Arts News
Tēnā koutou katoa
Samantha Wood Rawnsley connecting in as Arts Coordinator for 2021. I am excited to hold this space that supports and celebrates the rich learning happening in the Arts at Western Springs College Ngā Puna o Waiōrea. To this role I would bring an unwavering dedication to Arts in Education.
Term One is well and truly underway and has already provided our kaiako and ākonga with many creative challenges to explore. This year brings with it new kaiako to welcome, new ākonga to share in learning exchanges and new creative adventures to pursue.
Arts Committee – Are you interested in the the Arts and keen to work with our awesome 2021 Arts Leaders to support Arts events this year? Keep your eyes on the daily notices for signups to this exciting committee. Watch this space for events later this term to meet the leaders and sign up to work with us.
Thanks to Nina G Photography for the ArtsNews Heading photograph.
Arts Leaders Welcome!
Please welcome these innovative and passionate Arts Leaders for 2021 – Te Kapua Te Maapi Pene, Isobele Christie and Rafael Hosking,
TK: Kia ora, TK here. A little bit about me, I have a passion for the arts, in particular, Music, Drama and fashion, however, my experience in music with my band Park Rd is what mostly drives me. I also had a pretty mean experience on the kapa haka stage when we performed at Polyfest in 2019, another experience that drives me. At Leadership camp I really enjoyed meeting all of the other leaders, especially the ones whom I may have never met at school otherwise. The inflatable bubble ball game activity was pretty mean too, if you can one day, you should try it. To any students out there who also have a passion for the arts like myself, come and see us and say hi! Especially if you have any drumming questions/interest, this is the instrument I like the most. And keep an ear out for any events that might happen this year!
Izzy: Hi, I’m Izzy, your 2021 Arts Leader. I’m really passionate about the Arts, specifically Music and Drama. This year I’m going to work hard along with Raf and Te Kapua to create an environment that nurtures, encourages and celebrates the arts. If any students want to come up and talk to me about any arts related things they are welcome to, I am very friendly:)
Raf: Kia Ora, I’m Raf and I am one of the Arts leaders alongside Izzy and Te Kapua this year. My favourite form of art is music – I love going to gigs and live performances as well as composing and playing music of my own. This year, the arts leaders hope to introduce some new arts events, including a senior arts festival, with the primary aim of making performance and exhibition opportunities as accessible as possible. We look forward to meeting and working with the many arts students at WSCW and hopefully working with them to create their ideal creative experience at Springs.
Tēnā koutou katoa,
It’s been a rocky start to the year with two short-term lock downs. We urge you to encourage your sons and daughters to continue working, rehearsing lines, analysing their scripts and attending classes during lock down as the time is invaluable. We have a large group of students keen on tackling scenes from Shakespeare’s canon for the annual Shakespeare Globe Centre of New Zealand Festival. We have students from all levels and they are busy rehearsing for the Auckland West Regional Festival, which takes place on Sunday 11th April at Kristin School. This will be an all-day event with the scenes picked to represent Auckland West at the National Festival being announced that evening. Please come and support our students. They’d love to have you there and it’s a great celebration of not just Shakespeare, but of the endeavours of our talented young performers.
Ngā mihi
Robert Pollock – HOD Drama
Welcome
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Thea Doyle as the third member of the music department teaching
staff. Thea is excited to join us and keen to get working with the junior classes she will be taking. Thea comes
to us with a background in Jazz performance.
Music lessons
Instrumental lessons are now underway but there are still a few places available.
Calling for students keen to learn TRUMPET or TROMBONE…we have free lessons available and instruments for
you to use. Get in contact with Margaret Robertson or Daniel Barrett for more information.
We are also keen to hear of anyone wanting to learn cello, clarinet, flute or saxophone.
Jazz band and Chamber group
Calling all players! Everyone is welcome, juniors and seniors.
Come and introduce yourselves. we really want to meet you if you play violin,
viola, cello, clarinet, double bass, saxophone, trumpet, flute, jazz guitar, jazz drums, bass guitar.
Many of our players last year were yr 13 so we are looking to build these groups up again.
Looking forward to meeting more fabulous young musicians.
Noho ora mai
Margaret Robertson – HOD Music
It is always a pleasure to welcome new junior movers into our dance space. This year we have already been impressed by the approach to learning they have shown. The classes are filled with openness, curiosity and a good sense of light hearted fun. Keep this up junior dancers and watch this space for a chance to see these awesome movers in action!
Our seniors are working quickly to develop understanding of their new NCEA learning for 2021. Both the year 11s and year 13s have started the year with choreography using stimulus relating to whakataukī and kowhaiwhai patterns. Later this term this crew will work with guest tutor Richie Cesan to learn and perform a new hip hop dance as part of their NCEA assessments.
The year 12s have begun the year working on two contrasting performance piece. A piece of Flamenco lead by Chloe Davison and a Theatre dance exploring the quote “ you can’t direct the wind but you can adjust the sails” lead by Samantha Wood Rawnsley and guest tutor Anitra Hayday.
Antira Hayday works as a professional dancer and dance educator here in New Zealand and internationally. She has been part of the professional dance team for the World of Wearable Arts in Wellington, she has danced in and assisted in choreography for Bollywood films in India, back up danced for Hollywood Stars and performed in many live shows across the globe.
In this time of change Art continues to be an important space for developing understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Kia pai tō rā whakatā
Samantha Wood Rawnsley – Assistant HOD Dance
Greetings from Rangitoto
Beginning 2021 we celebrated the incredible work of all our Y13 leavers and outstanding scholars Art for their efforts with External Assessment. Congratulations goes to Jamie Heathcote and Caspian Rive who were rewarded for their exceptional work in Art Design and Art Photography with an NZQA Scholarship. To add to this, Jamie Heathcote’s Illustrative Design Portfolio has been selected to tour around New Zealand in the NZQA TopArt Folio Exhibition alongside the illustrative work of Stella Fogorelli.
TopArt – Illustrative Art Design by Jamie Heathcote and Stella Fogorelli
We’d also like to acknowledge the effort of students getting going in Art this year as ‘learning with lockdown’ definitely can be a challenge. The junior classes have been actively involved in online classes with Y9 turning in fantastic plans for their first pattern-based sgrafitto works whilst Y10 have simplified and stylized photographs for illustrative portraits influenced by Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein. Meanwhile, in the senior school students are all engaged in learning skills and conventions for Drawing standards in Art Painting, Design and Photography with Art History involved in responding to work and analysis.
We’re encouraging Y13 students to get involved with Level 3 Scholarship and have been impressed with interest so far. If students missed out given the challenges of recent weeks we encourage them to see the Y13 Academic Director and Teacher in Charge to advise and assist them in their choices.
Finally, a friendly fee reminder to parents and guardians about the payment of Art and Art History fees for Y10-13. Our ability to provide relevant EOTC opportunities, the appropriate technical and specialised resources for the year is dependent on your continued support.
Kirsty Britton – Assistant HOD Art
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