Arts

VCE Arts and Technology Showcase 

We were delighted to present our VCE Arts and Technology Showcase, celebrating the outstanding work created by our VCE students across Product Design and Technologies, Art Making and Exhibiting, Systems Engineering, Media, and Visual Communication Design. 

The exhibition opened on Wednesday 7 October, with additional viewing sessions on Thursday and Saturday. It provided a wonderful opportunity for our school community to see first-hand the skill, imagination and dedication behind each student’s final work. Arts Captains Benny Eckel and Gabe Bristow introduced the guest judges and led the proceedings. 

Visual Communication Design 

We were delighted to welcome Jason Grace, Course Coordinator of the Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design within Creative Industries at Swinburne University of Technology, as judge for the Visual Communication Design SAT Award. 

Highly Commended folios were awarded to Beau Callanan, Taj Bobrowski and Dave Delima, with special mentions for the work of Riley Barratt and Ashton Halsall. 

Congratulations to Kaisey Kupisz, winner of the Visual Communication Design SAT Award and the People’s Choice Award. Kaisey’s work was recognised for its thoroughness, extensive research, careful analysis of the design problem and highly creative design solution. 

Art Making and Exhibiting 

The standard of Art Making and Exhibiting work was exceptionally high, with all folios commended. Judge Ruby Pilven, a renowned Ballarat artist known for her brilliantly coloured porcelain ceramics and owner and manager of Ross Creek Gallery, commented on how difficult it was to select a winner because all of the work was so good. 

Congratulations to Rohan Milligan, winner of the Art Making and Exhibiting SAT Award. 

Media Awards 

Media Captains Wyatt Tunstall and Tom Louden announced the Media Awards. 

Mr David Fairclough, filmmaker, experienced Media teacher and current Head of Arts at Highview College, judged the awards. He noted that the decision was difficult, as the films demonstrated a consistently high standard. 

Honourable Mentions were awarded to Luke Martin, The Dualling Banjos by Leo Card, Love and Loss of Music by Oscar Mauff, and Transcendence by Tom Connolly. 

The School by Jacob Jolly received a Highly Commended award for its ambition, engaging narrative and considered use of horror conventions. The cold open established tone effectively through Dutch angles and suspenseful music, while the film’s twists and turns maintained suspense. Night vision, expressive sound design and several memorable sequences strengthened the atmosphere. Jacob was commended for the scope of his idea and his willingness to experiment. 

Congratulations to Blake Scott, winner of the Media SAT Award for Against the Clock. Blake’s engaging opening, strong visual composition, personal storytelling and effective use of documentary conventions were commended. Blake explored the sacrifices made by an elite junior athlete striving to compete at the highest level. Through internal monologue, interviews and carefully composed shots, the film offered a compelling insight into Blake’s mindset, focus, dedication and training. The judge praised its use of documentary conventions, including interviews, archival footage and voice-over, as well as its thoughtful editing and sound design. 

Product Design and Technologies 

Congratulations to Louis Ralston, winner of the Product Design and Technologies SAT Award, judged by Mr Brian Cush. Louis created a bedside table that also functioned as a surfboard holder. It was a creative idea, and the final product was exceptionally polished and well-constructed. 

Systems Engineering 

Congratulations to Wyatt Oates, winner of the Systems Engineering SAT Award, judged by Mr Damon Minotti and Mr Aaron Coulter. Wyatt’s weather station was praised for its innovative concept and clever problem-solving. 

Well done to every VCE student whose work was featured in the exhibition. Each folio, artwork, design, prototype and film represents many hours of research, experimentation, refinement and creative problem-solving. 

We are incredibly proud of our students and thank the staff, families, judges and community members who supported this celebration of creativity. The VCE Arts and Technology Showcase plays an important role in recognising student achievement and sharing our students’ work with the wider school community. 

Back-to-Back Wins for Loopa! 

Art Club students explored ‘The Future’ in their competition last term, producing imaginative artworks full of creative ideas. 

Loopа secured his second consecutive win with a highly detailed drawing of a futuristic world filled with robots and spacecraft. Clifford Ogilvie and Daksh Chowdary Chilukuri shared second place, while Landon Western’s half-man, half-robot sound suit creation earned third. 

Arts Captain Benny presented the prizes at Art Club, celebrating the students’ creativity and achievements. Congratulations to our winners and well done to everyone who entered! 

Discovering the Impressionists at Geelong Gallery 

Our Unit 2 and 4 Art Making and Exhibiting students recently visited Geelong Gallery to explore the Discovering the Impressionists exhibition. Students viewed works by Claude Monet, including a painting from his iconic Haystacks series, alongside other well-known Impressionist artworks. 

The Gallery educator offered valuable insights into exhibition design, explaining how artworks are grouped by theme and how lighting influences their display. Students also learnt how carefully controlled temperature and humidity help preserve these treasured works. 

This provided our VCE Art Making & Exhibiting students a valuable insight into exhibition design, which forms a major component of the VCE curriculum. Thanks to our enthusiastic staff members, Wendy Sheridan, Rebecca Warr and Mel Lee, who accompanied the students.  

ACC Film Festival – Screening of The Inquisition 

Congratulations to Year 11 Media students Tom Louden and Lachie Jones, whose short film The Inquisition was selected for screening at the ACC Short Film Festival. 

Their film was one of only twelve chosen for the festival’s screening and awards evening at Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn. Friends, family and Media teacher, Jeanean Pritchard, joined Tom and Lachie in Hawthorn to celebrate and watch their work on the big screen. 

This year’s theme was “Collaboration,” and the judges nominated Tom and Lachie in the Sound category. The judges praised the film’s concept, structure, and technical execution: 

“A crime investigation narrative where the collaboration wasn’t happening between the detective team, leading to the culprit walking away freely, is a great concept. While the film could have had more cut scenes to fill out the narrative, switching between the interrogation room and the crime scene was an impactful way to play with the timeline. Particular scenes of interest included the cut to the crime being committed after the suspect explained his alibi to the detectives, creating contrast between fact and fiction. Cutting back from the crime scene to the pouring of petrol, which turned into water as we returned to the interrogation room, was particularly effective. Good use of camera angles and shot planning was evident throughout. Well done!” 

“The team did well to reconstruct the world of a police interrogation. The dynamics were clear from the outset, and the use of a flashback worked well in establishing the crime without revealing the identity of the perpetrator. The central idea of two detectives using different interrogation techniques was a strong foundation for exploring conflict and collaboration.” 

Well done to Tom and Lachie on this outstanding achievement. 

Year 10 Photography: Exploring Stories Through the Lens 

Our Year 10 Photography students visited the internationally renowned World Press Photo Exhibition at the Ballarat Mining Exchange, where they experienced some of the world’s most compelling photojournalism. 

Presented by the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the exhibition visited Ballarat for the first time, making the city the only Victorian stop on its 2026 tour. Featuring work by 42 award-winning photographers, the annual exhibition deepened students’ understanding of global issues and showcased outstanding photojournalism and documentary photography from the past year. 

The 2026 World Press Photo Contest winners were selected by an independent jury of 31 professionals from around the world, who reviewed more than 57,376 photographs submitted by 3,747 photographers from 141 countries. 

Some images were confronting, giving students insight into the lives of people in other countries. Through photographs that captured both joyful and tragic moments, students encountered the raw emotion and human experiences conveyed by photojournalism. 

Students explored how photographers use composition, lighting, framing and timing to tell powerful stories and evoke emotional responses. The visit also prompted thoughtful discussion about ethical storytelling, media responsibility and the representation of diverse communities. 

This valuable experience enriched classroom learning, broadened students’ understanding of the world and provided inspiration for their own photographic projects. Thank you to photography teacher, Mark O’Callaghan, and Arts teachers Jeanean Pritchard and Lauren Frankas who accompanied the students.