Recently, a decision was made to reduce the school show to a bi-annual event, with it being replaced by a spring concert every other year. We believe that this decision should be reworked, and instead of reducing the frequency of the show, there should be changes that allow the show to go on every year. Here's why:

The school show is different from other extra curriculars. You are constantly working towards one goal. Whether it be reaching the high note in your solo, getting that one step right in the choreography or mastering the tricky section in your sheet music, everything is working towards creating the best production possible in the short time given. It allows students to take leading roles in areas such as directing, producing and choreography, and creating and adapting skills that stick with them for the rest of their lives. For younger students, it provides a chance to make new friends, not only with people in your year group but those above you who can help guide you through new experiences.

Drama can often be very expensive, with organisations such as LIPA pricing their clubs at £300 or more for a year. For lower income households, these are unrealistic standards and limit the way that a child can express their artistic abilities, so providing a free opportunity within a familiar and trusted environment, you are allowing students to express their abilities in a way they couldn't before. And that's what the show is all about, it's a creative outlet for teenagers who otherwise wouldn't have one. If a child isn't musically gifted but is a spectacular dancer, they can get involved in extracurriculars through the show. If someone can't do anything artistic but can organise and produce things, they can get involved being a stagehand or on the lighting crew. The Bluecoat school is very academic, so offering students this outlet is providing them with a way to escape the daunting nature of exams and grow in a way that develops new skills and talents, free from the pressures of everyday schooling. Here is what some students had to say about the show:

"I cannot sing to save my life, and refuse to get on a stage, but I still love to be a part of it, and I wouldn't have the opportunity to take part otherwise."

"The school show is an asset to the school community and the joy that it brings everyone around is absolutely incomparable to other extracurriculars. We all need it, but especially those with creative skills in difficult and stressful academic years."

"It is everyone's favourite part of the year"

"The school show is a high point in the year to myself and many others and some of my most treasured memories come from it. I have made so many friends through the show and it would be a huge shame to see some people lose out on the experience and the happiness it provides to so many people"

"When I found out the show was being rested, I was devastated, and at the end of the day it's such a good opportunity."

We as students really care about this show. It is important to us because of the joy and rest it gives us. Taking it away is unfair to those who love and adore taking part, and it is our opinion that the show should be an annual event, as it has been for several years. Whether this means increasing staffing for the show from other relevant departments or bringing in external coordinators (as happened with James Lacey who worked on the shows until 2017), it would mean so much to us as a student body to return the show to its annual status. It reflects positively on our school that we can produce something of such high standard. It shows that our school is not just an academic factory but cares about the whole person. That it values the arts and all that can offer to the personal growth and development of a young person. That is why we believe that the Bluecoat School Show should be returned to it's status as an annual event, and why you should sign this petition.