Performing Arts
Instrumental Music Program
The Instrumental Music Program is off and running for 2019. We have been delighted with the amount of new Year 7 students who have signed up to be involved in the program. Students have already met their instrumental teachers and commenced lessons. The future looks promising!
Please come to see the friendly performing arts staff if you are interested in learning an instrument – we still have spots available in drum and guitar.
The Music Department works hard to ensure that students are able to showcase their talents. In the past few weeks, we have seen some of the students involved in the Open Mic performance at lunchtime while others have been excelling in their classroom music lessons. We look forward to many more performances in 2019.
For the first time in 2019 we are hiring out instruments for students to practice with at home, allowing them to building upon the skills learnt in their lessons and encourage them to play. We hope many students take this opportunity which will also help development and growth with their instrument. If you’re interested in finding out more information about hiring please complete the form attached or contact witteveen.hannah.e@edumail.vic.gov.au
Year 7 Drama
As the new school year started, our Year 7 students arrived with a sense of nerves and excitement as they commenced their first performing arts subjects. In Year 7 students will complete Drama and Visual Arts and then Music and Media in Year 8.
The nerves quickly faded away as students began their lessons.
So far Year 7 Drama students have explored:
- TheatreSports activities
- Miming
- Expressive Skills
- Tableau
The students have been full of energy and participated well in all of the activities we have explored. Drama is taught in Year 7 as it allows students to get to know one another and developed new friendships in a fun and play-based way, as well as participating in a range of activities directed at improving teamwork and getting to know one another early on. Next term students will explore Melodrama, Storytelling, Dreamtime Stories and Fractured Fairytales.
Year 9 Performing Arts Pathway program
2019 sees the first group of students participate in the new Performing Arts Pathway program which caters for musicians, dancers and actors. Through these strands students create, explore and perform the philosophy that an idea, emotion or theme can be expressed through performance in an individual and collaborative manner. Through much discussion the class have been working with the theme…. “AT THE MOVIES”.
This creative environment has allowed students to gain valuable theoretical knowledge on how to devise a performance and then move onto practical knowledge where they have honed their skills in their chosen area of performance (either Music, Dance, Theatre Studies and/or Drama).
Next term students will conduct a performance that will be an outstanding display of the talent and creativity driven by those students in the program. Through this program, we strive to empower students with creative learning to reach excellence with pride.
TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS FOR "AT THE MOVIES" PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK: https://www.trybooking.com/BBROS
Production Update
Our production of “We Will Rock You” has gotten off to a flying start with a massive turnout of 70 auditionees!!! We were absolutely blown away by the talent that has emerged from our school. So many rockstars!!
Our cast have started their rehearsals on Mondays and Thursdays afterschool- we’re only a couple of rehearsals in and already the cast have been working hard to learn Queen classics such as Radio Gaga, Killer Queen, I Want To Break Free and Somebody to Love!
We have fundraising plans in the pipeline- including an exciting event with Grill’d Casey Central- if you love burgers and Queen you’re going to be in for a treat!
Our annual production working bees will be taking place in Term 2 and Term 3. More information will be provided closer to the date, but we will be looking for costume sewers, prop makers and set painters!
Production dates will be:
Thursday 29th August
Friday 30th August
Saturday 31st August
All shows this year will be evening shows. More information about tickets will be provided in Term 2.
We’re very excited for this year’s production- it’s going to be our biggest yet!
VCE Drama excursion
On Wednesday the 6th of March 2019, the VCE Year 11 and 12 Drama students saw “Mr Burns- A Post- Electric Play” at Fortyfivedownstairs. It was written by Anne Washburn with elements of Documentary Theatre and an emphasis on The Simpsons as pop culture in a post-apocalyptic society caused by a nuclear fallout. The class enjoyed the performance and found it heavily captivating. The three-act performance conveyed the themes of identity, and societal change as survival; it also featured numerous snippets of pop culture woven meticulously throughout the performance.
We also had the opportunity to observe the Artworks of Marco Luccio and gain an understanding of his aesthetic and practice in his exhibition “Immaginario”, which was inspired by vintage postcards he had found on his travels in New York.
Overall Mr Burns- A Post Electric Play was incredibly enjoyable, this excursion will be an important one for us Year 12’s as it is the last excursion our VCE Drama class will have together, memorable for the sheer impact of its plot. The VCE Drama students overall had a remarkable experience, it will definitely be one to remember!
-Sarah Garbett, Year 12
Chloe, Year 11: “The play was overall a very unique style and the use of chorus throughout assisted in captivating the audience. The play utilized a wide variety of conventions from different theatre styles to give a distinctive contrast between all acts. It was unlike any play I have personally seen before and was very entertaining to watch”.
Johnny, Year 11: “I love the performance that was put on it was really something to see, the way that the whole post-apocalyptic style was presented in a different aspect to what I have seen.”
Jami, Year 12: “the show was like no other, the performance was incredible however certain seating made it harder to see the show or it ruin the built tension at times. Besides that, the show’s usage of the different timelines and set pieces really kept the audience on their toes. It’s a show to remember.”
Cory, Year 12: “The play was quite extravagant, being quite exciting after act 1. Its only downfall was the slow beginning of the performance, having a lot of exposition and narration with little action. However, it was a very good show.”
Open Mic
The monthly CESC Open Mic Session kicked off for the year at the start of March, and has continued to be a huge success, with hundreds of students coming to watch the performers ranging from Year 7 to 12 at lunchtime.
We are looking for more performers for our next session on Monday 1st April! If you are a singer, dancer, actor, musician, poet, comedian, rapper, magician- you name it!- you can sign up for the next session by filling out the form below.
https://goo.gl/forms/qLe5YaucHJNaEINy1
Lunchtime Performing Arts Activities
During lunchtimes, our students also have the opportunity to join one of many lunchtime clubs or activities on offer, that support the students in socialising with different groups and learning and enjoying different skills.
Performing Arts lunchtime activities and clubs give students the opportunity to engage and participate in activities that they enjoy and are passionate about, socialise with groups of multi-age students, ‘take a break’ from the classroom or try something new.
This year we have 3 lunchtime activities available for ALL students:
Dance Club: Wednesday lunchtime
Choir Ensemble: Thursday lunchtime
Drama Club: Friday lunchtime
Our teachers and support staff dedicate their lunchtimes to run clubs for the students as places where they can feel connected and part of a group that share similar interests. We are lucky at CESC to have such dedicated, enthusiastic and talented staff at our school, that are willing to share their time, skills and expertise with our students.
