Canberra's young theatre stars were recognised by their peers and the ACT government on Saturday night at the Fast+Fresh drama awards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The awards, which were hosted and organised by the Canberra Theatre Centre, featured 15 performance groups from schools and community groups in the ACT.
A total of 29 plays were judged by specialist panellists including Heidi Silberman and Jordan Best and the best 10 plays were chosen for the final on Saturday night.
Event organiser Amy Dunham, an education officer at the Canberra Theatre Centre, said many of the youngsters were bound to become stars in ACT's strong performance community.
"Fast+Fresh is a 10-minute play program and the whole concept is each play needs to be written, directed and performed by students under 18 years," she said.
"We saw some incredible performances on Saturday and we have noticed while giving drama advice that the kids just take to it like sponges."
The best production and ensemble titles were awarded to Hawker College for a piece called Stagnant, which explored different elements of power in their community.
The group will progress to the 10-minute play competition for adults and the best actors will receive a place in a National Institute of Dramatic Art short course.
Ms Dunham said the judges added another prize at the last minute so they could acknowledge the special talents of young scriptwriters.
While there was no strict theme, the plays reflected the concerns of young Canberrans and touched on issues of bullying, drugs, social media, love, humour and tragedy.
Education Minister Joy Burch congratulated the finalists and all participants.
"It is great to see drama still has its place within the school curriculum and can assist in the development and awareness of social issues with students," she said.
Ms Dunham said it was "a great opportunity for the kids to showcase their work at the Canberra Theatre, with most performing with their classmates or through a community group".
Ms Dunham said the Canberra theatre scene was "incredibly strong" and the recognition and support of young talent would ensure it remained so in coming years.
