Performing Arts and Languages News

Music

Live at St Peter's 

Congratulations to Year 11 and 12 Music students who lit up the stage at our second Live at St Peter’s concert last Friday evening. The night began with a moving Welcome to Country, led by Ruby Seabourne (Year 12) alongside the Music students, followed by a group ensemble performance where all musicians shared the message of courage and moving beyond the threshold of change in Jason Robert-Brown's Songs for a New World.  

Students then presented the solo pieces they have been preparing for their final performance exams in Term 4, and were accompanied by their respective music teachers, Mr Michael Power and Mr Scott Weston. The evening concluded with a vibrant cross-campus collaboration featuring students from St Aloysius Catholic College, highlighting the strong connection we have with our greater music and learning community. 

Dance elective launches with powerful themes of climate action 

We are excited to offer Dance as an elective subject for Year 9 and 10 students starting in 2026! To celebrate this exciting addition, 13 of our Year 8 students recently took part in co-developing a contemporary movement piece that explored climate change and our collective impact on the planet. 

Over four weeks, students dedicated two to three hours each week working with a dance practitioner at school to then share with student performers from two other Hobart schools. Their efforts culminated in a compelling performance on Thursday 18 August, highlighting artistry and a deep engagement with global issues. 

Special thanks to dance practitioner Mr Leo Canales, program coordinator Ms Tullia Chung-Tilley, our Performing Arts team and our Sustainability Officer, Mrs Karen Walter, for their support in making this project possible. This initiative exemplifies how creative expression can foster meaningful connections with real-world issues, connecting global thinking with the arts and with new friends. 

Participating students: Ava Buhse, Jennifer Wong, Annie Wuersching, Jewel Joseph, Lina Karfoul, Kallie Mesfin, Lily Barnett, Gabriella McKenna, Sydney Howlett, Harriette Yeomans, Annie Carter, Lexie Parker, Ava Koning.

Music teachers gather 

In a Tasmanian first, Musica Viva Australia hosted a professional learning workshop in Hobart last week, bringing together music educators from across the region. The session explored how music can be used to support positive behaviour strategies in schools, offering practical tools and fresh perspectives for the classroom. 

We’re grateful to our Junior School Music Teacher, Mrs Mary Heferen-Faulker, for coordinating the event and helping foster a sense of excellence and community in the arts at our College. It’s inspiring to see educators come together to share ideas and strengthen their practice through music. 

AMEBH honours two outstanding students

This week, the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) recognised two of our talented students for their dedication and achievement in music. Senior cello student Arabella Butterworth-Barry (Year 11) will be the first St Mary’s College student to receive the prestigious AMEB Award. This multi-faceted honour, similar in structure to the Duke of Edinburgh Award, acknowledges her commitment to study, leadership, collaboration and community music-making. Arabella has completed the requirements for the Silver level and is now preparing for the Gold Award. We congratulate her on this remarkable milestone. 

Year 8 student Arabella Westthorp (pictured below at centre) made her school performance debut at last term’s Nanovision event, moving audiences with her rendition of She Used to Be Mine by Sara Bareilles. Her courage and artistry earned her a nomination to perform at the AMEB’s Hall of Famers concert at the Ian Potter Recital Hall, where she delivered a deeply emotional and memorable performance to an audience of music and education leaders. 

Congratulations to both Arabellas for their inspiring contributions to the musical life of our College. 

College students celebrate 60 years of Tasmanian Youth Orchestra

Our vocal and orchestral musicians have had a busy and rewarding term, performing as auditioned members of the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra (TYO) in a series of concerts marking the ensemble’s 60th anniversary. Students and staff took part in a community concert at The Farrell Centre, followed by a Gala performance at Federation Concert Hall. Featured in the Gala were Alice Lennon, Madeline Ambrose (Year 12), Arabella Butterworth-Barry (Year 11), Orlaithe Dhue (Year 9), Eowyn Hindmarsh (Year 7) and Henrietta Butterworth-Barry (Year 6) performing newly commissioned works by Australian composers Maria Grenfell and Paul Jarman. 

Joining them on stage were TYO conductor, Grace Ovens and our very own Mathematics-Science teacher, Ms Sue Murray, proving that music is absolutely for everyone. Congratulations to all involved for their dedication and artistry in these ensembles. 

Photo credit: Caroline Tan

Drama 

Much Ado About Not(h)ing Theatre Outing 

Ms Irene Knauseder 

Years 9 and 10 Drama recently attended a theatre outing to the Theatre Royal to see Adaptivity Theatre Company’s production of Much Ado About Not(h)ing. 

This adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies explored what we take note of as a 21st-century society. Blending a variety of performance styles with original music featuring lyrics from Shakespeare’s text, the production was highly engaging and well-received by our students. 

Unlike most theatre performances, the audience was invited to turn on their mobile phones during the show! We were given a choice of three ways to interact: viewing the actors’ performances onstage, or engaging with the digital world, including Facebook and Messenger, which actively immersed the audience in the experience.

It was a wonderful outing that generated much laughter, meaningful discussion and extended the Drama students’ live theatre experience and learning.

'I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to see a play with school that offered so much inspiration and insight into Brechtian theatre. The production introduced us to a range of techniques that we can now implement into our own work to create dynamic and engaging performances. It was also incredible to experience a new form of audience interaction through the use of social media throughout the play. It gave it humour and context, while also enhancing audience engagement and connection. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and really loved the adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.' – Lucinda Washington (Year 10)

Theatre Performance production | The Importance of Being Earnest 

The St Mary's College Theatre Performance class proudly presents Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ – a comedy of manners, mischief and morality! Oscar Wilde's madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements and lovers' entanglements still delights more than a century after its 1895 premiere performance. The eccentric characters cleverly criticise the bourgeois with rapid-fire wit, irony and slapstick humour. 

Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest, while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend, pandemonium breaks loose, and only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded handbag can save the day!

DATES: Monday 20 October–Tuesday 21 October

TIME: 7.00pm–8.00pm

CAST: Meredith Fisher, Hannah Jackman, Lucy McKenna, Grace Munday, Izabella Riley-Hanson, Maggie Robinson, Ruby Seabourne. 

Understudy: Georgina Stringer

TICKETING: Free to attend, but bookings are essential via the link here.

(50 tickets available each night) 

Looking for Alibrandi 

Many will remember the impact of the 1990s film Looking for Alibrandi, celebrated for its honest portrayal of Australian life and identity. Recently, our senior drama students had the opportunity to experience a touring stage adaptation of this story in Hobart. The performance sparked lively discussion and reflection amongst the students, describing the show as thought-provoking, funny and emotional, and an ideal lead-in to reading the text and writing reviews as part of their course portfolios. 

Thank you to Ms Sally Lewry and Mrs Fiona Chambers for organising and accompanying the excursion. Mrs Chambers reported that choc-tops were the unanimous treat of choice! 

Languages 

2026 study tour to Italy 

Twenty-four excited students will travel with three teachers to Italy for 14 days in April 2026, visiting both the northern and central regions of the country. During the tour, students will take part in daily school exchanges, hands-on workshops, cultural sightseeing, language immersion and much more. This is an exciting opportunity for our students as global citizens, and is a demonstration of our love for language, global histories and culture at our College. 

Monthly payment plans continue until the end of the year for tour families. Please contact Prof. Paola Keller or the College office with any questions or for further information.