The SSAT National Conference is an opportunity to celebrate high quality student performances from schools across the country. Last year we significantly increased the number of these performances with very positive feedback from delegates. Building on this success the 16th National and 5th iNet Conference will feature even more student performances.

Many thanks to all the schools who took the time to make an application to perform at this year’s conference. We had an overwhelming number of applications featuring performances of an incredibly high standard.  Having now had the fantastic opportunity to visit shortlisted schools and see performances by students we are delighted to have a number of groups confirmed for the conference.

Wednesday:

The Boswells School - around 30 students will be coming to perform their fast moving, energetic and entertaining cheerleading routine on the Hall 1 stage

Darrick Wood School - Katherine Giannini will be performing her AS-level Dance solo piece, inspired by Siegfried Sassoon’s poem ‘Everyone Sang’

Thursday:

Pearl of Africa Children’s choir - Around 20 children will be joining us from Uganda to open day two of the conference.  The choir is made up of children from a number of schools in the Kampala and Masake districts of Uganda.  For part of their performance the choir will be joined by the year 7 drummers from Ridgewood High School, (a science specialist college in Stourbridge , Dudley).

Ridgewood  has well established links with the Molly and Paul schools in Uganda, staff and ex students have visited the schools in Kampala and Masaka, and curricular links are established.

As part of their UK tour, the choir visited Ridgewood earlier this term to do a full day of workshops, and to rehearse for their conference performances.  To find out more visit www.pearlofafrica.org.uk.

Davison CE High school for girls - ‘Red Rhythm’ is a dance piece performed by 9 girls from years 9-11 and is based on the work of Henri Oguike and explores the use of rhythm in music and the body

Chipping Campden School - the Chipping Campden swing Band will be playing music from their impressive repertoire including hits from the 1920s to the present day.

Friday

Cathedral School - 'Do you want to come and play?' is an explosive hip-hop dance piece with a circus clown theme set to a high energy soundtrack.  The piece is a result of the school’s collaboration with arts partners- Momentum Youth Dance Company.

Petchey Academy - the Petchey Academy Drummers will be entertaining delegates with a range of Ghanaian and group composed rhythms during lunchtime on day three.

Queen Katherine School - students will be performing a medley of numbers from their recent production of West Side Story.  The production was performed on four sell-out nights at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal earlier this year.