Toad Media
MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 21 September 2006
STOP THE TOAD DANCES INTO HISTORY
Tim Winton encourages the troops just before their winning performance
at the Perth Concert Hall 20/9/06
Last night, in front of a roaring crowd at the Perth Concert Hall,
the kids from St Joseph’s School, Kununurra, blitzed the field
to win their division in the state grand final of the Wakakirri
National Story Festival.
Their story-dance, called ‘Stop the Toad’, a startling
and vivacious performance outlining the threats to the Kimberley
posed by the noxious cane toad, brought the house down.
50 primary school students have twice travelled the 3600 km trip
to Perth for the heats and then the state finals at a cost of $50
000 a throw and the patron and the board and staff members of the
Stop the Toad Foundation are pleased to have been able to offer
some small help in the business of raising funds to make it possible.
Foundation patron Tim Winton, who was at the Concert Hall last
night, said: “I’m so proud and pleased for them. They’ve
worked really hard against enormous odds to bring their dance and
their message to the city, and they really deserve their win.”
St Joe’s travelled with the help of a Remote Scholarship
from the Wakakirri association as well as grants and donations from
public and private sources. In addition, the kids and their school
undertook myriad fund-raising activities in order to make the trip
possible. Winton and members of the foundation’s board and
staff contributed from personal funds.
Many of the kids, aged between 6 and 13, are of indigenous backgrounds.
The Festival encourages young Australians to be open-minded, confident
and active through the process of creating and telling stories.
Their dance-story was the brainchild of Tanya Stafford and school
principal Carol Guerts. The choreographer was Judy Hendrickse.
After the win Winton said: “I was so nervous for them, but
I needn’t have worried. They were great! These are kids whose
voices and dreams are so important, yet easily overlooked because
of their remoteness. Now they can take their story and this issue
to a national audience.”
Stories are still alive in our children and so are important values
about our natural environment. The Stop the Toad Foundation congratulates
St Joe’s on their win, thanks them for helping to get the
message out about the imminent approach of the cane toad, and wishes
them every success in the national competition.”
For further information…..
Dennis Beros - Campaign Manager
Stop The Toad Foundation
0409 244 029
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