On May 10th and 11th, HBHS sent over 100 students and 10 staff and tutors to the 2023 Super 8 Cultural Festival held at the Howard Morrison Centre in Rotorua. This was the largest ever group sent from HBHS to attend the festival. The students performed and competed in all 16 cultural codes and events.

HBHS was the overall champion school, returning with the Super 8 Cultural Shield for the second year in a row. Tauranga finished in second place and Rotorua in third place.

HBHS received podium placings in 12 of the 16 events:
🥇 in Pasifika
🥇 in Senior Debating
🥇 in Senior Art
🥈 in Kapa Haka
🥈 in Group Music
🥈 in Senior Solo Music
🥈 in Chess
🥉 in Dance
🥉 in Junior Debating
🥉 in Junior Oratory
🥉 in Junior Solo Music
🥉 in Junior Theatresports

Above is Noah Bremner's prize-winning artwork, and here's his artist statement:

We once revered the gods of old, Zeus, Jupiter, Poseidon, Pluto, and scores of others. Our ancestors lived their lives following the values and guidance of their religion. To worship these gods, we created stunning sculptures, paintings, music, timeless testimonies to the figures who once ruled over our civilisations and guided us as a species. Now they have been replaced by a technological tyrant. As humans, we no longer act in accordance with our gods or religion. Most of our species live in service to a handheld screen in their pocket, or the television in their living room, or even the computer I'm using to write this now. This tyrant has spread to every corner of the globe, not changing with culture or location, seeming to assist us in everyday life and help develop our societies. But as we move forward, hand in hand with machinery, we forget our values, our ancient beliefs, and the old gods are terminated. 

Also above is Micah Ennion's entry in the Junior Art category, and here's his artist statement:

This Mediterranean Fanworm's delicate petals float gracefully in the sea. Its hypnotic patterns and colours slowly lure you into a false comfort, that it would harm nothing. But it is a silent pest, secretly taking over New Zealand's rocky shores and swiftly eradicating our rich marine biodiversity. I fell into the same trap you may have, admiring the creature's beauty, holding my hand as still as I could, not making the slightest movement, otherwise it would retreat into its tube house. Although there are only very few of these creatures around Casnell Island (where this photo was taken), they will soon overrun the whole of Mahurangi Harbour if they aren't caught soon enough. The Fanworms form dense colonies that out-compete native sea life such as mussels, oysters and scallops, which is severely impacting New Zealand's commercial sector. They are also highly effective filter feeders, which has unknown implications on how they will affect New Zealand microorganisms and domino to affect larger native marine life.

Mr Dent would like to thank Rotorua Boys’ High School for their organisation in hosting the event and the HBHS students, tutors and staff that made the event such a success.