Music and Performing Arts
Performing Arts
It has been another busy and exciting term in Drama at Blackburn High School, with students across Years 7–12 developing their performance skills, creativity and confidence.
Our VCE Drama students had the opportunity to attend a performance of Animal Farm at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Students thoroughly enjoyed this humorous and satirical Australian take on George Orwell’s famous play, gaining valuable insight into how professional theatre-makers can reinterpret a well-known text for a contemporary Australian audience.
Back at school, our VCE students have also been working incredibly hard on their solo performances. Our Unit 4 students have been particularly focused on refining their work in preparation for their VCE Drama Performance Examination on the first day back in Term 4. We wish them all the very best as they put the finishing touches on their performances!
Our Year 10 Drama students have been busy preparing for their upcoming class performance of Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion. This comedic murder mystery follows a collection of eccentric detectives as they attempt to solve a mysterious murder in a mansion filled with suspicious characters, unexpected twists and plenty of comedy.
The Year 9 Drama students have also been hard at work preparing their performance for the Suitcase Series, presented in partnership with Malthouse Theatre. Their performance explores the relationship between humanity and the environment through a courtroom trial, with Mother Nature putting humanity on trial for the crimes committed against the planet.
Our Year 7 and Year 8 students have been developing their improvisation and physical comedy skills. Year 7 students have been creating their own Thank God You’re Here-style performances, meanwhile, our Year 8 students have been exploring physical comedy, slapstick and mime.
It has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment of our Drama students throughout Term 3.
Illumination - 70th Anniversary Concert
In 1956, Blackburn High School was established on land that once thrived with fruit orchards. Over the subsequent 70 years, it has nurtured a different kind of growth—academic excellence and a vibrant community spirit.
Throughout its history, Blackburn High School has experienced significant transformations. In 1974, it became one of the state's pioneering specialist music schools, and by 1983, a dedicated building for music rehearsals was constructed. Although little of the original school structure remains, the strong connection between Blackburn and its community is still very much alive. This bond was beautifully showcased at the Illumination concert, where former students and teachers united to create an unforgettable evening of entertainment.
Highlights of the concert included a piece specifically composed for the event by Australian composer Brian Hogg, performances by the 2025 New York Band, and a dynamic set by the jazz ensemble and strings, led by BHS alum Matt Amy. Roland Yeung, who served as the teacher and Music Director at BHS from 1976 to 1992, returned to conduct the Symphony Orchestra. This year’s House Performing Arts winners, Freeman, performed a reprise of *Newsies*, and the concert culminated with a grand finale featuring the Orchestra, Choir, and soloists—130 students in total took the stage!
As one former member of Blackburn remarked at the end of the night, it was truly a triumph!
Royal South Street
From 18 to 20 August, our ensembles enjoyed another successful week at the Royal South Street Eisteddfod in Ballarat. The Intermediate Big Band, Thursday Big Band, Junior Band and Junior Strings all made the journey to Founders Theatre at Federation University, where they performed alongside schools from across the state. This is always a great time to meet students from other schools and compare how we are progressing. All students involved had a great time and represented Blackburn High School to a very high standard.
Congratulations to the students and teachers from each ensemble for the following results.
- Intermediate Big Band – 1st place, Intermediate Jazz Ensemble Section
- Thursday Big Band – 1st place, Junior Jazz Ensemble Section
- Junior Strings – 2nd place, Junior Orchestra Section
- Novice Band – Honourable Mention, Junior Concert Band Section