McClelland Academy Program

Photography MAP Explores ‘Being Coastal’

This semester, the Photography MAP class has been diving deep into the theme ‘Being Coastal’, exploring a range of locations along the Mornington Peninsula and beyond. From Williamstown to the heart of Melbourne, the class has captured the many moods and moments of life by the water.

Our coastal adventures included a cruise through the city, as well as visits to Frankston 

Musical Theatre MAP see 'Hadestown'

Musical Theatre Production MAP students create their own musical from scratch each year and semester. They see a piece of professional musical theatre for inspiration and insight into the possibilities for their own show. Last Wednesday, the cohort saw Hadestown at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

'When our class went to see Hadestown, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was a musical and had something to do with Greek mythology, but I didn’t think it would hit me the way it did. As soon as the show started, I was completely drawn in, the music was amazing, the lighting and stage were super creative, and the actors made everything feel real.

Watching the story of Orpheus and Eurydice unfold made me think about trust, love, and hope in a whole new way. It wasn’t just watching a play, it was feeling the emotion

 behind it. I could tell that a lot of us in the class were really impacted. 

At the end of Hadestown, when Orpheus turns around and loses Eurydice, the whole theatre went quiet. It was such a powerful moment - and honestly, it stuck with all of us. Even though we knew the myth, seeing it happen right in front of us made it hit different.

It showed us how doubt can ruin even the strongest love, and how sometimes we mess up even when we’re trying our hardest. But the story doesn’t just end in sadness. It reminds us to keep telling the story again and again, because there’s always hope that next time, we’ll get it right.

Hadestown wasn’t just a show, it was a lesson in trust, belief, and the courage to hope. And that’s something all of us in the audience walked away with.  And carry it through the rest of our lives.

If the ending hurts, we keep telling the story.

As the show says, “To know how it ends, and still begin to sing it again, as if it might turn out this time…” That’s hope. And that’s what Hadestown gave us.  The courage to try again.  The courage to keep doing homework and showing up to school even when you’re in an uncomfortable state.  The courage to continue our dreams and creating a stable future for ourselves, our families, and the world we want to live in'.

-  Ayla Pearce - Fox