Arts Coordinator's Update
Matariki installation, on display in the PAC foyer last Term.
Installed by our Art Prefects to celebrate Matariki, this wonderful project brings together work created by year 9 students. In an introduction to printmaking lesson, students from 5 different classes produced these individual stars to create this stunning collaborative work.
All those who attended the 'Ngā Waiata Mō Tīmatanga Hōu' - Songs for New Beginnings Concert would have been treated to seeing the Matariki installation on their way into the auditorium before enjoying another fantastic musical evening with performances from our own talented CHS Choir, Chamber Choir, Male Voices, Octaves & Kapahaka along with visiting groups from Villa Maria, St Andrews College & St Bede’s College.
The next Music event - Winter Soiree has had to be postponed due to circumstances beyond our control, but this gives you extra time to ensure you get your tickets for this event which features Orchestra, Concert Band, Concestra & Ensembles.
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/winter-soiree-tickets-392885811037
Our Art Prefects also ran a school wide Art Competition, which was judged by Mr Squire and Mr Johnson last term. Special thanks to everyone that entered and congratulations to our worthy winners.
Photograph by Claudia Beale - 1st place in our ‘Summer Daze’ Competition.
Painting by Eadie Panckhurst - 2nd place
Photograph by Maria Laurie - 3rd place
Pencil drawings by Willow Cook, who received a Special Commendation
Knitting Club has had a change of venue, from this term it will take place in B4 on the usual Tuesday lunchtimes. Everyone is welcome to come along and take part in collaborative or individual projects. Whether you have some experience or are new to yarn crafts come along and enjoy this resourceful and fun skill.
The Together Greater Mural Project is a collaboration between Westpac NZ, youth artist programme The Creators’ Room, and Māia Health Foundation. The Project saw young artists submit sketches for a mural, to be located at the current outpatient facilities at The Princess Margaret Hospital in Cashmere. Two ex Cashmere High School students were shortlisted, Ella Ward (class of 2020)
and Max Drummond (class of 2019)
a wonderful achievement for them both. Three finalists then went to a public vote… Congratulations to winning artist Ella Ward, you can read more about her incredible achievement here
Students attending Art club have also been working on some Mural designs and have had a design selected by the Cracroft Residence Association to eventually adorn a wall in Cracroft Park in the spring.
Hagley Theatre offer opportunities annually to our Performing Arts students and it's that time of year again. Hagley Theatre Company are opening the stage doors and welcoming school-leavers who are considering full time performing arts training in 2023 to come and give us a try. Students will experience an entire day in the life of an HTC student. They will get to meet our tutors, ask questions of our current students and will get to train in dance, writing, acting, physical theatre and more. The day is super inspiring and uplifting and everyone is welcome, regardless of experience level. Whether our participants end up studying with us, or not, they have a really wonderful day of connection and learning.
We advertised a couple of Holiday Programs before the Term break and I’m thrilled to show you the stunning work Tamar Dijkstra (one of our amazing year 10 art students), created in the Scratch built Art with Ghostcat, YMCA miniature diorama art program. Incredible work Tamar, well done!
Did you know that Art History students get the opportunity to explore the techniques of the Artists they study? Pictured here Year 13 Art History student Hayley Gibson shows what she created in a practical lesson recreating Matisse’s famous cut out technique, great work Hayley.
We have an incredible group of Prefects across the Arts Faculty this year. Our Prefects work away in the background to assist staff and students in bringing a number of events and opportunities together and recently this has been particularly challenging, they have shown great resilience, flexibility and commitment, so on behalf of us all THANK YOU.
Music Update
Last week we hit the ground running this term with Production Camp. Three full days of rehearsing and blocking at Living Springs for this year’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar saw the cast and orchestra make HUGE leaps forward in their preparations for the show. It’s sounding and looking amazing and we can’t wait to perform it to you in week 10. Make sure to get your tickets when they go on sale.
A big first week back for the music department. Production Camp and Jazzquest! The Funk Band played an amazing groovey set this morning at the Ara Music Jazz quest. You can view their performance at the link below. Just skip to the 2:27 mark to see their 20min set.
Awarded Silver for the Ensemble Section.
Congratulations to The Flares who placed 2nd at the Canterbury Rockquest regional finals. An amazing effort from Jack and Archie McDonald and Nicolae Didenco with a special mention to Brianah Jarvis for winning Best Vocalist.
They have also made it into the National Semifinals with the top 20 bands in the country for Rockquest 2022! They get to professionally record their songs now and compete for a spot in the top 7 bands for the LIVE National Final. Ka rawe!
It was with real pride that Cashmere Music staff attended the NZSO National Youth Orchestra’s Christchurch Concert on the weekend. To see former and current Cashmere students performing as members of this outstanding ensemble was an absolute treat.
Current students Orla Dunlop and Abi Wheeler, with former students Leila Dunlop, Will Hanlon and Nina Noble (who sadly couldn’t perform in Chch due to Covid).
An exciting programme with a new commission by composer in residence David Mason, Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis and Mahler’s mighty first Symphony ‘The Titan’. Congratulations to you all, your talents and hard work has brought you to this fantastic achievement!
Congratulations to Thomas Brooks who is one of the 11 National Finalists for the Play It Strange Peace Song Writing Competition. Thomas wins a day in a studio to have his song professionally recorded. Ka rawe Thomas.
https://www.playitstrange.org.nz/.../peace-song-2022-winners
Ka pai to WATPIC – winners of the 2022 Digital Challenge in the New Zealand Chamber Music Competition with their engaging rendition of Elliot Cole, Postludes for Bowed Vibraphone, mvt VIII
Aurél Holló, José
Hailing from Canterbury, WATPIC – Why Aren’t They’re Any Percussionists in Christchurch? – brings together four brilliant young percussionists mentored by Justin DeHart:
Dylan Blundell of Burnside High School
Nicolae Didenco of Cashmere High School
Keina Rollinson of Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
Sho Woodhouse of Burnside High School
In addition to winning first place in New Zealand for the digital submission part of the competition. They have also recently qualified to be in the national finals where they will compete live in Auckland to see If they can take out the top prize in person!
Drama & Dance Update
It's been a massive Term 2 again in the Drama and Dance Department. Students both current and past continue to follow their passion for performing by following vocational, tertiary and professional pathways. We are so proud of the work of our extended Drama and Dance Whanau, despite the consistent obstacles the last couple of years have thrown up.
Term 2 Highlights
Without doubt the highlight of Term 2 was the continued success of John Ussher and his Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Team. For the sixth time in seven years, John has qualified a group for the National Festival in Wellington. This internationally recognised event brings together the top 500 young actors in the country, in order to share their work and seek out the 24 students who will represent New Zealand at Shakespeare’s own Globe Theatre in London.
Our Team of Diego Damoco, Saide McLoughlin and Polly Daniels performed a piece from Hamlet that not only left the audience amazed by their quality, but also saw them receive one of the few national awards. In addition both Diego and Sadie have been invited to be a part of the National Secondary School Shakespeare Production, the last step before selection for The Globe Theatre trip. In addition to this year's success, 2019 National award winner; MIchael Higgs has finally had his chance to go to London, having previously had his trip delayed due to Covid.
The success of this group year after year, continues to be a point of pride for the department.
A few other highlights from Term 2 came from watching our students continue their pathway towards a future in performing arts. The Hagley Theatre Company’s first production of the year, ‘Duck Duck Goose’ featuring Shayla Hann and Riley Cleine was a beautiful piece addressing topical issues for youth today, with Shaly Hann a stand out in a lead role. The NASDA Year 1 performance evening also featured former students Phoebe Finnie and Oscar Parkes, who stood out amongst the new intake to the degree course at ARA. Max Charteris of 11EBS (little flex) was taken on by a professional acting agent and had his first film audition, good luck with your future auditions Max.
Over the Holidays
During the term break, whilst many students were able to put their feet up, our students continued to tread the boards in a variety of ways. They began with our first ever entry in the New Zealand Theatre Fest. This national festival is a place where young writers, directors and actors try out new material and new skills as they work towards a career in Theatre. Many of New Zealand’s leading playwrights and directors began their work in this very festival.
Our entry was an original script written by 15 year old Melissa Sheldon, whose work was a confronting yet kind piece that addressed the state of mental health in young people and the difficulty in accessing support. Despite only 2 weeks together the cast of; Melissa, Max Charteris, Izzy Bowen and Maia Crampton created a powerful performance that left the audience in silent contemplation and the adjudicator heaping praise on the talent and skill of the young writer and her cast. As a group they received three awards and were offered a place in the South Island Festival. Unfortunately due to the timing of the event we were unable to attend, but we look forward to continuing our relationship with the festival. It was an added bonus to see 2021 alumni Charlotte Penman receive an award for acting at the same event.
In addition a number of our current and past students were involved in theatre around the city, no better an example than the mailman Ben Evans and 2021 alumni Oscar Parkes who were featured in the Luminaires Theatre production of Spamalot. As expected, both Ben and Oscar were a success, with wonderful comic timing and strong characterisation. We look forward to more from them in the future.
It was also really pleasing to hear about and to be able to support senior students as they prepare and audition for tertiary Performing Arts programmes. Out of respect for the students involved we won’t name them, so they can share any news they may get with people they wish to. However, having students involved in UNITEC, Toi Whakaari, as well as international Dance schools is something we are so proud of. Fingers, and anything else you can, crossed for you all.
Coming up in Term 3
Despite the success and work in Term 2, we thought it would be a good idea to make Term 3 even bigger. Obviously for all of us this will be most apparent with the Major Production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Having rehearsed all of Term 2 and spent the first few days of Term 3 at Living Springs for a focused rehearsal camp , we are really excited about what we will be able to bring to you all at the end of the term. For a long time we have taken great pride in the high quality of performance that we are able to bring to our community with a cast and orchestra of young people, and if the camp is anything to go by, this year could top all the rest. Our version of Superstar seeks to bring back the light and life of the original productions and movie of the show, we are sure you will all enjoy it and that it will sell out, so please get your tickets early. The show will run from Monday September 26th through to Friday September 30th, with tickets available very soon, information will be sent to the community very soon.
Also coming up in Term 3 we will continue with our goal of enriching the student experience through connecting them with the industry and getting out to see as much theatre as possible. In Drama classes we will again welcome Danny Syme to work with our students during their Commedia dell ‘arte unit. Danny has spent the first two terms running classes with selected students on everything from acrobatics to stage combat, something we will again offer in 2023. We have also lined up two visiting tutors to enrich the experience of our Dance students as they move towards the end of year NCEA Dance Showcase.
We will also be getting out to view some of the local theatre for no reason other than because it's great fun. Students will have the opportunity to attend the NASDA production of Chicago, the Court Youth Company production of Katzenmusik, and hopefully The Court Theatre’s production of Rent (although this is not until Term 4).
As always we are always open to suggestions and support from our Drama and Dance Whanau, so if you have any questions, ideas, or ways in which you could support us we would love to hear from you.
