Uncovering the Politics and Power of Eurovision with Year 8 Scholars
You may have thought that the defining characteristics of Eurovision were outrageous costumes, dodgy judging and the UK doing badly…. Ms Franz in her talk to the Year 8 Scholars revealed there is so much more to it than that. Tracing the history of the contest from its origins over 50 years ago, Ms Franz skilfully drew out several fascinating strands. The languages contestants sung in was not some random choice, but at times a highly regulated issue arousing sentiments of national pride and identity. Similarly, who is allowed to compete in the contest, Australia for example seems to stretch the definition of Eurovision. The students got to understand how Eurovision has been and is reflective of contemporary political issues and arguably has an influence well beyond the music. Much more was said about the artists and their music, knocking down the cliché of the typical Eurovision song and the students were left with an understanding that there was much more than might meet the eye.
Finally, the way in which Eurovision takes over Ms Franz’s life for a few days every Spring seems entirely in the spirit of the competition itself!
