Putting on a school show
Everybody loves a show! This Red Nose Day,
why not have loads of fun and raise lots of lovely
cash by taking to the stage for your very own
school talent or comedy show? It’s the perfect
excuse for a performance party!
Whether you’re a performing arts club, a drama
class or just a group of friends who like to strut their
stuff, it’s time for you to step up and take the lead.
Here are our Top Ten Tips to help you along the way.
1. Start with a great idea
Make sure you’re clear from the outset what
type of show you’re going to put on.
It could be a:
T
alent Show – an opportunity for students from
across the school to showcase their talents, from
singers to street-dancers, musicians to magicians.
Comedy Show – a perfect fit for Red Nose Day!
Round up all your budding comedians and get the
whole school laughing.
2. Divide up the jobs
Successful event organisation depends on great
teamwork and everyone being clear about what
they’re going to do. Here are just some of the
roles you might want to include in your team:
Project Manager – makes sure the planning goes
smoothly and everyone’s getting their jobs done!
Publicity Officer – promotes the event
B
udget Manager – takes responsibility for
collecting and paying in money raised
C
ompere – hosts the event and presents the acts
S
tage manager – oversees the whole show and
makes sure everything runs like clockwork
Who’s good at doing what? Think about your
skills and how to make best use of them.
1
3. Enlist help
Be realistic about what you can do on your
own and make sure you ask people well in
advance if you’re going to need their help.
Think about:
L ighting and sound (talk to the drama department)
H
ealth and safety (talk to the site manager)
S
etting up the performance space (talk to the
caretaking team)
R
efreshments (talk to the catering team)
H
andling the money side of things (talk to the
finance office)
J
udging the acts (talk to your favourite teachers!)
Putting on a school show
4. Get practical
Make sure you plan the logistics well
in advance. It’s no good rehearsing a
fantastic show only to find that the hall
is already booked!
hen will the talent show take place? Check it’s
W
not going to clash with other events.
Who will come? Students? Parents? Staff? The
local community? How does this affect timing?
Where will the show be held? Make sure you
book the space. Is there a limit on the number of
people you can seat/tickets you can sell?
How long will the show last? How many acts do
you need? How long should each act have for
their performance?
5. Sort out your acts
If you’re putting on a Talent Show, think about
how you’re going to recruit your best singers,
dancers, musicians, magicians, comedians,
actors and gymnasts. Why not talk to your
school drama, dance and music clubs about
entering acts? Approach individuals who you
know love to perform. But remember –
don’t invite too many acts to take part or your
talent show could go on all night! If necessary,
hold auditions and choose the best to take
part in the final show.
If you’re staging a comedy show, why not ask
every form to enter their best comedy act?
As well as being a great way to get the whole
school involved, a bit of healthy competition
will help you raise more money! There’s a
fantastic range of free online resources to help
at bbc.co.uk/comedyclassroom
2
6. Get teachers to join in
Getting teachers up on stage will bring
a whole new level of excitement to your
event, as well as setting a great example
to students who might be nervous about
going out of their comfort zone.
It’s also a great way to boost your
fundraising – you’ll be surprised how
many tickets you’ll sell when students
know that teachers are going to make
a fool of themselves!
7.
Promote your show
You won’t sell tickets and raise lots of money
unless people know about your show.
Put posters up around school and ask
for it to be publicised on the school
website, Twitter feed and newsletter. Don’t
underestimate word of mouth – talk to
everyone about what you’re planning
and spread the excitement. Ask tutors to
tell their forms and try to get a mention in
assemblies. Are you going to invite people
from the local community? Why not contact
the local paper to let them know what’s
going on?
You’ll also find that people will be keener
to come to the show and donate if they
understand why you’re fundraising. Make
sure you explain that the show is raising
money for Red Nose Day and include some
information about Comic Relief in anything
you write about the show. Why not display
the ‘How your money can help’ poster from
the School Fundraising Pack alongside
information promoting the show?
Putting on a school show
8.
Make the most
of free resources
Have a good look at all the resources
on offer in the Schools Fundraising
Pack and on the Red Nose Day
website at rednoseday.com/schools
You’ll find posters, balloons, stickers,
sample press releases, judges’
scorecards… Make the most of it all!
9.
Raise lots of
cash on the day
When you put on a show, you’ve got
a captive audience to help you raise lots
of money for Red Nose Day! As well as
selling tickets, how about:
elling refreshments
S
Selling programmes
Organising a raffle
Having a bucket collection at the end
of the show to collect extra donations
Filming the show and selling DVDs
after the event
10.
Don’t forget to
pay your money in!
Whether it’s by post, at a bank or online,
please make sure that you pay in the money
you raise. The school finance office will be
able to advise you on the best way to do
this and Comic Relief will send you a
well-deserved certificate to say thank you.
Having lots of fun and changing lives forever.
Get planning your school show now!
Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730
(Scotland). Photo credit: Victoria Dawe. RND17_216.
3