The Arts

ELISE ZIJAI

Head of Arts

On Tuesday the 30th of July Oakleigh Grammar’s Middle and Senior School students showcased the annual event, A Night At The Theatre; it was a night not to be missed! Our talented young performers radiated energy and vigor as they took over the stage in a range of drama, dance and musical acts. Their performances were of a high calibre, proving that we do in fact house some exceptional students of the arts here at Oakleigh Grammar.

On behalf of the Arts Faculty, I would like to thank everyone involved in the event. The ‘village’ of people it took to grow the event meant that our students achieved great successes, sparkled and dazzled, and made lifelong memories.

More photos of the event are available on our website, here.

CALYSTA MORGAN

Music Teacher

Lunch Lunch

Students from Year 9 Music, plus ‘associate artists’, as well as musical stalwarts, Room 109, livened up Red Nose Day with an outdoor concert on Tuesday 18th June. The event had the goals of raising money for the Arts Department and the Cancer Council, embracing our Hellenic culture, and providing an authentic performance opportunity for our senior students. SRC, Community members and Arts students had a busy day setting up equipment and food.

We were incredibly fortunate to be sponsored by Paragon Meats for the day, with Community members Manoli Adamakis, John Salmas and Sam Vassos volunteering to stoke the delicious smell of charcoal-cooked gyros meat throughout the School. We were also very appreciative to have the assistance of Board, Executive and various staff members who helped with organisation and logistics - including somehow managing to organise to hold off the predicted downpour until the event was over!

SRC members worked hand over fist to get hot chocolates, popcorn, fairy floss and gyros out, forming production lines in the Food Tech wing and on the basketball court, problem-solving their way through the day.

Our musicians acquitted themselves brilliantly, with the JS crowd in particular being very excited to ‘mosh’ to the variety of tunes being pumped out from the temporary staging. The student performers also worked incredibly hard to set everything from staging to cabling (and the all-important tambourine) up and pack it down again.

Part of the profit from the day went to the Cancer Council, with Arts Captain, Jordi Thompson, losing his locks in the process. Other proceeds went towards purchasing equipment for the Arts Department, with specific items like lights, microphones and cabling assisting us with putting on events such as A Night At The Theatre, Leadership Day, and the Instrumental Soirée.

Arts in August

Arts in August for 2019 was opened with a flourish at, A Night At The Theatre, and followed in quick succession by the Instrumental Soiree. Our instrumental program has grown this year with the addition of string lessons with Jenny Occleshaw, and the reintroduction of vocal lessons, now with Aurora Darby. It was particularly lovely to finish the soiree with violin student Charles Watson, playing a duet of the folk song, ‘Lil Liza Jane’.

Our contemporary percussion and guitar program is also consolidating under the guidance of Scott Barton and Daniel Napolitano respectively, with the rock band powering through on Friday mornings before School, and a solid performance of ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ by senior students Peter Karakanis and Mitchell Rocks, at the Soiree last Thursday.

Also on Thursday, Allegra Kourkoutzelos, Mikaela Thomaidis and Sophia Halkiadakis took home prizes for excellence and participation in the lunchtime JS Big Dance competition, run by Mr Nick Karakottas.

The first full week of August has seen Arts in August in full swing. We had a Bollywood dancing/Henna session run by Mr Nick Karakottas and Mrs Vibha Tripathi, complete with colourful traditional dress. Mrs Tripathi will be running additional drop-in sessions on Mondays in August, in order for JS students to participate in the ongoing Angel Wings project organised by Mrs Rosa Avzangelis. Students are invited to complete a feather to be added to the wings, and will be able to interact with the finished art work later in the year.

The ‘big finish’ for the week was the further display of ‘reaching new heights’, with MS/SS students competing in Oakleigh Grammar’s Got Talent on Friday afternoon.

Coming up later in Arts in August are regular Monday acting/drama sessions with Mrs Elise Zijai, and drop-in sessions with Mr Rick Price, where students can ‘graffiti’ on pottery and utilise other new technologies. Tuesdays see Ukulele Club running for JS students with Ms Calysta Morgan, and MS/SS students can drop in to Ms Tracy Sarroff’s Art Room for Art Club.

Company 2021, aka Year 9 Drama students, will present a public performance of their assessment pieces at the ‘Shakespeare Showing’ on Thursday 29th August at 5pm. We invite the Oakleigh Grammar Community to the Conference Centre for these performances, which concludes another busy and artistic Arts in August!

KANE FELSINGER

Performing Arts Teacher

There was much ado about something at the Arts Centre last Thursday, when Mr Felsinger’s Year 9 Drama class were surprised with a tour of the Bell Shakespeare's sold out season of “Much Ado About Nothing” set, and a one-on-one interview with the lead actress, singer and Australian presenter, Zindzi Okenyo, after the show.

An opportunity that not many would ever get to experience, our drama students were wide eyed and gob smacked to meet this amazing performer. Using this experience to fuel and inspire their rehearsals for their own upcoming Shakespeare Showing, and premiere public performance on the 29th of August, the student were able to take lessons directly from one of Australia’s finest.

Tickets can be purchased at the front office, or via this link.

TRACY SARROFF

Art Teacher

VCE Studio Arts Excursion

Visiting art galleries each semester is a compulsory component of the VCE Studio Arts curriculum, as it forms a significant proportion of the students’ assessment. Last week, students studying VCE Studio Arts enjoyed a fascinating excursion to ‘A Fairy Tale in Red Times’ at the National Gallery Victoria, International (NGVI). Located on the top floor, this exhibition showcases 26 Chinese contemporary artists who work across all art forms from video, photography, installation, painting, sound, drawing, ceramics and sculpture. All artworks have been loaned by Judith Neilson AM (art collector and philanthropist), to commemorate the 10th anniversary of her White Rabbit Gallery in Sydney. The exhibition showcases a discerning selection of her vast 2500 piece collection. Students enjoyed an accompanying talk and tour by myself and one of the gallery’s education officers who linked the exhibition to their coursework.

Afterwards, students visited nearby commercial and artist-run galleries in and around Flinders Lane, including a solo exhibition by leading Australian artist, John Young, at ARC ONE Gallery. They were also lucky to receive a rare talk from both gallery managers. By the end of the day, students learned about various job roles and responsibilities in the industry, types of galleries and their aims, funding, presentation and display of works, promotion/marketing, public education, conservation and preservation, insurance, and curatorial intentions.