The Arts Bulletin

LUX 25

I am delighted to be invited to judge the 2025 LUX: Senior Art Exhibition. During my 5 years at Clayfield College, I was fortunate to have Art and English teachers who inspired me to study Fine Art, Art History, English and Curatorship at University. It was these early insights into creativity exploring process, practice, problem solving and collaboration with my peers and teachers that laid the groundwork for my success as an award-winning Curator working across multi-disciplinary teams in the arts, design, government and construction industries. 

 

It is generally well known that the arts and cultural sector contribute billions of dollars to the Australian economy by championing our stories, our history, culture and identity and the sector provides employment for a vast network of creatives that make our lives more positive and inclusive. However, the recent scaling in favour of high school STEM subjects, the increase of fees for creative industries courses at tertiary level along with the closure of high-profile fine art and master’s courses demonstrate an alarming lack of understanding of the importance of creativity now and for the future. 

 

Art education builds the confidence, resilience, curiosity and a multi-faceted approach to problem solving which is critical in all fields of research and endeavour. Recently, there have been several leading figures from across industry speaking about the importance of communication or “human skills” and the ability to problem solve as being the most important skills required to survive the impact of AI going forward. Not long ago, a colleague who works in biomedical engineering intimated to me that high number of STEM graduates employed on his team lacked the curiosity and critical problem-solving skills to drive and develop new technologies and they lacked communication skills required to work collaboratively to enhance the products they were designing. 

 

Perhaps more importantly, a school art education assist students explore their identity, their place in the world enhancing confidence and resilience as the move forward in their chosen profession. This brings me to the wealth of creativity demonstrated in the Senior Art Exhibition. I congratulate all the students graduating this year and I urge you to continue with your arts studies as a major or to complement your other studies. I also urge parents to consider arts education as an integral component of your child’s education to support and nurture these critical skills for the future. 

 

The students in this year’s exhibition explored some very complex themes around culture and identity, what it means to be human as well as some big existential questions around climate change and the impact of new technologies.  Strong research and development coupled with a sophisticated use of materials demonstrate excellent critical thinking and problem solving. 

 

I congratulate Maddy Jones on her commitment, passion and energy which has supported the development of exciting contemporary art outcomes.

 

As Judge, I was looking for rigorous concept development, strong use of materials and an ability to communicate ideas effectively both visually and in word form. I am excited to support a Highly Commended Prize this year which I have awarded to Emily McAra, an exciting multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores the impact of consumption and fossil fuels on the environment and climate change, the power of nature to transform, regenerate and renew and all demonstrated through an engaging use of materials. 

 

I am also excited to contribute to the overall winner’s prize this year. This year’s winner has demonstrated a very high degree of artistic merit from concept development to final execution. These beautifully crafted and vibrant artworks explore complex themes of culture, identity, pattern and memory with inspiration drawn from both cultural and personal perspectives. I look forward to seeing more from this artist in the future. Congratulations to the overall Winner, Jemimah Pala. 

 - Jacqueline Armitstead (Class of 1983)

Speech Night

Our Musicians

Congratulations to our outstanding Speech Night musicians, who delivered such impressive performances on Tuesday evening. Your talent, dedication and passion truly shone, captivating the audience and reminding us of music’s power to inspire, uplift and bring people together. Thank you for sharing your gifts and enriching the cultural life of our school community.

BBC Students and Staff

We are incredibly proud of our ongoing collaboration with Brisbane Boys’ College and grateful for the opportunity to continue working together so closely. Performing You’re the Voice on the QPAC stage was a highlight, and we sincerely thank our BBC colleagues for helping make this meaningful partnership possible.

Alumni Musicians and Clayfield College Staff

We extend our thanks to old collegians Sophia Buchanan (Class of 2021), Hannah McDonald (Class of 2023), Bella Harris (Class of 2024) and Dimity Whitaker (Class of 2024) for performing alongside our students at Speech Night. Your involvement inspires our musicians and reflects the strong, enduring connections between our alumni and our music team. Thank you for demonstrating the positive influence a supportive alumni network can have on our students’ musical journeys.

We also warmly acknowledge our Clayfield Specialist Tutors, Claire Tyrell (violin), Lynne Backstrom (cello and alumna), Andrea Sitas (bass) and Jess Postle (percussion and alumna) for your expertise and encouragement, which significantly enhanced the evening’s performances. Your dedication to nurturing our students’ musical growth is truly appreciated.

A special thank you to our Specialist Piano Tutor, Christian Gante, for his remarkable performance on the QPAC Pipe Organ. Christian’s extraordinary recessional was met with well-deserved cheers from our students, an unforgettable moment to conclude a wonderful night.

Private Music Tuition for 2026

All students, both new and continuing, who wish to participate in private music tuition in 2026 are required to complete the following form.

*Please submit one form per student and/or instrument

Musical

The cast of Alice in Wonderland JNR is busy with final rehearsals for the year, running through the entire show and beginning costume fittings. A reminder that all cast members are expected to attend rehearsals to ensure the production comes together seamlessly.