On 14th March 2014, up to 60 fourteen year-old (year 9) students at Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough, will compete with their own original performances in front of a panel of celebrity and local judges; and in front of their year group, also. Judges include BBC Radio 4 actor/reporter Felicity Finch (the voice of Ruth in The Archers) and also Professor Gerda Roper who is Dean of the school of Arts and Media at Teesside University.
The students will be dancing, reciting poems and offering up Powerpoint Presentations concerning women of achievement and/or influence, whom they admire.
Regrettably, this is not open to the public, since space is limited; however, the school hopes to mount a reprise of the performances at a later date, which may have a wider audience. The event was conceived by Middlesbrough Soroptimist, Hema Ayupala and has been assisted by other members of this Soroptimist International club, for the second year running. The input from staff at Acklam Grange School and from the year 9 students, who have chosen to participate, has been invaluable.