Throughout Melbourne’s Catholic schools, students embrace a broad range opportunities to develop and share their creative gifts. Here we celebrate three artistic triumphs—in writing, dance and art—which were recently recognised with awards.
St Anne’s literary award winner
Jessica Vuong was really happy, but also surprised, when she was announced the winner of the City of Boroondara’s Young Writers Prose award for her piece, Broken Loyalties.
The Year 5 student at St Anne’s School, Kew East, won first place in the junior category out of 700 entries. One of the judges, Australian literary editor and children’s writer, Davina Bell, said:
Broken Loyalties is an ambitious tale of loyalty and survival, told with graceful confidence. The story of siblings grappling with questions of morality in the face of war is deftly drawn, the prose punchy and compelling. The writer does an extraordinary amount of characterisation and world-building in a short space, and should be commended on the high standard of all aspects of their craft. The ambiguity of the ending is very nicely handled.
One person who was not surprised by Jessica’s win was her teacher, Ryan Kittelty, who said, ‘she’s amazing in everything that she tries’.
In Term 2, the school arranged for a writing workshop with Australian young adult and children’s fiction author, Leanne Hall. A lot of the students were inspired by this workshop to enter the Boroondara Literary Awards, working on their writing at home and also being supported at school.
At St Anne’s School, the teachers use a number of different programs, such as the ‘seven steps to writing’, which breaks the process down into seven main steps. Through programs and opportunities introduced at the school, students like Jessica have been improving and honing their skills, while also becoming engaged in the craft of writing.
Jessica enjoys writing because ‘you can really do anything with it, you can create anything you would like and you can just imagine’.
Mr Kittelty is pleased that Jessica has been recognised in this field:
It’s really nice that we’re seeing these students recognised for their amazing abilities and their passions as well. We’re always celebrating the sporting achievements, but now also the academic achievements and artistic achievements … it’s really wonderful. We really look at the whole child … that whole-rounded aspect of every student in the school, which is really what we try and do here at St Anne’s.
‘The Garden of Life’ wins state award for St Peter Apostle School
At the Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival Awards showcase held at the Clocktower Centre on 12 September 2024, students from St Peter Apostle School, Hoppers Crossing, won the State Award for their performance titled ‘The Garden of Life’.
The school’s Story-Dance is about a young girl who grows up, and the garden that grows with her and shares her emotions. Melbourne-based dancer and choreographer, and Wakakirri ambassador, Christopher Politis, described the performance as ‘a beautifully shown story about the beauty of life!’
Through their performance, the students share their love of nature and highlight how interconnected our wellbeing is with our environment. This is an important reflection as we come to the close of this year’s Season of Creation, celebrating the Feast of St Francis of Assisi whose deep connection to nature has inspired generations.
Wakakirri is designed to promote student engagement and wellbeing in schools, and it has achieved this at St Peter Apostle School. Performing Arts teacher and Story-Dance choreographer, Ashley Joyce, commented: ‘We have been rehearsing this story since Term 1, and the students have been so enthusiastic and dedicated to the performance!’
With over 200 schools taking part in 2024, Wakakirri is Australia’s largest performing arts event for schools. ‘The standard of performance and the stories being told by schools this year was exceptional, and St Peter Apostle School should be very proud of their award’, said Wakakirri Festival Director, Adam Loxley.
The State Award win puts the school in the running for the National Award, which will be announced on 16 October 2024.
Healthy conversations
Brigid Ward’s powerful artwork, Healthy conversations, saw her named one of only five winners in the inaugural National Student Art Competition from R U OK? and awarded the title ‘creative legend’.
The brief for the competition invited students in Years 7 and 8 from across Australia to respond to the question: What does an R U OK? conversation mean to you?
The Iona College Geelong, Charlemont, student used acrylic paint, watercolour, texta and pencil to create her artwork representing her neighbour and herself in an embrace. Brigid said the piece is ‘about connecting and checking in with people in your everyday life, such as school peers, neighbours, family, friends and any communities you’re involved with’.
Brigid Ward’s powerful artwork, Healthy conversations, saw her named one of only five winners in the inaugural National Student Art Competition from R U OK? and awarded the title ‘creative legend’.
The brief for the competition invited students in Years 7 and 8 from across Australia to respond to the question: What does an R U OK? conversation mean to you?
The Iona College Geelong, Charlemont, student used acrylic paint, watercolour, texta and pencil to create her artwork representing her neighbour and herself in an embrace. Brigid said the piece is ‘about connecting and checking in with people in your everyday life, such as school peers, neighbours, family, friends and any communities you’re involved with’.
Banner image: Healthy Conversations (2024) by Brigid Ward. (Photo courtesy of MACS.)
