The Arts Department and Liaison Reports

Term 4 has been a busy term for the creatives, with the Year 13 students putting in some long hours finishing their boards ready for assessment. This year we sent a record number of 43 boards to Wellington. This is a mammoth undertaking for students and staff alike. Thank you everyone for your hard work and commitment to fully completing these boards.

Thank you Maia and Ella, our 2021 arts prefects for guiding and supporting the arts within the school. I have valued your initiative and enthusiasm for the art community here at St Hilda's and I wish you all the best for your future endeavours.

Many thanks also to Liaison students, Frankie Robertson (Visual Arts), Analee Toro (Kapa Haka), Anna Hutchens (Debating), Lauren Heng (Orchestra), Chai Yoo (Music), Helena Fitzgerald (Sings Hilda), Megha Senthikumar (Nga Korimako), Meg Rogers (Drama), Maisie McGregor (Dance) and Sophie Wispinski (Hip Hop). Please see final 2021 reports from these students below.

Thanks also Arts Technicians Sarah Daley (Music/Sound), Eliza Stevenson (Drama), Lily Dockerty (Visual Arts), Chelsea Kan (Photography)

Frankie Robertson - Visual Arts:

In painting this term, we are defining our final ideas from experimenting over the year. These final pieces will show our best works for our school exhibition and examinations for senior students. Seniors will piece together their most valued and meaningful works to create this portfolio. As the year comes to an end, students get to come observe and admire the hard work our students have put into their portfolios at the exhibition. Sadly we couldn’t hold a function for family and friends, but we were thankful to get an opportunity to exhibit our final work to share with friends and teachers in the senior exhibition.

Sophie Wispinski - Hip Hop:

Unfortunately, due to the events of COVID-19, all St Hilda's Hip Hop crews that qualified for the national competition did not go. However, as an alternative, a Hip Hop showcase evening was held where all the Hip Hop crews got to dress up and dance their routine one last time. This was such a fantastic evening as all the Hip Hop girls were supported by their peers and I would like to personally thank Mrs McMillan for all the time she has committed to setting up Hip Hop this year as well as the evening to showcase all the coaches and girls' hard work creating their national routines.

Meg Rogers - Drama:

Term four has been a great opportunity for the drama department to improve on their skills! The Theatre Sports team bid their seniors farewell for exams but continued to meet every week and improve. They were also able to host a friendly "competition" with participants from John McGlashan, Kavanagh College and Logan Park to show off everyone's talent as a fun way to end the year! 

Megha Senthilkumar - Nga Korimako:

Once again this term has been absolutely amazing. We have learnt more new warmups, such as some nights, the best day of my life and falling snowflakes. We also learnt a new song (pop song) called, “Somewhere only we know”. It was written by Keane but also sung by Lily Allen. Nga Korimako really enjoyed learning this piece, and I believe it really suited the voices in our choir. I myself really enjoyed Nga Korimako this year, and I hope that many more people will join the group next year and have the same experience as me. On behalf of the choir, I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr Benjamin Madden for supporting us throughout this year and helping us all improve in singing!

Lauren Heng - Orchestra:

Throughout term 4, we continued practicing our pieces that we were learning in term 3. We were also able to record some of these pieces, and the recording was played at senior prizegiving.

Analee Toro - Kapa Haka:

Ngā Manu o Hira Tapu had multiple ‘covid-style’ performances this term at both St Hilda’s Day and senior prizegiving. It was disappointing covid restrictions prevented us from performing live but it was great to see everyone adapting allowing us to continue sharing our work from the year with our school community. We’d like to thank Lillieana Powell-Shore, our tutor, Ms Turner, and Matua Ellwood for their hard work and support. And on behalf of the departing year 13’s, we'd like to thank the kapa haka girls and wish you all luck for next year. It's safe to say we have some great talent in Ngā Manu o Hira Tapu to look forward to next year, so look out for some amazing performances throughout 2022!

 Anna Hutchens - Debating:

Despite Covid meaning that the usual debating in term 4 couldn’t go ahead, the debaters have still had a great year. We were very lucky to have the semi-final debate go ahead under level 2, with St Hilda’s 2 (Lily Knox, Anika Texley, & Anna Hutchens) facing off against Bayfield. Making this semifinal was a big achievement for the team, being the first time these girls have ever made a semi-final. St Hilda’s also came very close to having 2 teams in the semi-finals, with St Hilda’s 1 missing out by just one place. St Hilda’s 2 debated well but were beaten by Bayfield, so didn’t advance onto the final - but it was a great experience nonetheless. Unfortunately no junior debates were able to happen this term, but a big congratulations to all St Hilda’s teams on a great year of debating! 

Chai Yoo - Music:

To wrap up the year, the senior classes had their final performances. Although the initial plan to have a combined concert with John McGlashan College did not go ahead, our students still showcased their wonderful talents and skills in their classes.

We also had great results in the Bandquest. The Starless Skies (Sylvie Harper, Alice Graham, Alice Bennett, Milly Wright and Anna Gent) won 2nd place in the Otago region Bandquest competition. In addition, Olivia Bezett, the lead vocalist from The Blue Gypsies (Millie Meder, Olive Fulton, Jessica Hanna, Anna Gent), won the joint prize for best vocalist. Congratulations to you all!

I want to give a final thank you to everyone who performed throughout this year and to the audience, making each performance possible for our students! 

Maisie McGregor - Dance:

This term in dance we have had lots of fun! It’s been challenging juggling all our academic work and extra curricular activities in Dance, but students have worked hard to balance everything.

In class, we have been working on studying for our up and coming dance externals. Senior Dance students have been studying Trees, Birds then People performed by NZDC, choreographed by Shona McCullagh. Students have enjoyed watching the piece and relating it to their own experiences growing up in New Zealand and the beautiful environment around us. Students have been looking at themes, relationships, our interpretations of the dance and the creator's intention.

We were lucky enough to hold our annual Dance showcase, even though it looked a little different. We had a few teachers who came to watch and all the dances were videoed to show our family and friends from the safety of their own bubbles. Both the Y11s and Y12 & 13 classes performed their bharatanatyam style dances which we had learnt earlier this year. We also saw contemporary styles from seniors, Fosse from Y11s and Olivia Wilkinson, Sophie Wispinski and Sophie Silcock’s scholarship dances. It was very lovely to be able to see and appreciate everyone's work throughout the year!

We also, sadly, farewelled all our year 13 dance students. Many of these students have been dancing with Miss Geary since year 11. It’s been amazing to see the growth and resilience these students have demonstrated throughout the years. Miss Geary and other dancers at SHCS will miss these beautiful people. We hope that everyone has a fun summer and keeps dancing!