Afghan market, where small children dart by flying vibrant homemade kites, and practise their soccer skills.            

The scene, reminiscent of the award-winning movie The Kite Runner, was not only created by Merrylands East Public School students from existing props and costumes, but helped the group win the 2008 Wakakirri national prize for cultural diversity.            

Wakakirri is the largest performing arts event for schools in Australia and challenges students to bring their stories to life through creativity rather than big budgets.            

Merrylands East Public School teacher Jenny Noble says the competition brought together students from Afghan, Pacific Islander, Liberian, Pakistani and Anglo backgrounds, who overcame language difficulties and showcased their individual strengths.            

While about 80 per cent of Merrylands East Public’s students are from non-English speaking backgrounds and 10 per cent are from refugee communities, Mrs Noble says their cultural diversity enriched the production.            

“Some children did the translating and interpreting,” she says. “It works because you’re pulling them in with this whole creative arts program. And you value what they contribute … the Afghan students whose English wasn’t very good [were] able to use the knowledge they had, so they became the experts.”            

The Afghan music was selected from students’ CDs and the choreography was developed by the group using their knowledge of the country’s traditional dances. Time was spent in class researching the culture including accurate mosque designs to feature in the backdrops. The camels arrived courtesy of North Rocks Public School, who had created them for a previous Wakakirri performance.            

“We borrowed some vests from Jasper Road Public School, and our mums were so supportive, they brought in all their kids’ traditional costumes,” Mrs Noble says.            

Principal John Goh says the teachers involved also deserved “immense credit” for their team work and commitment.            

As well as increasing the children’s confidence, Mrs Noble says the success reinforced the richness each culture brings to the school.            

“Despite the differences that do exist between all the cultures, it was something common we could do together. It helps them to feel more a part of the school and it also helps the students accept each other’s cultural differences,” she says.            

Waitara Public School’s Imogen Learmonth won the national Wakakirri primary story writing division for her work The End and Engadine High School won the national secondary story dance division.