The careful planning and preparation that all of the arts teachers had put in for our 17th annual Year 10 arts week was time well spent as the week got underway on November 13.
The purpose of the intensive week of emersion in the four arts disciplines is to expose the students to activities that they would not normally come across within the school curriculum. Where possible we try to organise outside providers at off-campus locations to deliver specialist knowledge in the different disciplines.
Visual Art: This year Richard Mountain and Alice Jones were based at the Otago Potters group workshop in South Dunedin. Richard taught the students how to throw a pot on the wheel while Alice taught them basic sewing skills and the construction of a Laptop bag.
Dance: Christian Shafe and his partner took the students through the rhythmic Samoan Sasa dance at the Maori Hill hall. Not only do the students gain a knowledge of a rhythmic sequence of dance moves but they also gain a valuable cultural understanding.
Drama: This year the educators from the Fortune Theatre were contracted to teach drama skills at their rehearsal rooms in the old King Edward Tech building, they also showed the students through the theatre on Moray place. During the lunch break, the students were taken through the must-see Gordon Walters exhibition at the D.P.A.G. Thursday's group also got to sit in on Act 1 of a tech rehearsal for Hudson & Halls Live, which is currently playing at the Fortune Theatre.
Music: Brad Martin and Bruce James lived up to expectations by teaching the students how to write, play and record “horrible” music. This is an online craze and really is horrible to listen to.
Our final day Friday became two final Fridays as we worked around the camp groups who were away. On these Fridays, Nick Price was our Rangatira as we headed out with two form classes to the Peninsular pyramids and were treated to Nick’s knowledge and stories of early pre-European settlement.
Our day(s) ended with a BBQ and game of cricket at the Ōtākou reserve. Needless to say, the students gained a great deal from the arts week and it would not have been possible without the support from the Parents and Friends committee and the Ministry of Education.
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