Our Vision

Campaign 2015 – 2020, to create a new centre of excellence for performing and visual arts in Dundee’s former Head Post Office, is the largest capital campaign in UK independent school history. This section contains everything you need to know about this thrilling and unique city-centre High School development.

Now with £2.5m given and pledged to Campaign 2015 – 2020, and the School investing over £1.2m, our vision is coming to life.

Creativity is at the heart of great education. The ability to think analytically, critically, but also creatively is a crucial component of what we do in school. In fact, not just to think, but also do, make, act. Through sound, image, and physical representation. This changes lives. At the High School we are now embarked on a thrilling new project designed to do just that, through a stateof-the-art centre of excellence for performing and visual arts, in one of the most prominent buildings of the city: the former Head Post Office on Meadowside.

The original High School building, the Pillars, was built on the back of public subscription by citizens of Dundee in 1834. In the late 19th century, through the generous beneficence of Margaret Harris, it was possible to create the impressive building known for generations as the Girls’ School. The development of the former Post Office will be of similar significance, and will benefit the education of thousands of pupils, not to mention the wider community, for generations to come. We hope that all constituencies within the global High School community will rally round and support this aspirational and transformative project.

This is the most ambitious capital campaign ever embarked upon by a UK independent school. When complete, the flagship development and its cutting-edge facilities will place the High School of Dundee on an international stage and at the forefront of UK schools in terms of provisions for exceptional education in the Arts. Driven by both preservation and regeneration, this project offers an unparalleled opportunity to safeguard an iconic Dundee landmark whilst creating a unique and innovative resource not only for the High School but also for the city’s wider community. Studies have demonstrated the clear cultural and social benefits of the Arts. All-round academic performance is improved in children whose education

incorporates regular exposure to the creative stimulation of Art, Drama and Music. Social aptitude is likewise proven to be increased through an early grounding in these subjects, while the ongoing benefits of interaction with spaces such as our new centre of excellence include greater happiness, health and longevity for participants, regardless of age, gender, wealth or social class. In short, Campaign 2015 – 2020 is a once-in-ageneration opportunity to invest in our community and our future. We hope that you will join us in making this vision an inspirational reality.

Dr. John D. Halliday Rector