2019 CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS CAMP

Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 were recently given the opportunity to participate in St John’s annual CAPA Camp here at the school. Last Friday morning the students took part in a series of rotating workshops on each of the Creative Art subjects - Music, Visual Arts and Drama that allowed them to explore the various skills and techniques that each subject offers.

After lunch students then participated in one specialist workshop which involved creating a variety of performances and artworks in collaboration with other students. We had invited a number of ex-students back to be tutors in the workshops and we were thrilled to have Tom Page, a practising artist, Alexis Weaver, a composer and performer and currently studying a Masters of Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Eleanor Petricevic, studying a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts at AIM and Hayley Millsom, studying a Bachelor of Secondary Education in Drama all working with the students.

In addition we had ten Year 11 students who gave up their time to assist our tutors and staff in the development of the works. The students continued creating and making their works on the Saturday with guidance from the Creative Arts teachers, the tutors and the Year 11 students. All of the work the students were devising was based on the CAPA Camp theme of Social Justice. The Visual Arts students explored the issue of bees disappearing from our world and the catastrophic effect this will have on our plants and crops and the impact on all communities but especially those who experience poverty and created sculptures, etchings and paintings.

The music students learnt several songs and wrote their own lyrics to ‘From Little Things Big Things grow’ that explored issues including bullying and homelessness.

Drama students devised and performed a number of small group performances that also examined our attitudes towards bullying, homelessness, identity, social media and consumerism. It was an exciting and vibrant two days of creativity, collaboration, communication and reflection. It enabled students to explore issues that affect them and their world and to share with others ideas on solutions and ways of dealing and coping with issues that are at times quite confronting. It culminated in a performance of the pieces created by the music and drama students and an exhibition of the artworks created by the Visual Art students which parents attended.

I would like to thank all of the students who participated in the camp for their commitment, courage, enthusiasm, collaboration and willingness to engage deeply with the learning opportunities they were given. Thanks to the tutors and Year 11 students who were so wonderful in the running of the workshop activities. My heartfelt gratitude also to the Creative Arts Staff - Ms Castles, Ms Lambert, Ms Sams, Mr Christie, Mr Malady and Ms Baker for the many hours of preparation that went into the development of all the camp activities and for giving up a Friday and Saturday to run the camp.

CREATING CORAL