CAPA Faculty 

General Announcements

Lights Out Exhibition

Francis Greenway High School was proud to present our annual Senior Showcase, an exciting celebration of creativity, talent, and hard work from our CAPA and TAS HSC students.

We highlighted the outstanding accomplishments of our senior students across Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media, and Timber.

Guests will experience an inspiring exhibition of artworks, performances, and projects that reflect months of dedication, innovation, and passion. The evening will also feature light refreshments proudly prepared and served by our talented Year 10 Food Technology students.

Art Club

Art Club has been buzzing with creativity this term! Students from all year groups have been coming together to explore new materials, experiment with different art techniques, and work on their own projects in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Art Club is the perfect place for students to learn new skills, collaborate with others, or simply take a break and unwind through art. From painting and drawing, there’s something for everyone!

New members are always welcome — just bring your imagination and come along to E7 at first break on Wednesdays. 

Drama Ensemble

The Drama Ensemble is in full swing this term! Made up of students from Years 7 to 12, the group meets every Thursday to explore the magic of performance. Students are learning the fundamentals of improvisation, collaborating to create engaging playbuilt pieces, and building confidence on stage.

There are exciting opportunities for members to perform both within the school and at external events, making this a fantastic way to develop skills, creativity, and a love for drama.

New members are welcome this term as we begin building skills and planning some exciting performance opportunities for 2026!

Holiday Carols

Get into the festive spirit! Every day during second break in A3, the Music faculty is hosting Holiday Carols sessions. 

Come along, learn some classic tunes, and join in the fun as we get ready for the holiday season! Everyone is welcome — bring your friends and your singing voices!

Dance Team

Our school’s Dance Club is in full swing! Meeting every Monday and Wednesday at first break in A1, this group brings together students who love to move, create, and perform.

Members work collaboratively to choreograph original dances, combining the skills and ideas of everyone in the group. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to learn new techniques, build confidence, and enjoy the social side of making dance.

Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just looking for a fun way to get moving, Dance Club is the place to be. Come along, get involved, and let your creativity shine! New members are always welcome and encouraged to come along as we begin planning some exciting performance opportunities for 2025 end of year celebrations and into 2026!

Clay Creations: High Potential Students Get Hands-On with Ceramics

Recently, a group of our students participated in a High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program focused on ceramics at a local primary school. Guided by experienced staff, students explored hand-building techniques to create their own unique ceramic bowls. Each piece reflected the student’s personal style and creativity, showcasing their developing design and practical skills.

The program was a fantastic opportunity for students to extend their artistic talents, connect with younger learners, and celebrate creativity through hands-on making.

Drama

Stanislavski and Realism

This term in Drama, Year 10 students have been diving into the world of Stanislavski and Realism - a performance style seen most commonly in television and film. Students have been exploring how to create truthful, believable performances by focusing on character objectives, motivations, and emotional authenticity. 

A huge congratulations to all students who bravely presented their monologue performances to the class for their final assessment task for the year. Performing emotionally driven solo pieces is no easy task! Each performance demonstrated growing confidence and depth. Students also submitted thoughtful written reflections on their rehearsal and performance process.

Looking ahead, students will have the exciting opportunity to apply their new-found realism performance techniques to the creation of their very own short films, bringing their characters to life on camera! 

Building Skills and Exploring Australian Plays

Congratulations to all Year 11 students who recently completed their Drama course! You have all done an amazing job, developing impressive performance skills and creative confidence.

This term, Drama students across the state have begun their mandatory study of Australian plays. Year 11 are exploring The Removalists by David Williamson and Norm and Ahmed by Alex Buzo, examining themes such as violence, misogyny, racism, authority, power, and corruption through both practical and theoretical study.

Students have explored the New Wave era of the arts in 1960s and 1970s Australia and have dived straight into The Removalists. For their assessment, they will perform an excerpt from one of the plays and complete a timed essay reflecting on how dramatic techniques are used to engage audiences and communicate social concerns.

Curtain Call for the HSC

Our Year 12 Drama students have completed their HSC journey, bringing months of preparation, rehearsal, and creativity to the stage. From practical performances in Contemporary Australian Theatre to their exploration of Significant Plays of the 20th Century, students have shown incredible dedication, skill, and passion throughout their studies.

We are incredibly proud of all our Year 12s for their hard work and commitment, and we congratulate them on successfully completing their HSC Drama exams. Well done to everyone — your talent and perseverance have truly shone, and we can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you next!

Music

Exploring Music and Dance

This term, Year 8 Music students have been discovering the exciting connection between music and movement in our unit Music and Dance. Through daily practical warm-ups, group percussion activities, and rhythm games, students have developed strong performance skills and confidence in working with beat and movement.

Students explored music from Brazil, wider South America, Italy, and contemporary Australian pop, investigating how rhythm shapes dance styles and cultural expression. They also completed listening activities to identify instruments and musical features, while learning to analyse song structures.

The unit concluded with a final assessment where students notated rhythms and applied their listening skills to break down how songs are constructed. Congratulations to all for their creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication throughout the term!

Rocking the Semester

This term, Year 9 Music students have been diving into the world of classic and contemporary rock, engaging in daily practical work, ensemble playing, and focused listening tasks. For their major project, each student selected a rock song to research and analyse, examining elements such as expressive techniques, key, chord progressions, and melody to understand how these shape the style and sound of the music.

Students have shown great dedication and enthusiasm, developing both their performance and analytical skills while building a deeper appreciation for rock music. Well done to all for their hard work and musical growth this term!

A World of Sound

This term, our Year 10 Music students embarked on a global musical journey, exploring traditions from Africa, India, China, Japan, and Mongolia, as well as styles from Italy, Russia, South America, and Aboriginal cultures. Their major assessment, a challenging viva voce, required students to deliver a formal presentation followed by questions to demonstrate their understanding.

Working within tight timeframes, students showcased strong research skills, cultural awareness, and a genuine passion for their chosen musical traditions. We are incredibly proud of their maturity, dedication, and enthusiasm in tackling such a demanding task — well done to all!

Composing the Future

Our Year 11 Music students have begun their exciting journey into the HSC Music course. This term, they are composing an original piece for two or more instruments, inspired by the unit Music of the 20th and 21st Century. Alongside their compositions, students will present a viva voce, analysing how they’ve created interest and variety through their musical choices. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their creative voice and explore the diverse sounds of contemporary music.

The Final Note

Our Year 12 Music students have officially completed their HSC practical examinations, marking a major milestone in their creative journey. Throughout the year, these talented performers have dedicated countless hours to rehearsing, refining, and perfecting their pieces, showcasing both their technical skill and artistic expression.

Their hard work, passion, and perseverance have truly shone through, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. Congratulations to our Year 12 Music students on reaching the final note of their HSC journey — a wonderful finale to years of dedication and musical growth.

Photography

Lights, Camera... LEGO!

Our creative Year 9 photographers have taken a big leap into the world of stop motion animation! Armed with LEGO minifigs, action figures, props and imagination, students are designing and filming their own mini movies, frame by tiny frame.

They’ve been planning out scenes, building miniature sets, and learning the patience and precision required to bring inanimate characters to life—one photo at a time. Expect dramatic battles, surprise plot twists, and dramatic story arcs.

We can’t wait to share their stop motion magic with you soon—it’s storytelling on a miniature scale, with maximum creativity!

Painting with Light

Our Year 10 Photography students are exploring the mesmerising art of light painting, using sparklers, glow sticks, and LED lights to create stunning images through long-exposure photography.

Drawing inspiration from artists Peter Solness, David Gilliver, and Stephen Knight, students are learning how to combine technical skill with creative expression — transforming light, colour, and movement into captivating photographic artworks. The results are already glowing with imagination! 

Jointed and Disjointed

As our talented Year 11 students begin their Year 12 Photography course, they’re kicking things off with a burst of colour and creativity inspired by none other than David Hockney. Known for his vibrant and experimental Cubist inspired “joiner” photographs, Hockney's approach involves stitching together multiple images to create one larger, fragmented and multi-perspective view.

Students have been analysing his work and are now creating their own photographic joiners, using digital tools and creative composition to rethink how we see the world. Whether it’s a messy bedroom, a city street, a skateboard in motion, or a telegraph pole, each joiner tells a story through pieces that don’t quite fit perfectly—and that’s the point!

These works promise to be playful, bold, and refreshingly original—just like our photographers.

Final Focus

Our Year 12 Photography students have reached the final stage of their HSC journey, completing their Independent Project — a culmination of two years of creative growth, technical skill, and artistic exploration.

Throughout the course, students have researched, conceptualised, created, and curated their own body of photographic work, with submissions ranging from still images to video installations. Each project reflects a deeply personal investigation into themes, techniques, and concepts developed through the study of photographers’ practice and the Conceptual Framework.

This final project has encouraged independence, creativity, and critical thinking, allowing students to apply all they have learned in producing a cohesive and meaningful photographic series. We congratulate our Year 12 Photography students on their dedication and artistic achievement as they conclude this significant chapter of their studies.

Visual Arts

Pop Art Prints in the Making!

Our Year 7 Visual Arts students are diving into the bold and colourful world of Pop Art, taking inspiration from the iconic Andy Warhol. This term, they’ve been designing and carving their own lino tiles, learning the traditional printmaking process, and experimenting with vibrant colour combinations.

Each print bursts with energy and personality — a perfect reflection of Warhol’s playful approach to everyday imagery. We can’t wait to see their finished artworks brighten up our school walls!

From Sketch to Street

Our Year 8 Street Art and Photography students are exploring Paste-Up culture, taking inspiration from a range of street artists like Mulga, Swoon and Ghostpatrol. This term, they’ve been designing their own Paste-Ups, and exploring the ways in which location can be used to interact with art in fun and unique ways. 

Students will display their works in a location of their choice around the school, before photographing them. This project challenges students to think outside the box and make connections between their artworks and the world around them. We can’t wait to see their unique designs!

Captivating Cyanotypes!

In Visual Arts our Year 9 students are stepping back in time to explore traditional Photographic Processes. Through various case studies of Anna Atkins, Joy Gregory and Meghann Riepenhoff, students are gaining an understanding of the concepts and ideas of Identity - whether that be Group Identity, Cultural Identities or Personal Identity - and the processes involved in creating cyanotypes. 

This term, students will create their own refined cyanotype which comments on, or represents, their own ideas of Identity. Students will be experimenting with a variety of media to create their designs and make their ideas come to life!

Designing Their Own Brand!

Our Year 10 Visual Arts students are stepping into the exciting world of wearable and usable art, taking inspiration from artists Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jim Phillips — creators whose bold designs have shaped skate and streetwear culture.

This term, students are designing their own custom skate decks, logos, and merchandise, developing a unique brand identity that reflects their personal style. Blending art, design, and marketing, this project challenges students to think like creative professionals — and the results are already looking incredible!

Finishing with Flair

Our Year 12 Visual Arts students have officially completed their HSC, marking the end of an incredible creative journey. Throughout the year, they have demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and imagination in developing their Body of Work — the culmination of months of exploration, experimentation, and refinement.

Their resilience and passion have truly shone, balancing practical artmaking with academic demands and finishing their schooling on a high note. We are so proud of their achievements and the individuality expressed in each artwork.

Congratulations to all our Year 12 Visual Arts students on completing your HSC! Your creativity, effort, and determination have left a lasting mark on our faculty, and we can’t wait to see where your artistic journeys take you next.

Samantha McGaw 

Visual Arts and Photographic Media Teacher