The Arts - MacKillop College Port Macquarie

The Arts

Our Creative Arts faculty offers the opportunity for students to develop their creative ability to be inspired and instructed in a trusting and encouraging atmosphere. Our teaching and learning encourages students to strengthen their practical skills in an artform, immerse themselves in a dynamic creative environment, to think critically about the arts, about history, about contemporary life and to find new ways of tackling creative challenges.

Our passionate and uniquely qualified staff works with students to become intellectual and imaginative learners through personalised attention and rich feedback.

Students participate in a wide range of opportunities for learning and excellence in performance, exhibitions and creativity such as The Shakespeare Festival, The Art Galley of Australia, Mount Gambier Jazz Festival.

Music

Welcome to the Co-curricular Music Program at MacKillop College!

The role of the Co curricular Music Program is not only to provide musical enrichment to students, but to provide a service to the parish and to the community.

Ensembles participate in local eisteddfod’s, community festivals and events, provide music for Mass, attend workshops, perform at college assemblies and participate in band tours and competitions, both nationally and internationally.

Through these experiences we hope to nurture a sense of camaraderie, teamwork, community, cultural and spiritual service and a pure love of making and sharing music with others.

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Our Music Director

Robert Denham has been teaching in schools for over ten years as a classroom teacher, accompanist and music tutor. In this time he has taught music in the classroom from Years 3 through to Year 12 HSC. Robert has nurtured and developed students to reach their potential, helping students to Band 6 HSC results and Encore Nominations. Outside the classroom, Robert has been highly involved in the co-curricular programs across a wide range of schools from different systems. He has worked extensively as an accompanist, conductor, musical director and ensemble director including concert bands, jazz bands, smaller jazz ensembles, vocal ensembles and choirs. He is an advanced Pianist, avid singer, and a competent guitarist with an understanding of brass and woodwind instruments. As a pianist Robert has accompanied students for their HSC examinations, AMEB examinations, a range of community and school choirs, performed in a range of community jazz bands, performed with local musicians around Port Macquarie, accompanied soloist at eisteddfods and has been a répétiteur for the Newcastle Gilbert and Sullivan company. Robert holds an A.Mus A in Piano and an honours degree through Newcastle University in Performance and Musicology.

Robert is the current Co-curricular Music Coordinator at MacKillop College and conducts the concert band, jazz band and stage band. He also teaches classroom music at MacKillop College.

Forms

Performing Ensembles Shirt Order Form

Instrument Rental Form

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Dance

MacKillop College offers students the opportunity to learn the art form of Dance. The exploration of movement allows for physical, creative and academic development of students.

Curricular Dance Elective (Stage 5 & 6)

Dance is an elective subject for Years 9-12 where students have the opportunity to study three fundamental areas. Students develop an understanding of Performance, looking at various dance techniques, safe dance practice and performance quality. Composition allows students to explore the process of self-choreographing a dance 'work', and lastly, Appreciation provides students with the opportunity to reflect on the history of dance, and analysis of dance 'works', by both Australian and International choreographers.

The elective course requires no dance training prerequisite. It caters for students with little to no dance training through to students that may have experience in dance. The course focuses on teaching technical skills from beginners to advanced dancers with the primary focus on the study of dance as an art form.

Students study a variety of genres:

Ballet
Modern/Contemporary
Lyrical
Jazz
Lyrical Jazz
Theatre Jazz
Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop (JFH)

Students are given many opportunities to showcase their work to the wider school community including the following events:

Year 10 Creative Arts Extravaganza
Year 11 Night of Stars
Year 12 Creative Arts Festival
Plus other informal events

Co-Curricular Dance Ensembles

MacKillop College has a strong culture of Co-curricular Dance which encourages students to be creative and experience new things while developing a wide range of dance skills and techniques. The ensembles are open to students from Year 7-12 and cater for beginners through to advanced dancers.

All ensembles require a full 1 year commitment and include a yearly fee.

Performance opportunities for all ensembles include:

Taree and District Eisteddfod
Coffs Harbour and District Eisteddfod
Port Macquarie and District Eisteddfod
Music & Dance Co-Curricular Showcase (matinee & evening)

Students are streamed into one of the following ensembles at the start of each year;

Dance Ensemble 1
Dance Ensemble 2
Dance Company

St Agnes’ Education introduces the Creative Arts Nest

Building upon the wonderful tradition of creative and performing arts, St Agnes’ Education is proud to announce the launch of the Creative Arts Nest.

The Creative Arts Nest is dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and a creative exchange of ideas across St Agnes’ Parish Schools.

Our purpose is to inspire, educate, connect and entertain through our engaging cultural and artistic offerings.

The Nest is committed to enriching our students' education experience by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with our schools, collaborating with local artists and forming connections within the greater community.

More details regarding the St Agnes’ Education, Creative Arts Nest and its programs can be found at www.artsnest.com.au