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MACKILLOP CATHOLIC COLLEGE, WARNERVALE STUDENTS WIN MAJOR AWARD AT 2026 JUNIOR THEATRE FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA

Students from MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale have taken home the award for Outstanding Vocals at the 2026 Junior Theatre Festival Australia, held at the Civic Theatre Newcastle on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October 2026.

This year’s festival marked a particularly momentous occasion, celebrating 11 years of the Junior Theatre Festival Australia and the final festival to be held in Newcastle, NSW before the event makes its highly anticipated move to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2027.

For more than a decade, Newcastle has been home to this extraordinary celebration of young people in musical theatre, bringing together thousands theatre enthusiasts from across the world.

In 2026, JTF Australia brought together over 1,300 students, teachers and families, from a wide range of theatre programs to share their talents, cheer each other on and be part of a national community that loves musical theatre just as much as they do.

The event is part of the global Junior Theatre Festival circuit, conceived by iTheatrics in New York, which takes place in the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. A “rousing celebration of theatre” (The New York Times), the Junior Theatre Festivals are the world’s largest events exclusively dedicated to celebrating young people and student-driven musical theatre.

The Thirty Seven students, from Year 4 to 11, presented an extract from Shrek Jr The Musical, for a panel of leading musical theatre artists and industry professionals from across Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Broadway.

“The Junior Theatre Festival isn’t just about performance. It’s an end-to-end, immersive theatrical experience for Australia’s next generation of performing artists. The world’s best gather to share their knowledge, celebrate these young people and nurture the next generation of Australian musical theatre,” said Junior Theatre Festival Australia Producer, Daniel Stoddart.

 “As a special treat, students also had the chance to meet and hear from performer Sheridan Adams, who recently appeared in the Australian/Asia tour of Wicked as Elphaba.”

The Junior Theatre Festival Australia would not be possible without the generous support of Music Theatre International (MTI).

“Broadway Junior has the power to change young lives. Junior Theatre Festivals are a wonderful opportunity to bring young performers together, celebrate their achievements and remind us why arts education matters so much” said Managing Director of Music Theatre International Australasia, Stuart Hendricks.

“MTI is committed to promoting the value of theatre in education and giving performers additional opportunities to demonstrate their talents and to support and learn from each other.” said Mr Hendricks.

In 2027, Junior Theatre Festival Australia is heading to Melbourne. In a landmark move, the festival will take center stage at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, ushering in a new era for Australia’s largest celebration of young people in musical theatre.

With a bigger stage and more opportunities, the move to Melbourne promises to take the JTF experience to new heights. From expanded programming and world-class professional development to more opportunities for young performers and educators, JTF Australia 2027 is shaping up to be a festival like never before.

For MacKillop being part of this historic final festival in Newcastle is an achievement to remember. As the curtain closes on 11 incredible years at the Civic Theatre, students can proudly celebrate their success and the special role they played in this milestone moment in Australian musical theatre.

 About the 2026 Junior Theatre Festival Australia

The 2026 Junior Theatre Festival Australia was held at the Civic Theatre Newcastle on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October. Bringing together young performers and educators from across Australia, participating groups presented 15-minute extracts from MTI Broadway Junior musicals before a prestigious panel of industry adjudicators, receiving professional feedback on their acting, singing, dancing and overall performance. Beyond the stage, students and educators enjoyed interactive workshops, professional development, special guest presentations and the official festival awards ceremony. Celebrating over a decade of theatrical excellence, friendship and community, the 2026 festival marked the end of an extraordinary era in Newcastle and the beginning of an exciting new chapter, as Junior Theatre Festival Australia prepares to take centre stage at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2027!