CQCM providing high schoolers with Choices
CQUniversity’s Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM) is currently touring North Queensland with its newest Choices applied theatre project.
Now in its 26th year of delivery, the show has been written and performed by a group of 10 students and alumni from CQU’s Bachelor of Theatre course and is being performed to more than 2,000 Year 12 students across Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsundays.
The award-winning program is funded by the Queensland Government Department of Youth Justice and is led by The Arts Head of College Professor Judith Brown AM and Voice Lecturer Nicole Thomson.
“The program highlights important strategies for 17 and 18-year-olds to stay safe on the roads, at parties, to build awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse, the problems of violence and domestic violence, sexual health and personal safety,” Professor Brown explained.
“These topics mesh with the wellbeing programs delivered in Queensland secondary schools, focussing particularly on the risk-taking so prevalent among young adults.”
Using comedy and pop-culture references intertwined with the reality of fines and consequences - the show aims to encourage Year 12 students to make the right ‘choices’ as they embark on their final year of schooling.
Professor Brown said the results from evaluations so far indicated that young people really resonate with the messages.
“They’ve indicated that they would change their behaviours around so many of these key risk areas including driver safety, safe partying, drug and alcohol abuse, personal safety and sexual health,” she said.
“In previous years, Choices has had a strong focus on encouraging safe behaviours at Schoolies celebrations, however, since moving the program to the start of the school year, the impact has been no less significant.”
Professor Brown said most Year 12 students would turn 18 during their final year of schooling and also gain their P plates.
“Both milestones bring significant risk to their personal safety. Hence, Choices remains an important safety strategy for young people in the central and North Queensland regions.”
This week Choices is being performed in Mackay.
The project and the Bachelor of Theatre students are also supported by the Friends of the Conservatorium Inc, and its also proud to feature the voice of Karen Jacobsen, the GPS Girl and the voice of Siri, as part of the soundtrack to the show.
“This is a multi-faceted program that demonstrates the core values of CQUniversity and its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our community,” Professor Brown said.
“We hope we can play a small part in keeping young people safe as they embark on this exciting period of their lives – Year 12.”
For more information about CQU’s Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, visit the CQCM page.
