Arrow FM launches new generation of radio play fans

Talent cauldron bubbles – Students in awards final

PIERS FULLER

Cackling crones and other Shakespearean characters were bought to life with the help of Arrow FM to make a radio show that is now a finalist in the New Zealand Radio Awards.

RADIO TALENT: Front row from left: Kitty Riach, 10, of Solway; Lily Jones, 11, of Opaki Primary School. Middle row from left: Callum Riach, 12, and Jean Campbell, 11, of Masterton Intermediate School; Jessie Parker, 11, of Hadlow; Lily Lewis, 10, and Melissa Rolls, 10, of Lakeview School and Maggie White, 10, of Fernridge School. Back row from left: Sam Johnill of Tinui School; Judah Dabora, 11, of Hadlow and Ruby Gaffney of Opaki School. Photo: PIERS FULLER

Students of the One Day Centre for gifted Wairarapa kids got together with Arrow FM manager and noted thespian Michael Wilson last year to tackle some Shakespeare. The educational sessions evolved into creating radio plays.

The older group of students from the One Day Centre performed an edited version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream while the younger group performed part of Macbeth, including the famous witches’ scene.

Wilson and many of the One Day Centre participants will be at Arrow FM station in Masterton tomorrow to hear the results of the radio awards via webcast.

“We are delighted that the ODC team have achieved this distinction and more than chuffed at their finalist status. If it goes further, so be it. If not, we’ll have a stiff OJ and toast their talent,” says Wilson.

The New Zealand Radio Awards webcast is being released at 5pm on Thursday, May 10, and the radio plays are one of three finalists in the Best Spoken/Information Programme in English in the Access Radio section of the awards.

The students said they loved the experience of learning about Shakespeare and producing a radio play.

The One Day Centre takes “gifted and talented” students from Wairarapa primary and intermediate schools and gives them a unique extended curriculum.

One Day Centre educator Tracey Wilson says their programme has been planned to maximise the benefits of a one-day school programme and to best meet the learning needs of gifted students.

Michael Wilson says he was impressed with the students and their ability to put themselves forward and make contributions. “They had a real input to the kind of sound effects and atmospheric music that went into it,” he says.

“I think the great thing about the centre is that often peer pressure at your normal school means you’re very cautious about being a ‘try hard’ or creative or anything like that. When you go to a place like that, everybody is encouraging each other,” he says.

Wairarapa News

© Wairarapa News May 10, 2012.

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