Bradford schoolchildren have taken to the stage for a series of lively performances depicting everything from last summer’s riots to a vampire duel.

Fourteen schools have been taking part in Rock Challenge, creating dance and drama based on health, social and cultural themes.

The two-day event at St George’s Hall in Bradford was organised by the Be Yourself Foundation and involved school teams devising, choreographing and performing an eight-minute dance-drama routine capturing their concerns, hopes, dreams and interests. The youngsters, aged between 11 and 18, were also required to design their sets and make their costumes.

Their performances have been judged by a panel of performing arts specialists and the two winning teams will take part in a final in June. The first day was won by Tong High School which staged a performance called Lost Souls, about a vampire battle taking the audience on “a love that goes beyond the grave”.

Last night’s winner was Cockburn School, Leeds.

Stuart McGregor, assistant UK manager of the Be Your Best Foundation, said the event celebrated young people’s talents and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

“The idea is to show that, through a healthy lifestyle and performing arts, young people can live a worthwhile, uplifting life, a life that doesn’t have to involve alcohol, drugs and tobacco,” he said.

“The students have spent about eight months rehearsing for this, putting their energy into something very positive outside school hours.

“This year’s event is sponsored by the Department of Transport, getting a road safety message across to the young people involved.”

Mr McGregor said students were competing for a place in a ‘premiership’ of schools that have succeeded in previous Rock Challenge events.

“Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College and Thornton Grammar School have competed online with schools from other countries, in our global challenges, and they were so successful we can now say they are among the best in the world,” said Mr McGregor.

Pupils at Thornton Grammar School showed off their skills this year with a performance called Dictate Conclusion, Provide Reason, which included the angst-ridden lyrics, “I need to make up my mind, But the best answer I can’t find. People yell ‘You have to decide; If only they were in my brain along for the ride. With my heart screaming ‘go’ and my head saying ‘no’, People don’t realise just how hard it can get, To not disappoint without feeling regret”.

Dixons City Academy’s performance – Kerching! – was devised in response to the 2011 summer riots and explored the current financial and employment crisis and its impact on young people and families.

Southfield School’s performance, involving 34 students, was called Secret Garden, and involved “seeing double, with a degree of magic”.

Other performances included Tohoku, looking at the impact of last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami on the Fukushima nuclear plant; The Darker Side of White, following a girl’s dream of becoming a prima ballerina; and It All Started With A Mouse, looking at how Walt Disney changed the face of animation.