The Arts

Triple Threat Students Seize the Day 

Our Year 9 Triple Threat students recently took part in an energetic Newsies Jr dance workshop led by dance specialist Stephanie Grivas.

Throughout the workshop, students explored the athletic and expressive movement style associated with the musical, developing their dance technique, performance skills and confidence.  Stephanie guided the students through choreography that challenged them to work with precision, energy and commitment, while maintaining strong characterisation and storytelling.

Every member of the class embraced the experience with enthusiasm and demonstrated an impressive willingness to learn.  The workshop provided students with valuable industry insight and an opportunity to learn from a specialist while strengthening their skills as musical theatre performers.

We sincerely thank Stephanie for sharing her expertise and creating such a positive and inspiring experience for our students.  The workshop was a fantastic addition to the Triple Threat program and left the cast feeling motivated and excited as they continue working on Newsies Jr.

Performing Arts Concert

The Academy community is warmly invited to celebrate the talents of our students at the 2026 Performing Arts Concert on Thursday, 22 October.

The evening will begin at 5.00pm with solo performances taking place across four venues at AMI.  At 6pm, guests can then enjoy a sausage sizzle before gathering in the Hall for the Ensembles Concert, featuring performances from our talented musicians, singers and dancers.

This is a wonderful opportunity to support our students and celebrate the creativity, dedication and hard work they have demonstrated throughout the year.

The Performing Arts Concert is free, and all members of the Academy community are welcome. We look forward to sharing a fantastic evening of entertainment with you!

Ms Olivia Hamilton

Performing Arts Learning Leader

Former Student’s First Solo Exhibition

Members of the Art Academy and the Year 10 Art in Practice class recently had the opportunity to visit "You Don't Know What I Don't Know", the first solo exhibition by former student, Art Academy member and Arts Captain, Madeleine Palmer, at the George Paton Gallery.

Madeleine completed her VCE in 2023, excelling in both Art Creative Practice and Visual Communication Design.  She is now in her third year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.  Since leaving Academy, her work has been exhibited at VCA Artspace and Oddany Gallery.  In 2025, she was awarded the Lionel Gell Scholarship and the Young Artists Commission for the Queen’s College Collection, and she was a finalist in the 2026 Majlis Fellowship Exhibition.

Madeleine’s practice transforms medieval imagery and iconography to explore contemporary ideas around knowledge, ethics and how information is shared and understood.  During our visit, Madeleine spoke to students about her exhibition, artistic practice and journey from the Academy to the VCA.  She encouraged students to work hard and choose subjects based on their interests and passions, rather than focusing on scaling.

The excursion gave students a valuable opportunity to hear from a young emerging artist and gain insight into the creative and educational pathways available after secondary school.  As a former Academy student, Madeleine’s journey provided an inspiring connection for our current students.

Student Reflections

Students responded thoughtfully to Madeleine’s exhibition.  Mia noted the “monumental architectural drawings and sharp steel cut gothic typography,” describing how the contrast created “a powerful sense of weight and precision in the space.”

My Quynh reflected on Madeleine’s material choices of paint, metal and pencil and how they connected to themes of knowledge, history and power. She observed that the sharpness of the metal text symbolised “the shift from limited historical access to knowledge to today’s overwhelming and sometimes harmful information landscape.”

Ayla and Nadia found Madeleine’s explanation of her process particularly meaningful, noting that hearing about the creation of the metal works and wall mural offered “a valuable insight into the hard work and dedication behind a personal exhibition.”

Violet enjoyed the variety of styles in the exhibition, especially the metal cut outs, which she felt “explored different shapes and meanings.”  She described Madeleine as “a clear and engaging speaker” and said she “enjoyed the excursion very much.”

Eva was drawn to the textures and three dimensional elements in the gallery, noting how “the sharp lines of the metal and the symmetry of the artworks made the pieces stand out.”

Ms Lorelle Evans

Visual Arts Learning Leader