The Culture of Creative Arts Week

One of the highlights of the school year for me is always Creative Arts Week (CAW). While some students absolutely love it, for others it can be a real challenge. It’s less structured, often high-pressure, and for nearly everyone, there’s a performative element - putting yourself and your talents on display. Whether it’s through House Drama, competitions, the Talent Quest, or leadership roles, CAW asks students to step out of their comfort zones.

I’ve always found it remarkable that some people can perform in a play. I’m quite comfortable speaking to 500 people for half an hour, yet I find delivering five lines in a play incredibly stressful. Maybe it’s the memorisation, or the need to act while speaking - but I’ll rehearse those lines for days and still deliver a completely wooden performance. Meanwhile, students with pages of dialogue move through their scenes with ease and expression. It’s a humbling reminder of how courageous our students are when they step up to perform - whether it’s dancing, playing an instrument, singing, acting, or even sharing their baking, storytelling, or artwork. And doing any of that in front of nearly 900 teenage peers is no small feat.

What’s truly special though, is the culture our students have built around CAW. It’s positive, welcoming, and deeply encouraging. No matter who steps on stage - whether it’s Year 12s dancing or Year 7s singing, the audience response is always overwhelmingly supportive. There’s no mockery, no sniggers, no derision and it’s an incredible thing to witness - senior students cheering on the nervous efforts of younger ones and watching those younger students grow in confidence as their performance unfolds. I know many school leaders who’ve never seen that kind of culture in action.

Of course, our playgrounds aren’t always as uniformly encouraging as CAW. But during this week, we catch a glimpse of something powerful; students facing and overcoming challenges, taking risks, working together across year levels, and creating something amazing. All of which happens within a culture of support and encouragement.

It is a great launching pad for Semester 2!