The Arts

“If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving”. The motivating words of Martin Luther King Jr could certainly inspire our arts students this year, as the theme of ‘Taking Flight’ can be tested with all the set backs, cancellations, and challenges this Covid climate can throw at us. Our girls are putting one foot in front of the other, and rising to the occasion to see the Arts at SMC celebrated and engaged with throughout the whole school, with plenty of creative excitement to join in on.

The Arts Council, lead by Chloe Taylor, is cracking into participation events, such as the Cushion Cabaret and ‘Middle Schools Got Talent’ – a chance for our girls to display their creative talents and be encouraged in the arts and public performance. The movement to include all and grow a real sense of community within the arts at SMC is continuing to expand and we look forward to seeing and experiencing all the wonderful expressions of creativity that are brought forth.

Performing Arts

A sense of excitement and anticipation is filling the Performing Arts corridor, as students start working on the building blocks of this year's Show Quest challenge! Led by Stacy May Goldsworthy, this year's performance celebrates heroes of Aotearoa. Intertwining music with real audio soundbites from our heroes fills our hearts with pride, evoking life and colour to significant moments of our shared history. Over the coming months the production will continue to be refined, rehearsed and then ready to wow audiences at the regional competition in June.

Music

There will be plenty of music filling the school this year! Eight rock bands have signed up to make some noise, and will work with tutor Steve Fowler to develop their own unique sound, and write and produce their own original songs – with the hope to bring them to the stage at this year's Rock Quest competition.

Both our Chamber Choir and Combine Choir members are rehearsing for the ‘Big Sing’ competition, which will hopefully still be running mid year. They are working on some exciting and challenging pieces, and already sounding fabulous!

Dance

We are taking the moving form out of the classroom and into the outdoors, creating an original choreography piece inspired by and within the context of a space. The Year 11 Dance class has worked collaboratively to choreograph stunning works in a range of spaces within our beautiful campus.

A lot of creative movement can be found in the dance studios, with students challenging themselves to create original group choreography, including pieces by the student-led Jazz Dance group.

Visual Art

Our wonderful Year 5 students are creating the building blocks of a one-of-a-kind box! their own unique take on the stylized block lettering. Working with a palette of colour that reflects our school, the box will be covered from side to side in words and patterns, using greens, reds and navy. Students are taking turns to add their original design, and are learning about collaboration and building a piece of art together as a whole. Once completed, the box will be covered in lacquer and placed outdoors in the Junior School to be used as a seat.

The four ‘forces of flight’ – thrust, drag, weight and lift – remind us that Taking Flight is not a simple task; it takes effort, challenge, inspiration, bravery and grit. So, with a determined heart, let’s face the wind, run hard, and Take Flight into this year ahead!

Laura Hewetson, Arts Facilitator