Kia ora koutou from the Creative and Performing Arts Faculty.

Before we dive into 2024 let’s look back at some amazing highlights from the end of 2023!

Despite being only in its 4th year, our now annual NCEA Dance Showcase is a highlight of the school performing arts calendar. A wonderful opportunity for our students to share their passion and talent, also allowing students to work across year groups. What made our 2023 showcase so special was students performing, not only work they were taught, but also work they choreographed themselves, often for other students to perform.

NCEA Dance Showcase

Truly humbled by the support from the community who packed the Performing Arts Centre to support our young dancers. Not only were we thankful to have so many people join us, but we were also blown away by the volume of the applause and cheers for all the performances. The aroha in the room lifted the students to a new level of performance and really showed them how much their talents are appreciated and respected by our community.

As well as a celebration, the showcase was a chance for our Year 13 students to say a final goodbye to our stage. We wish all of you the very best for whatever their future may hold.

At the end of last year Theatre Sports participants were privileged to have senior students Fynn Skelton, supported by Ben Evans coaching both teams, who met weekly throughout the year to first develop their improvisation skills and then the ins and outs of each Theatre Sports game. Our senior team continued our wonderful run of success by first qualifying for the finals, before finishing a very credible 2nd place in the National Competition. Collectively it was the youngest team we have ever sent to the senior events, so a huge congratulations to them all. Our Junior team also qualified for the finals, coming through a very competitive heat. Congratulations to all the students involved.

The annualChristchurch Big Band Festival takes place on Labour weekend and it was our very own Stage Band that once again closed out the Monday Jazz in the Park Concert with a half hour set of swing, latin, funk and pop. A huge crowd showed up for it and boogied away despite the slightly chilli windy weather.

One of the music departments last events for the year is the Annual Primary Schools tour. Where our Concert and Stage Bands go out on the road into the community to inspire the next generation of musicians. Many of the band members went to these schools and it’s great for them to be able to give back and show their old teachers how far they have come. Thanks to those seniors who came back from their student leave to join us for the tour.

The Art department folio night exhibition is a chance for friends and whanau to view the stunning painting, printmaking, photography and design folios, a culmination of hours of intense creation produced by our talented students. The last couple of years has seen the introduction of a People’s choice award and I’m proud to share with you the winner and runner up for 2023

The CHS Art Competition at the end of Term 4 received some stunning entries, making for difficult judging. Well done Ida Scott whose triptych won first place and Mya Bennet who received Mr Johnson's Choice award.

Students are also encouraged and supported to pursue opportunities outside school. One such project was a Christchurch City council Graffiti team initiative to design and paint a local communication cabinet.

Well done to Audrey, Moon, Ngaio and Tamar for creating this beautiful work on Cashmere view street.

The incredible talent, enthusiasm and passion of our students across the Arts faculty resulted in some outstanding achievements, Congratulations to all!

Creative and Performing Arts Top Achievers and Awards for 2023

Thanks all the music students who contributed to Prizegiving and awards events: Orchestra, Choir, Concert Band, Stage Band, Chamber Choir, Orla Dunlop, Vincent Aydon, Tristan Dunlop, Amelie Devos, Amelia Parkin-Bratt, Cara Reid, Catalina Vergara-Currasco, Georgina Cockfield and Sandfly: Thomas Brooks, Thomas Johnson, Jack Colley and Lorenzo Zamperini. Your performances all added to the unique character that is Cashmere.

Academic Award Winners

ART

• Tamar Dijkstra - Excellence in Year 11 Art.
• Ida Scott - Doris Lusk Trophy for Excellence in Drawing
• Marlonique Wolmarans - Margaret Hudson-Ware Cup for Excellence in Y13 Painting
• Willow Cook - Sonja Harkerss Memorial Trophy for Dedication to the Fine Arts in Y13

Top Achievers

• First in Design 201 - Maisie Bowen
• First in Design 301 - Sophia Knoef
• First in PRINTMAKING 201 - Emily Price
• First in PRINTMAKING 301 - Rose Thompson
• First PAINTING 201 - Mya Bennet
• Excellence in Painting 201 - Ida Scott
• Excellence in Painting 201 - Midori Cassidy
• First in PAINTING 301- Marlonique Wolmarans
• Excellence in Painting 301- Willow Cook
• First in Photography 201 - Max Groer
• Excellence in Photography 201 - Maisie Bowen
• First in Photography 301 - Claudia Beal
• First in Art 101 - Tamar Dijkstra
• Excellence in Art 101 - Hugo Knowler, Aimee Phillips, Scarlet Tuipulotu and Audrey Royds

MUSIC

• Orla Dunlop - Foundation Pupils all around Excellence Prize for 2023 and the Garry Thin Trophy for Academic Music.
• Alex Boot - recipient of the Tom Fastier Memorial Award - Outstanding All Round Performance in Music.
• Ruby Geddes - winner of the Chapman Cup for Academic Excellence in Year 12
• Niamh Cooper - all around Excellence Award for Year 11.
• Clara Dujakovic - First in Music Studies 301
• Flynn Cranston - First in Contemporary Music 321
• Vincent Aydon - First in Music Studies 201
• Nicolae Didenco - First in Contemporary Music 221
• Ben Evans - first in Performing Arts Technology 321
• Tristan Dunlop - first in both Music Studies 301 and Contemporary Music 321

DRAMA

• Amy Sanders - First in Drama 101
• Ben Evans - First in Drama 201
• Amelie Devos - First in Drama 301

DANCE

• Connie Colquhoun - First in Dance 101
• Libby Bush - First in Dance 201
• Mya Fisher - First in Dance 301

Arts Achiever’s Evening

Congratulations to all of our 2023 Achiever’s Evening award winners. Your passion, drive and talents are a source of inspiration and pride for us all. Last year’s winners were:

• Alex Boot - Stu Buchanan Trophy for Most Jazz Potential
• Georgina Cockfield - Barbara Hassall Award for Effort and Enthusiasm in Music, Service to Drama
• Amelie Devos - Actor of the Year, Arts Person of the Year Nominee
• Lily Dougherty - Junior Dancer of The Year, Junior Arts Person of the Year
• Clara Dujakovic - Musician of the Year 2023, Arts Person of the Year Nominee
• Orla Dunlop - Arts Person of the Year Nominee
• Mya Fisher - Service to Dance
• Jack Heyes - Skene Award for Service to School Music
• Jacob Hickman - Penter Cup for Attitude and Commitment to Stage Band
• Fynn Skelton - Excellence in Improvisational Theatre
• Georgia Stokes - Dancer of the Year, Harris Cup for Choreography, Arts Person of the Year Nominee
• Catalina Vergara-Carrasco - The Christchurch Youth Choir Award, Kelly Cup for Co-curricular Arts
• Harry Wynyard- Junior Actor of the Year
• Clara Dujakovic - Arts Person of the Year 2023

Congratulations to all of these talented students.

Coming up in Term 1

2024 will be a very busy year for the arts faculty; along with our usual packed calendar, we plan, produce and perform another major production!

Y12 Shakespeare Festival - Now in its 10th year, our Year 12 Drama classes will present a series of Shakespearean scenes and extracts as part of our own Shakespeare Festival. Each and every year this proves to be an amazing evening of work that showcases the talent of our students and the commitment they have to their craft.

Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival - New Zealand’s longest running acting competition has been a part of our school calendar for over a decade. Auditions will be held at the beginning of the term for the casts of two student-directed pieces that will be entered in the regional competitions with the hope of making it to the nationals in Wellington over King’s Birthday Weekend (that’s still weird to say). This event is attended by some of Aotearoa’s leading actors and directors and judged by members of the Royal Shakespeare Society.

Art Club starts in the coming weeks - Sign up to the google classroom to receive all the latest information.

Music activity sign ups took place in week 1 and Auditions, clubs and groups across Music, Drama & Dance and Art begin in the coming weeks so keep watch on School Notices, Website and department social media pages for further information.

https://www.facebook.com/Cashmere-High-School-Drama-and-Dance-287765121974438/

https://www.facebook.com/cashmerehighmusic/

Check the school website for the Art Department Instagram link.

Della Rees | Arts Coordinator