Talented students from eight Western Bay of Plenty secondary schools are set to shine under the spotlight with the return of The Night Is Young showcase in August.

The showcase is the seventh annual celebration of youth performing arts and will feature an onstage performance at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre's Addison Theatre on Wednesday August 22 at 7.30pm.

Friends of Baycourt chairwoman Anna Finlayson-Smith says this year's showcase will star students from Te Puke High School, Aquinas, Katikati, Mount Maunganui, Otumoetai, Papamoa, Tauranga Boys' and Tauranga Girls' colleges , and on the night they will present a range of performing arts styles like music, dance, drama, and more.

'The Night Is Young showcases a wide variety of performances, and for young performers it's an exciting opportunity for them experience their moment under the spotlight and share their remarkable gifts with the community.

'Each year is different, but what always remains the same is the interaction between the performers, plus the excitement and enjoyment both on stage and behind the curtain which makes for a pleasant experience at Baycourt.”

Along with the chance to perform in front of a large crowd, The Night Is Young also offers students opportunities to get involved in the lighting and technical aspects of the performance, as well as marketing the showcase within their school community through the Friends of Baycourt Sign Tour.

In the upcoming weeks participating schools will take turns displaying one of four large The Night Is Young signs on their school's grounds, and both students and performers are being encouraged to take and share photos of themselves with the signs via social media platforms like Facebook.

Established in 2011, Anna says the driving vision for The Night Is Young was to provide an event for secondary school students to showcase their performing arts talent without the pressure of competition.

'The Night Is Young is not competitive, it's an opportunity for students to enjoy being on stage performing an already in place performance, and most importantly, give the community an insight into just how great the talent is within Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

'So come along to Baycourt with your friends and family and be astounded by the gifted and talented young performers living right here in our community.”

Friends of Baycourt presents The Night is Young at Baycourt Addison Theatre on Wednesday August 22, 7.30pm.

Tickets cost Adults $15.00, Students and Friends of Baycourt members cost $9.50, and are available from the Baycourt Box Office, online via the Ticketek website at www.ticketek.co.nz or by calling 0800 TICKETEK.