The show - now in its 10th year - kicked off its tour with a far grittier version than previous incarnations. As always, its primary goal was to present the multitude of tertiary education establishments available to South Africa's Matrics. But Kay Cheytanov, founder of both Three Ring Circus and The Rocking Future Roadshow, wanted to present a production that was more hard-hitting this time around: 'We have found that our Grade 12's are often ill-prepared for life after school. They expect things to be easy and they're not, which is perhaps why we have such a high first-year drop-out rate in our colleges and universities.'
The show takes along representatives of numerous and diverse tertiary institutions to showcase the wide-range of study opportunities available in South Africa. 'The show's aim this year,' continues Cheytanov, 'has been twofold. Firstly, we always encourage our youth to follow their dreams. They need to decide what they want to do after school, and we try to show them that their choice shouldn't be influenced by their parents, peers, or the perceived status of the job. Secondly, our special message for this year has been: keep fighting. Don't give up. Life is tough and you will go through tough times, but if you keep persisting and you're honest with yourself and your choices, then success is inevitable. It is a message that has been well-received.'
The motto for this year was 'Live the life you love and love the life you live'.
In between film clips detailing how past students made mistakes, rectified them and found a career or study path they loved, energetic MC's work the crowd with loud music, dance-offs and giveaways. After the show the Grade 12's are then afforded the opportunity to speak with college and university representatives on a one-to-one basis, allowing them to get all the answers they need to make an informed choice for their future.
The Rocking Future Roadshow will return in 2012. For more details about how you can support or take part in this initiative, visit www.rockingfuture.co.za, or call Kay or Pascal on 0861 303 333.
