Performing Arts

Presentation Night

This week’s livestream was an amazing opportunity to showcase some of our performing arts students. Five items were selected from across the year. 

As part of the pre-show entertainment, the exquisite classical guitar talents of Year 12 student, Jacob M were used to underscore some photos from throughout the year. 

Year One student Raissa L beautifully played Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas on violin. 

Year 9 Performing Arts Captains, Samuel M and Angelique C teamed up with a lovely jazz piece, Autumn in New York.

Year 12 student Sha’uri L gave us a haunting rendition of No Time to Die from the latest James Bond film. And our senior choir, Vox Pop, completed the night with a song from the musical, Dear Evan Hansen, entitled You Will Be Found.

Thanks to the performers for entertaining us and all the staff, Performing Arts and from outside the department, who were involved in putting this stream together. If you haven’t had the chance to see them yet, the performances have been posted to the College Facebook page for you to enjoy.

Year 11 Theatre Performance

Two weeks ago, the Year 11 Theatre class presented an excerpt from George Orwell's Animal Farm as their final performance exam. The characters created were representations of the animals depicted in the original story which explores what happens when power corrupts. It was so great to have students back performing onstage in front of a real audience.

Media Top Screen Shortlist    

Congratulations to Abigail V, whose VCE Media documentary film, The Whole World in My Hand, has been shortlisted for inclusion in the Media Season of Excellence exhibition for 2022. Her work was recently featured in the Online Art Exhibition. It is a wonderful example of documentary storytelling and well worth a look.

Year 9 Drama Performance

On Wednesday, the thirteen students undertaking Year 9 Drama had a wonderful opportunity to perform a full-length play to other Dunhelen year levels and staff. Peter Panman mirrored the story of Peter Pan, through the experiences of a young boy with a clubfoot, dealing with bullying at school and a distant father. Well done to the students involved on such a huge task, both as actors and technical crew.

VET Music Entertain at Dunhelen Festival

A group of our 2022 Year 12 VET Music Students took to the stage to entertain other students during yesterday’s Dunhelen Festival. The students involved took this on as an additional task but it provided them with the wonderful industry-based experience that is at the core of the VET curriculum. Thanks to the Music teachers for their support and encouragement and the organisers of the festival for giving the students such a worthwhile experience.

2022 Performance Season

With only a few days remaining this year, we are still trying to lock down the choices for major shows for next year. 

Our VCE Theatre Studies class have selected a humorous play called Chasing The Whale which will be performed in late May. It was written by one of the playwrights behind this year’s play, boy girl wall. Set in an advertising agency, it sees the competitive advertising staff trying to get one up on each other. But for one of them, Jerry, the world around him appears to be acting very strangely indeed.

We have moved the Middle School Play to Semester Two and Ms Jacky Armstrong is hoping to present a production of Alice In Wonderland. Scripts and performance rights are still being finalised but information and auditions will take place early in Term Three.

After hoping that we might re-visit the very first College Musical, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, it has been back to the drawing board as rights are not currently available. We have a request in for a musical but are yet to receive approval. The announcement of the 2022 Musical will be made through social media channels as soon the rights have been granted. Stay tuned over the coming weeks! As usual, this Musical will be staged early in Term Three with auditions in early February. 

Farewell and Welcome

It has been wonderful to work with Mr Victor Brincat across the past twelve months. This energetic musician and educator added so much to the Music Faculty and really engaged our students. He is leaving us to take up a new Head of Music position. We wish him well and thank him for his work across the past year.

Ms Beth Thomson is moving out of her role as Head of Performing Arts and will be undertaking other duties in staffing across the College from next year. Also an incredibly passionate and highly organised leader, she has put so many things in place that have strengthened the Performing Arts Department as a whole. While she will still be teaching PA subjects and have some involvement in performances, we wish her well in her new role.

After 14 years as Director of Performing Arts, I will be handing things over to someone new. We welcome Ms Elise Zijai as the new Head of Performing Arts. Prior to arriving at Aitken, Elise undertook a very similar role at her previous school. I am thrilled to be handing things over to such a wonderful practitioner as I undertake some new responsibilities in the College. 

Every department needs new ideas and revitalising at times and I need some new challenges. I will still be teaching in PA and directing some of the shows, including the 2022 Musical, but I also look forward to supporting Elise and the rest of the department.

I am grateful to all the wonderful staff I have been honoured to lead over the past 14 years and expect that the department will continue to go from strength to strength.

Mr Michael Cooper

Director of Performing Arts