MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YELLOW WIGGLE EMMA WATKINS JOINS WAKAKIRRI NATIONAL PANEL L to R: Emma Watkins, Justine Clarke, Andrew McFarlane, Alex Papps and Caroline Kaspar. Australia’s largest performing arts challenge for schools, Wakakirri, is delighted to announce the 2019 National Panel. Emma Watkins joins the panel for the first time this year. Watkins is best known for her role as the yellow Wiggle and the first female in The Wiggles, the world’s favourite children’s entertainment group. The effervescent singing, dancing, drum playing, French speaking, bow wearing Wiggle has charmed audiences across the globe and is a passionate advocate for sign language. "What an exciting year for all the students involved in Wakakirri! This is a time for you to be creative, magical, expressive and enjoy the process working with your friends. We are excited to see the stories that reflect your experiences - let your imaginations run free,” said Watkins. Watkins will work with the Panel to search for the ‘Story of the Year’ in the national Wakakirri Story-Dance Challenge. Hundreds of primary and secondary schools will perform original Story-Dances at professional theatres across the country. A Story-Dance is a 3-7 minute performance incorporating dance, drama and theatrics to tell a story. Watkins is joined on the panel by another undisputed queen of children’s entertainment, the best-selling children’s entertainer and actor Justine Clarke. Also joining the panel this year are entertainment professionals Andrew McFarlane, Alex Papps and Caroline Kaspar (see Editor’s Notes). Established in 1992, Wakakirri is a not-for-profit organisation that works to bring accessible performing arts opportunities to disadvantaged schools and empower all students to express their thoughts, ideas and aspirations. Big stories about big issues have been at the forefront of Wakakirri in recent years. Popular themes explored by students have included reconciliation, asylum seekers, environmental conservation, mental health and bullying. Schools still have the chance to tell their story on the Wakakirri stage, entries close April 3rd 2019 and performances fall in Term 3. For more information: www.wakakirri.com –ENDS– For further information and hi-res images please contact: Alannah Maher at WAKAKIRRI E: [email protected] | P: 02 9167 3982 | M: 0423 066 170 Our partners EDITOR’S NOTES: ABOUT WAKAKIRRI Established in 1992, Wakakirri is a not-for-profit charity that uses storytelling, the oldest form of ​ ​ learning, as it’s focus for providing innovative educational programs to schools in a manner that resonates with contemporary youth culture. Big stories about big issues have been at the forefront of Wakakirri in recent years. Popular themes explored by students have included reconciliation, asylum seekers, environmental conservation, mental health and bullying. 2019 WAKAKIRRI NATIONAL PANEL Emma Watkins is best known for her role as the yellow Wiggle and the first female in The Wiggles, ​ ​ ​ the world’s favourite children’s entertainment group. The effervescent singing, dancing, drum playing, French speaking, bow wearing Wiggle has charmed audiences across the globe and is a passionate advocate for sign language. Justine Clarke is one of the most recognised and trusted faces on the Australian entertainment ​ landscape. She is a best-selling children’s music artist and author, stage and screen actor in some of our most iconic productions - Blue Dog (sequel to Red Dog), Maya The Bee, The Time Of Our Lives, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ House Husbands, Home and Away and most recently Muriel’s Wedding The Musical - and for the last ​ ​ ​ 19 years, a constant, reassuring presence on children’s television benchmark program, Play School. ​ ​ With her new live action TV program, The Justine Clarke Show! on ABC Kids, platinum and gold ​ ​ selling CDs and DVDs of original children’s songs, four successful children’s picture books and sell out national tours; Justine is undoubtedly the Queen of children’s entertainment! Andrew McFarlane has had an extensive career in film & television. He has starred in some of ​ Australia’s most successful TV dramas including The Sullivans, Patrol Boat, The Flying Doctors, ​ Water Rats, Blue Heelers, Home & Away, Neighbours, The Alice, and Underbelly: A Tale of Two ​ ​ Cities and numerous telemovies and miniseries for the Australian and the US market. Andrew is also ​ a regular presenter on PlaySchool for the ABC. In theatre, Andrew has worked for every state theatre ​ ​ company in Australia and for numerous independent and commercial theatre companies. He has run both “Acting for the Camera” and “Introduction to Stage Acting” courses for the NIDA Open Program and is a course director at the Darlinghurst Theatre School. Caroline Kaspar has maintained an active creative and performing career in dance, theatre, film and ​ television. She has performed in many mainstage musicals including The Boy From Oz Arena Tour, ​ Chicago - The Musical (both the 1998/99 and 2009/10 productions) and her film credits include Moulin ​ ​ Rouge, Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2. Caroline has also choreographed and directed several ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ productions and television commercials and has worked as an Assistant Choreographer on productions including the 2000 Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony. She is an active educator ​ ​ currently tutoring at NIDA for the Bachelor of Fine Arts. Alex Papps was trained as an actor, graduating from WAAPA in 1995, and as a director from the ​ Victorian College of the Arts in 2007. As an actor his television credits include Time of Our Lives, ​ Australia On Trial, City Homicide, MDA, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Home & Away, The Henderson Kids II, Neighbours, The Flying Doctors, Prisoner, State Coroner and The Saddle Club. He was also the ​ ​ ​ co-host of the music/variety program, The Factory. Film credits include the role of Peter in Ana ​ ​ Kokkinos’ Head On, and Anthony, in Five Moments of Infidelity. Alex has been a regular presenter on ​ ​ ​ ​ ABC TV’s Play School since 2005. ​ ​ Our partners .