Talented young performers from Bournville School joined students from across the ambitious Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust at Birmingham University for the fantastic 2025 FMAT Showcase.
The event, now in its fourth year, united Bournville School with Fairfax Academy, Erdington Academy and Smith’s Wood Academy for a thrilling celebration of the performing arts in the university’s iconic Elgar Concert Hall.
Among the Bournville students to hit the stage in the University’s prestigious Bramall Music Building were the 19 students making up the school choir, who sang a gorgeous rendition of ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri.
Music teacher Alice Charterton said: “So far, this term has been a great one for our choir.
“This year I’ve had so many more students join the choir, including many keen Year 7s. It’s about making connections with the kids to know their potential and help them show it on stage – which they definitely did tonight.”
The choir also joined the school band, consisting of Arthur Patterson, Blake Deeming, Angelica Nembhard, Jackson Allen, Jacob Patterson and Connor Morgan for a rousing performance of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ by Wheatus.
Miss Charterton said: “We started working on ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ last year, and we’ve kept it going through multiple performances because it’s such a crowd-pleaser.
“We of course did have to change some of the lyrics, though!”
Beyond the group performances, Bournville contributed some incredible soloists on the night. Honey Walsh delivered a stunning dance solo, while Melisa Kogut sang a song from her home country of Ukraine.
Musical theatre songs were also well-represented, with a Wicked duet and rendition of ‘Burn’ from Hamilton wowing the audience.
Miss Charterton said: “For our students, today was about seeing something they don’t usually get to experience outside of their day-to-day lives.
“They have music lessons and clubs in my classroom, which is what they’re used to. Seeing a whole building dedicated to performing is eye-opening and inspiring to them.
“It’s great for me as well – I love seeing what the other schools and teachers are doing.”
The FMAT showcase has become a highly anticipated event on Bournville’s annual calendar.
Miss Charterton said: “Back when we first did the showcase four years ago, I had only four amazing students come to me to take part. This year, alongside the choir, I had 23 students eager to perform.
“I’m so proud of how the tradition has been welcomed into our school.”
Principal Miss Marie Rooney said: “The FMAT showcase gave our talented students the opportunity to perform on a professional stage, in a stunning venue – and they worked very hard to prepare for it.
“We’re very proud of how they represented the school – and I hope that it showed them what they can accomplish through hard work and dedication.”