Schools from around the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua have taken up the Showquest challenge - preparing short but powerful performances exhibiting art, music, dance, drama, culture and technology.

After months of rehearsing and preparation, the Sir Howard Morrison Centre will come alive with school spirit on Monday June 26 as student teams perform live onstage at Showquest, the country's biggest student performing arts platform.

The Bay of Plenty regional event is just one of thirteen shows held in ten centres around New Zealand.

Open to primary and high school students, local performers have been working together on creative stage performances which will express themes important to them - such as Covid 19, ‘Ko Wai Koe? Who Will You Be?', and a battle of the elements as told through Māori gods.

2023 sees Showquest return to live events with audiences nationwide, after producing digital shows in 2022 due to Covid-19.

Showquest is staged nationwide by RQP - Rockquest Promotions, the team behind the successful original music competitions Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Tangata Beats, and Rockshop Bandquest. This is the sixth year for Showquest.

RQP also offers student programmes OnScreen (film), Toi (wearable art), and Stills (photography).

Event producer Kelsey Moller says that offering a platform for students to come together and share their ideas is an essential part of Showquest.

'Empowering young people to share their thoughts, concerns and interests is not only important, it is essential for their development,” says Kelsey.

'Giving them the opportunity to express themselves and be heard, in a way that is inclusive and non-judgemental, is hugely beneficial to their growth and well-being.”

A Junior Section is available for teams of students years 1-8, or they have the option to compete within the Open Section against high school students.

Both sections will compete regionally and nationally, with the top prize winners from each region going onto a national final held online in August.

First, second and third places will be announced for each regional event along with awards for categories including live music, theme and technology.

Showquest is also collaborating with World of WearableArt (WOW) to run ‘Toi' - encouraging student designers to take art off the wall and put it onto the human form. This wearable art competition is an optional component to the overall performance, or student designers may enter their garment on its own.

Showquest is made possible by the support of the Ministry of Education.

The school teams performing in the Bay of Plenty regional event are:
Pāpāmoa Primary School
Mount Maunganui Intermediate
St Mary's Catholic School Putaruru
Mokoia Intermediate School
St Mary's Catholic School Rotorua
Rotorua Intermediate
Rotorua Boys' High School
Rotorua Lakes High School

Showquest 2023 will be holding events in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Manawatū, Nelson, Canterbury, and Southland.

There will be an online option for school teams outside of these regions to compete.

Showquest is supported by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth Development, ZM, Kogan Mobile, Rockshop, World of WearableArt and Bernina. Showquest Bay of Plenty is also supported by Creative New Zealand.

In 1989 Glenn Common and Pete Rainey picked up a radio station school music contest in Christchurch. The event went nationwide in 1990, and in '91 Smokefree became the main sponsor. Rockquest Promotions founders Glenn and Pete were honoured with the MNZM for Services to Music in 2013, and continue to lead the team that now runs this New Zealand institution, from offices in Nelson and Auckland.

Since 2018 Rockquest Promotions is also producing the dance and drama event Showquest in nine regions, plus creative platforms Onscreen (film), Toi (WearableArt) and Stills (photography)