Whangarei duo start up new event after Stage Challenge canned

What are we doing about Stage Challenge?

That's the question Whangarei's Teale Vint asked friend Jayden Rudolph after finding out the popular performing arts competition was being canned.

"Well we have to do something" was his response.

And so they did.

The two 19-year-olds have spent the past month setting up a performing arts event for Northland and Auckland schools called AIM (Art in Motion) to fill the gap.

"As soon as I saw the words 'Stage Challenge will not be continued in 2018' my first thought was I have to do something," Mr Rudolph said.

"I was thinking, 'What if I was never given this opportunity to be involved in Stage Challenge and to choreograph and how different my life would have been?' There will be so many boys and girls that need this to realise they can also pursue these dreams," he said.

The pair were both part of Stage Challenge while at school.

Mr Rudolph directed Bream Bay College's 2016 performance which won the Whangarei heat, and Miss Vint was a co-leader of the Whangarei Girls' High School Stage Challenge the same year.

"My Stage Challenge experience was the highlight of my life," Miss Vint said.

"My first reaction when I found out Stage Challenge was cancelled was, 'Nope, that's not happening'."

AIM is in its early stages but the pair have already emailed schools around Northland.

Mr Rudolph said like Stage Challenge, schools will be required to create an eight-minute performance about a topic. However it will be more contemporary, he said.

"With Stage Challenge you really had to make sure there was a concise and clear storyline. I think now we can allow people to be quite abstract using props and sounds and costumes in different ways that weren't really used in Stage Challenge."

Mr Rudolph's Facebook post about the new event has been shared more than 70 times.

He said people who were keen to financially support the event had been in contact with him but they would also be applying for funding and grants.

If you would like to support AIM email aimeventmanagement@gmail.com.