25/06/2025
On Friday 20 June, we hosted a Year 8 Arts and Culture Day, a celebration of the value of the Arts, the richness of cultural diversity and the importance of language learning in today’s world.
The day provided students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a series of creative and cultural workshops across Drama, Music, Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media, and Languages. Designed as a taster for Stage 5 elective subjects, the event aimed to inspire curiosity, creativity and global awareness.
Throughout the day, students rotated through a variety of interactive workshops, including:
- Drama A – Acting for Film and Stage with Yure Covich, a professional actor known for his work in Thor, Red Dog, and Fury at the Sydney Theatre Company. Students experienced an exciting introduction to performance for both stage and screen.
- Drama B – Improvisation and Intro to Acting with Miss Duff, where students participated in classic improvisation games that build essential acting skills.
- Music A – DJ Skills with Kurt Lam, a professional DJ and music producer for online gaming platforms, who shared his expertise in digital music creation.
- Music B – Serato DJ Lite Workshop, where students learned how to mix and create music using industry-standard DJ software.
- Languages A – Italian Pasta Making, in which students made orecchiette (a traditional pasta from Puglia) from scratch with Ms Fisicaro and Ms Miletta and took it home to cook.
- Languages B – Calcio (Soccer) and Culture, where students took part in a soccer tournament while learning about the cultural significance of the sport in Italy with Ms Macolino and Ms D’Arcangeli.
- Visual Arts – Drawing with Charcoal, where students used erasers on charcoal-covered paper to ‘draw in reverse,’ creating striking tonal still life artworks.
- Photography and Digital Media – Creative AI, where students explored generative AI platforms to produce digital images and animate them, sparking conversations around the intersection of technology and creativity.
Authentic Italian treats such as zuccherati doughnuts and margherita pizzas added to the cultural immersion.
The day was a success, highlighting the power of the Arts to enrich learning and broaden horizons. Students are to be commended for their enthusiasm, creativity, and willingness to engage with new experiences.
A big thank you goes to the dedicated staff of the Art, Performing Arts, and Languages faculties for their tireless work in bringing this event to life. Special mention also goes to our Year 10 student volunteers, who were exceptional ambassadors for their subject areas.
