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Arts DDT?

Stringfest

On Wednesday, the 21st of May, four dedicated string students attended the yearly Stringfest workshop. For this workshop, students had to learn a range of string pieces alongside over a hundred students from other schools in the southeastern region. Despite some only beginning to learn their instrument this year, they gave everything a go and learnt a lot by being challenged so early on in their musical journey.

Dimitrios Sotirakis

Instrumental Music Coordinator

Autumn Music Concert

On the 3rd of April, music students from Dandenong High School had the opportunity to participate in the Autumn Music Concert in front of a large audience consisting of staff, students and family in the Melaleuca Theatre. The event was delightful, with several performances from an ethereal classical orchestra to an entertaining, energetic rock band. Soloists also contributed to the event, showing their bravery and determination. The energy and enthusiasm was truly remarkable among peers cheering each other on.

The concert featured a diverse lineup of musical acts, including a rock band, a string ensemble, an orchestra, a choir, and a guitar ensemble. Additionally, several soloists showed their talents, ranging from pianists to vocalists. These performances all highlighted the beauty of music and demonstrated their hard working efforts at the end of the day.

Additionally, we’d like to thank our staff and teachers for organising the event and helping it run smoothly. The enjoyment and contributions were outstanding to witness and see. We’d also like to thank our students for showing their hard work and dedication.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our talented musicians. We hope to see you at future concerts and events, celebrating the arts together!

Whitney L

Year 8

Grevillea

Year 10 Top Arts and ACCA Excursion

Our Year 10 students attended an excursion on May 28th to view Top Arts NGV Ian Potter Centre and ACCA. The students who attended were excited to attend this excursion and enjoyed it immensely, viewing the artworks which covered various artforms, from painting drawings, photography, multimedia, sculpture, installations and video. This sparked some great conversations about these artworks and students are understanding that a deeper meaning to artworks is essential to be successful. These students now have a goal to hopefully be part of this exhibition in the future after they finish Year 12.

We then took our Year 10 students to ACCA (Australian Centre of Contemporary Art). This was a very different gallery where they had the opportunity to view artworks by an Australian emerging artist, Tina Stefanou, titled: “You Can’t See Speed”. This was an installation which contained an intense, immersive soundscape that is played throughout all of ACCA’s gallery spaces, bathrooms and foyer. This was Tina's first major solo exhibition. She is a Greek Australian artist who works with experimental forms of performance, film, sound-music, sculpture, ethnographic research and socially engaged practice.

Today I had the privilege to attend an excursion that allowed an experience of the NGV Top Arts 2025 and ACCA, which held the exhibition of Tina Stefanou: You Cant See Speed. I profoundly found this excursion inspiring in the sense of the creativity that was presented, including the different variety of ideas I never thought to consider. The NGV Top Arts held a large source of distinction within the artworks of Year 12 students that excelled in 2024 VCE. Giving me a great deal of more inspiration for my future works and how I can enhance my mind to more spectacles that I'd never thought to achieve.

The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) was excessively different from ‘normal’. Bringing a different idea of art to me that I couldn't have imagined. Tina Stefanou’s exhibition felt confusingly eerie to me, allowing me to compose more thoughts of interest than any ordinary artwork. She used her space and resources to create something that was more than what meets the eye, but the ears, touch, smell (but not taste). What intrigued me most about this exhibition was the simplicity of things that held so much backstory. With random items on a workshop desk to randomly displayed horse hooves around a room, it held more meaning if you are curious enough to care.

I also enjoyed the laxity of our travels dearly. The teachers Ms Lewis and Ms Gazibaric let us independently roam which is what I appreciated about this excursion. When in the gallery we were allowed to view any artwork in the exhibition at our own pace.

I want to thank anyone who made this experience possible and I do wish for more to attend to.

- Sarah, Year 10 Art student

Please enjoy the photos.

Ms Lewis

Visual Art Teacher

Year 9 Street Art Tour

Wednesday 2nd July, one of the Year 9 groups attended our yearly Street Art Tour which students always look forward to. We all braved the weather as we knew it was going to be a wet cold one. Our students were excited as they were going to spray paint their stencils in Hosier Lane and also have an opportunity to free form spray paint on the walls. After that we walked to ACDC Ln where they had to find the last Banksy. Whoever found it first received a free lunch, that allowed students to hunt high and low with lots of laughter. We then travelled to Presgrave Pl where our students were able to view miniature street art which also included stickers and paste-ups. We explored further large murals as we walked towards Victoria Market and students were shown where street art first began in Melbourne which is known as Blenders Ln. Unfortunately many of the walls have been removed due to new buildings being erected. We then went to Melbourne Central for some lunch and a needed rest where it was warm before our journey back to Dandenong. As usual, students enjoy this excursion immensely and it always puts a little smile on my face how tired they are at they end. I’m pretty sure that all involved slept well that evening.

On Wednesday 2nd July, we went to the city with our Year 9 Art class. I really enjoyed my experience during the street art tour! It was so cool going around and seeing all the different art styles on the walls of the city and seeing the Banksy art in person. Even though it was raining the whole time, I still had fun spending time with my friends and walking around the city. I hope we get more of these kind of experiences more often in the future.

-Wajeeha