Categories: News

Magic and humour combine in anti-bullying message

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1351" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;03&sol;Rings&lowbar;Illusion&lowbar;Jpg&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Rings Illusion Jpg 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>One of New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s top performers and most popular magicians&comma; Elgregoe&comma; is using a blend of magic and humour to deliver important social messages to Kiwi kids about anti-bullying in schools&period; Supporting the 2015 school curriculum&comma; the &&num;8216&semi;You&&num;8217&semi;ve Got The Power&&num;8217&semi; school show draws attention to what bullying can look like and teaches kids about how to treat others&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Elgregoe has now performed to over 800&comma;000 students across New Zealand and this week he is visiting schools in the Dunedin region to reinforce his anti–bullying message&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Through the charisma of magic&comma; Elgregoe&comma; otherwise known as Greg Britt&comma; has been delivering his show for more than 17 years&period; He and his show assistant and wife Sue&comma; use tricks&comma; puppets&comma; ventriloquism&comma; music&comma; songs and a variety of props &lpar;including live birds&rpar;&comma; to portray his anti-bullying messages&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The 2015 &&num;8216&semi;You&&num;8217&semi;ve Got The Power&&num;8217&semi; show&comma; supported by Trustpower&comma; looks at how we can all be part of the solution to bullying and is themed around &&num;8216&semi;what you can be&&num;8217&semi;&period; Through the show Elgregoe teaches key values like respect&comma; resilience&comma; caring&comma; honesty and the importance of contributing&period; Special guest&comma; Stinger the bee and one lucky audience volunteer will also help teach students they have the power to make a difference&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The programme was prompted by a school principal 15 years ago when he said&comma; &&num;8220&semi;If you are a real magician then let&&num;8217&semi;s see if you can make bullying disappear&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This challenge led Elgregoe to look at the issues of bullying and create a unique show for schools that addressed these issues with the help of magic&period; Now with Trustpower&&num;8217&semi;s support&comma; who came on board in 2005 after watching him in action&comma; this has grown into a nationwide school presentation&comma; endorsed by hundreds of schools and reaching thousands of New Zealand school children annually&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Trustpower community relations co-ordinator Suzi Luff says Elgregoe has a unique ability to deliver an important message in an upbeat way&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Trustpower&&num;8217&semi;s always been impressed with Elgregoe&&num;8217&semi;s passion and ability to engage with children&period; We are especially proud to support this anti-bullying programme as it really connects with students and empowers them to make the right choices&period; Feedback from schools is that his message is getting through and making a real difference&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Mrs Luff says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Elgregoe says this year he wants the students to have fun and be fully engaged in the show while learning important life skills that do make a difference&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I am one lucky guy&period; I love performing my tricks&comma; doing ventriloquism&comma; working with live parrots and travelling&semi; and I get to do all this for a job while also delivering a valuable message for all students&comma;&&num;8221&semi; he says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In 2009 the Queen appointed Elgregoe a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to education&period; In the same year he also received The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s Top Children&&num;8217&semi;s Entertainer Award and The Grand Master of Magic Award&comma; which is one of the highest forms of recognition a New Zealand magician can receive&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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