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Southampton Council Award for Best Choreography Hampshire County Council Award for Best Drama Skills BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance |
| Osborne Middle School, East Cowes, Isle of Wight | Staying Alive | Award for Best Set Design and Staging |
| Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh, Hampshire | Our Beautiful Neighbourhood | Wella Award for Best Hair and Make Up Hampshire Constabulary Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Redbridge Community School, Southampton, Hampshire | From Hatred to Hate | Night and Day Award for Best Concept Sony Award for Best Soundtrack |
| Woodlands Community College, Southampton, Hampshire | Life's Journey | Hampshire Police Authority Award for Best Lighting Design Performers' Performers Award |
1997 Lifestyle Be Your Best Hull Rock Challenge
Hull New Theatre, Hull
Wednesday, 19 March
| 1st Place | Baysgarth School, Barton-Upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire | Title unknown |
| 2nd Place | Driffield School, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown |
| 3rd Place | Lindsey School, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire | Title unknown |
Awards:
| Baysgarth School, Barton-Upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire | Title unknown | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance |
| Driffield School, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Night and Day Award for Best Concept Prince's Trust Award for Best Drama Skills |
| Hornsea School, Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Foundation for Sports and the Arts Award for Best Choreography Encouragement Award |
| Howden School, Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Provident Finance Award for Best Hair and Make-up Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design |
| Lindsey School, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire | Title unknown | Award for Best Set Design and Staging |
| South Hunsley School, Melton, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Award for Best Soundtrack Humberside Police Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Withernsea High School, Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Lifestyle Award for Best Lighting Design Performers' Performers Award |
1997 Be Your Best Fox FM Oxford Rock Challenge
Apollo Theatre, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Friday, 11 April
| 1st Place | Peers School, Oxford, Oxfordshire | The Other Side of Life |
| 2nd Place | King Alfred's School East, Wantage, Oxfordshire | The Party |
| 3rd Place | Matthew Arnold School, Oxford, Oxfordshire | Space |
Awards:
| King Alfred's School East, Wantage, Oxfordshire | Example | Fox FM Award for Best Soundtrack Award for Best Lighting Design BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance |
| King Alfred's School West, Wantage, Oxfordshire | The Best of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s | Encouragement Award Student Leadership Award Performers' Performers Award |
| Matthew Arnold School, Oxford, Oxfordshire | Space | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Student Leadership Award |
| Peers School, Oxford, Oxfordshire | The Other Side of Life | Award for Best Hair and Make-up Night and Day Award for Best Concept Thames Valley Police Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Sparkle Stage Set | Dancing in the Street | Oxford Safer Cities Award for Best Set Design and Staging Award for Best Choreography Award for Best Drama Skills |
1997 Be Your Best The Pulse Bradford Rock Challenge
St George's Hall, Bradford, West Yorkshire
Monday, 14 April
| 1st Place | The Ridings School, Halifax, West Yorkshire | Bad Press |
| 2nd Place | Thornton Grammar School, Bradford, West Yorkshire | Drugs and Rave |
| 3rd Place | Merlyn Rees High School, Leeds, West Yorkshire | Walls and Bridges |
Awards:
| Buttershaw High School, Bradford, West Yorkshire | Peer Pressure | Provident Finance Award for Best Hair and Make-up Night and Day Award for Best Concept The Pulse of West Yorkshire Award for Best Soundtrack |
| Merlyn Rees High School, Leeds, West Yorkshire | Walls and Bridges | Award for Best Set Design and Staging West Yorkshire Police Award for Best Drama Skills |
| Queensbury School, Bradford, West Yorkshire | HIV and the Blood | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Award for Best Lighting Design Encouragement Award |
| The Ridings School, Halifax, West Yorkshire | Bad Press | Award for Best Choreography Award for Best Stage Crew |
| Thornton Grammar School, Bradford, West Yorkshire | Drugs and Rave | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Performers' Performers Award |
1997 Be Your Best The Pulse Rock Challenge Northern Grand Final
St George's Hall, Bradford, West Yorkshire
Tuesday, 15 April
| 1st Place | Merlyn Rees High School, Leeds, West Yorkshire | Walls and Bridges |
| 2nd Place | Driffield School, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown |
| 3rd Place | South Hunsley School, Melton, East Ridings of Yorkshire | Title unknown |
Awards:
| Baysgarth School, Barton-Upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire | Title unknown | Provident Financial Award for Best Hair and Make-up Prince's Trust Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Driffield School, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Foundation for Sport and the Arts Award for Award for Best Choreography |
| Lindsey School, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire | Title unknown | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Performers' Performers Award |
| Merlyn Rees High School, Leeds, West Yorkshire | Walls and Bridges | West Yorkshire Police Award for Best Drama Skills |
| The Ridings School, Halifax, West Yorkshire | Bad Press | Night and Day Award for Best Concept The Pulse of West Yorkshire Award for Best Soundtrack Lifestyle Award for Best Stage Crew |
| South Hunsley School, Melton, East Ridings of Yorkshire | Title unknown | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design |
| Thornton Grammar School, Bradford, West Yorkshire | Drugs and Rave | Best Set Design and Staging Encouragement Award |
1997 Be Your Best Get Real Rock Challenge Southern Grand Final
Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Thursday, 17 April
| 1st Place | Ratton School, Eastbourne, East Sussex | Lady Heroin |
| 2nd Place | Wavell School Team Two, Farnborough, Hampshire | Games Without Frontiers |
| 3rd Place | King Richard School Team Two, Portsmouth, Hampshire | We are the Future |
Awards:
| Cantell Secondary School, Southampton, Hampshire | That's Entertainment | Hampshire County Council Award for Best Drama Skills |
| City of Portsmouth Girls’ School, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Fit for Life | Tackling Drugs Together Award for Best Costume Design Student Leadership Award |
| Hurstmere Boys Secondary School, Sidcup, Kent | British Bulldog | Night and Day Award for Best Concept Southampton City Council Encouragement Award |
| King Richard School Team Two, Portsmouth, Hampshire | We are the Future | Hampshire Constabulary Award for Best Lighting Design |
| Park Community College, Leigh Park, Hampshire | Step Back in Time | BT Award for Most Entertaining Performance Hampton Trust Performers' Performers Award |
| Peers School, Oxford, Oxfordshire | The Other Side of Life | Hampshire Police Authority Award for Best Stage Crew |
| The Purbeck School, Wareham, Dorset | Psychedelia | Shockwaves Award for Best Hair and Make-up |
| Ratton School, Eastbourne, East Sussex | Lady Heroin | Portsmouth City Council Award for Best Choreography |
| Wavell School Team One, Farnborough, Hampshire | Dreamers Cafe | Sony Award for Best Soundtrack |
| Wavell School Team Two, Farnborough, Hampshire | Games Without Frontiers | Safer Cities Award for Best Set Design and Staging |