Creative Arts and Design Technology Faculty

Creative Arts and Design Technology

Visual Art & Design

Senior Years students have ventured out on two excursions this term into the city to gain insight into the careers in design and the visual arts. The intention was to support student subject selection and for students to see a future for their creative pursuits. As a faculty we hope to see our students continue their studies and gain fulfilment in a creative career. 

For our first excursion, we attended the CareerFEST at the Art Gallery of South Australia; a jam-packed four hours of speakers sharing about their successful full-time careers in the art/design industry.  We heard from artists, designer, curators, architects, film makers, educators, glass-blowers all based in Adelaide.  All self-motivated creative individuals seeing their passion and purpose as contributing with a positive impact on the world and personally fulfilling. They spoke of how to overcome family not supporting their decisions to pursue a creative career and the struggles of breaking stereotypes and misconceptions of limited success in creative industry. It was fantastic to hear the resilience of film maker, David Thong, how he used disapproval as fuel to succeed, with international success at 23 years old. Artists spoke of the power of social media in launching their careers into the wide world and how easily global connections can be made. They spoke about how to ignore the haters on social media and they dealt with their own feelings of imposter syndrome.

We heard about their opportunities to travel and how many of them are honing their business minds and writing skills to be successful the artist and designers. We learnt that it is not about just making practical work, that they are also applying for grants, advertising, selling, administration, taking phone calls, emails, invoicing, branding their product, working collaboratively and more.  

Key quotes from the session:

“The arts have an incredible community in Adelaide.” - Gabrielle Lane (curator)

“If you want to be successful in the arts you need to be self-driven.” - Henry Thong (film maker)

“Always ask for feedback.” - Elenor (curator)

“An artist day is a hustle.” - Vans the Omega (street artist)

“Gain experience, meet people and be in the world you want to be.” - Tom Redett (educator AGSA)

It was fantastic to hear that Adelaide has a thriving supportive arts culture and is a wonderful state to start your artistic career.

In Week 5, the 11 VA and VAD students went to UniSA for a tour with the Program Director of Interior Architecture, School of Art, Architecture and Design – Andrew Wallace. Andrew was my final year studio lecturer and it was wonderful to hear his continued passion for the creative courses UniSA offers and to see the growth in the offerings. We were fortunate to have Andrew provide a full tour of the studio facilities, the workshop, student hub and roof top landing (with the most amazing view of Adelaide). UniSA's City West Campus has evolved and changed considerably since I studied. Improvements to the social/community focus, student amenities and contemporary teaching spaces and facilities are now of the highest quality.

They provided much inspiration for our new art and design technology spaces at school.

After our UniSA tour we went to AC Arts on Light Square. Phi, the drawing lecturer, took us through all the learning spaces and spoke passionately about the wide opportunities the TAFE SA provides. We saw dance studios, printmaking, graphic design, jewellers, ceramics, costume designers, set designers; it is a space full of creative opportunities starting at short course to degrees.

For the afternoon, we joined with two other schools at Hassel Studio, an international architectural firm, founded in Adelaide. This aspect of the day was quite unique. We were able to walk through operating studio space, interact with professionals and see the environment that could potentially become a workplace for students.  Senior Associate and current parent at Blackfriars, Liam Short, provided the boys with a presentation on the industry, university options and the successful projects/builds of the company. He then provided a tour of the studio and the boys saw architects working on projects, meetings being held, facilities such as the materials libraries, model-making tools and materials and then finished the tour with a Virtual Reality experience.

Hassel uses the VR to help clients visualise their concepts in 3-D, allowing them to walk through the modelled space using a controller. Our students were lucky to be offered a turn and it was soon obvious who were the gamers or vertigo suffers amongst us. As a faculty and student cohort we would like to extend our appreciation to Liam Short for his initiative to engage our Year 11 students at Blackfriars in his career; to provide this experience, was a wonderful example of the extension of the pillar of community.

Student Teachers

During Term 3, Fanyu Lin and Matthew Marschall have been working with the Visual Art and Media Studies teachers. I would like to thank Mr Stanborough and Mr Shepley for their support and time working with the first year University of Adelaide students. Mentoring is a valued part of our community and the guidance that our experienced teachers can provide is appreciated. I extend my appreciation to the boys who worked with the student teachers in their lessons for their respect and engagement. We wish Fanyu and Matthew both well as they continue their journeys.

Design Technology Workshop

Under Construction: The Workshop has currently been vacated as we prepare for a rejuvenation; we looking forward to the changes in Middle and Senior Years teaching and learning spaces. The SACE board has made some significant changes to the curriculum and the rejuvenation will help us align with a 21st Century curriculum and breathe new life into the space. We will see the skills, processes and knowledge scaffolded through our Middle Years Program to promote the design thinking required to be innovators. We believe the workshop skills and interest in Design Technology as a subject will build amongst the boys as they see real-life connections with the learning and are filled with the wonderful sense of achievement felt when you make something. 

Goodbye Baptiste

French exchange student Baptiste has been guest in our Year 10 Art class. Baptiste proved to be a precise and diligent lino-cutter and it was fitting that he has carved and printed a kangaroo to remember his stay here at Blackfriars. I wish him well as he travels home to France and thank him for his commitment during his stay. 

Mrs Emily Kenny

Curriculum Leader: Creative Arts & Design Technology