Arts News Term 4, Week 8

SMC Tech Team – Growing Skilled Leaders From Year 6 to Year 13

At St Margaret’s College, our Technical Operations Team plays a vital role in bringing school events to life. Overseen by Steve Fowler, the team consists of dedicated student technicians from Year 6 through to Year 13, with three students representing each year level. This long-term structure ensures that our youngest technicians are mentored, trained, and supported as they progress into highly capable senior leaders.

At the top of the team is our Head of Tech, Madeleine Coughlan, who meets weekly with Steve to plan upcoming events, manage schedules, and coordinate the many tasks involved in running AV smoothly across the school. Maddie oversees rostering for the various tech groups and also supervises the younger teams, ensuring they receive strong guidance and positive leadership. She has taken a particular lead in training our Year 6 Media Leaders—students selected by Junior School management for their enthusiasm and aptitude in technology.

What We Do

Our tech teams are responsible for the full technical operation of many school events, including:

Chapels and Assemblies – setting up and running the audio console, microphones, projectors, lighting, and digital presentations. Students also manage video playback and any required audio cues.

Major College Events – such as the Dance Showcase, Twilight Concert, Orchestral Extravaganza, and other productions requiring advanced lighting, audio, and stage management.

Live Performances – when bands or instrumental groups perform at assemblies or chapels, our senior tech students take on the additional responsibility of managing multi-mic setups, monitoring mixes, and operating more complex systems.

Community and External Events – including the Family Picnic, Arts Avenue Festival, and other occasions that require DJ setups, portable staging, band rigs, and a wide range of AV elements.

Through this programme, students gain hands-on experience in sound, lighting, video, teamwork, leadership, and event management. Most importantly, they contribute meaningfully to the life of our school, ensuring that every event is professional, polished, and well supported.

Alicia An and Charlie Halliday (pictured) received a dedication award to the Tech team at the recent Middle School Arts Awards Assembly.

We sincerely thank Steve and the tech team for their ongoing support and expertise. The many events could not happen without their input.

MUSIC

This year, over 180 students have learned instruments at school: flute, clarinet, guitar, drums, singing, piano, french horn, saxophone, trumpet, violin, cello, harp and double bass, employing numerous itinerant teachers.

We celebrated some of their talents at the Itinerant Music Concert in the CLA this week. This gave some of the students the chance to try out new pieces, perform in front of an audience and hone their skills. We were treated to all different styles of music by students from Year 4 to 13. Some of the Year 4 students were performing for the first time and did exceptionally well. 

We look forward to celebrating more students next year.

DRAMA

The Junior School performed their devised play, The Missing Scrolls, last week, to a supportive audience. This was devised by the students under the guidance of Annette Searle, who shaped a play based on the Junior School RED philosophy, Kiwi ingenuity and number 8 wire!

Each class performed their unique scene, adopting various characters including campers, native birds, and penguins. We experienced a lost Hairy McClary popping up from time to time, jandals, rubber rings and a large pavlova.

Students from Year 3 reflected on their experience:

What did you enjoy most about the play?

We really enjoyed saying lines, and we got to show our families. Everyone had a good time being in the play. 

What was your role?

We were native birds in the forest, and we had to show how birds move.

What did you learn?

We learnt that being onstage is not so scary. We learned about different types of birds and how to act like them. 

Was there anything you found difficult?

It was difficult at first to be infront of a whole lot of people. When someone bumped into the tree, it was difficult not to react.

How did it feel when you were performing it in front of an audience?

It felt scary and different. We were excited and nervous at the same time. It was nice because we could show people how good we are.

Has it inspired you to do more acting?

Definitely, we can’t wait to do more!

From one Production to another…

We have had a plethora of Productions this year - Senior school performed The Ash Girl, Middle School showcased A Story of Rona and the Junior school devised and performed The Missing Scrolls. 

Next year will be a much larger offering from the Senior school, which will combine with Christ’s College for Les Misérables. Auditions have now taken place, and the cast has been announced. Everyone is super excited for the May performances at Christ’s College.

Theatresports Competition

The Court Theatre runs Theatresports™ in Schools, Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest-running youth Theatresports™ competition. With hundreds of students participating each year from all over Te Waipounamu South Island, this programme builds confidence, creativity, and teamwork while celebrating the joy of improvisation.

School teams of up to six perform scenes and games based on audience suggestions, scored by a judging panel of The Court Jesters. Teams who progress through the heats compete in their local regional final, with the winners of each region coming together for a Te Waipounamu South Island grand finale hosted at The Court Theatre.

Two teams competed at the Court Theatre last Saturday:

Team 1: Libby Foulds, Alexandra Smith, Annika Gale and Sophie McGuire 

Team 2: Evelyn McCormick, Charlie Rose Powell, Cece Acland

The theatresports girls did a great job at the competition and provided lots of entertaining games.  Neither team passed onto the next round, but Mrs Jack was very proud of them.  The judges had been ‘blown away’ by the junior competition and felt that lots of the teams were superior to those in the senior competition. High praise indeed!

MIDDLE SCHOOL ARTS COMMITTEE

The Arts Committee has been getting creative with the Juniors, sharing some Christmas fun. Last week we welcomed around 30 Year 0-3 into the space to make Christmas craft - colouring in, gluing, cutting, sticking and being creative took place in the Black Box. Girls created Christmas trees, mini Santas, Rudolphs and cards. There were some happy girls at the end of the session, which was repeated with Year 4-6 this week. Look out for the Christmas craft making its way home!

The Middle School Arts Committee, made up of 18 students from Yr8-10, will end their year with a dance and sing-along for the Juniors.  

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Navigate-Discover-Remember through Geo-caching

Year 6 girls uncovered SMC's history through a geo-caching treasure hunt. Using maps and coordinates, we explored our campus to find our school's taonga (historical treasures). This activity was inspired by secret codes and messages found in various cultures, from Māori carvings and Moko to Da Vinci's cyphers and hidden picture-book messages. We then applied this concept using iPad Pencils and School Sketches to craft our own Tāonga design. We then created QR codes linked to our movie clips, sharing map coordinates and historical information to reveal our school's special history.

CELEBRATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

The Performing Arts keep on giving! 

The SMC orchestra will be accompanying next week’s Carol Services held in the CLA at 5pm and 7pm. They have been busy rehearsing. We look forward to hearing everyone in fine voice and Christmas spirit. Kapa Haka will be participating in the Senior Prizegiving at the Town Hall to wrap up their year. Please come and support both events.

Two SMC students win Gold! 

Jody Ye has not only been named a 2025 NZ Speech & Drama Ambassador, but has also received the Gold Award in her age category, the highest honour in this year’s awards.

This recognition reflects outstanding achievements in the performing arts and exceptional involvement in extracurricular and community activities. Speech and Drama NZ stated that her dedication, creativity, and leadership truly set Jody apart.

As a Gold Award recipient, she represents all-around excellence as a student whose work, spirit, and contribution embody what speech and drama can achieve.

As an Ambassador, she is invited to share feedback and ideas on how the organisation can continue to strengthen and promote speech and drama in New Zealand and beyond. As one of our Gold Awardees, Jody’s insights will be especially valuable in helping shape the future of the awards.

This is an exceptional achievement. Speech and Drama NZ said they were proud to have Jody as part of the 2025 Ambassador cohort and as one of our top awardees this year.

SMC is also proud of Jody’s outstanding achievements.

Divya Pereira Gold award - The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

Divya participated in this year’s competition and was awarded gold. The competition attracted a record-breaking 53,434 entries from across the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth - a massive 53% increase from 2024. She was thanked for sharing her, “profound innovations and ideas with the Commonwealth family. We encourage you to continue expressing your ideas through writing and harnessing the power that your voice holds within your immediate and global community”.  

Congratulations to both Jody and Divya.

Rose Griffiths - Selected for International Ballet Programmes

Rose has been accepted into not just one, but two prestigious International Ballet Programmes for 2026. The first is the Academy of Queensland Ballet's Guest Academy Programme, for talented and elite students who are passionate about pursuing a career in dance. Entry is by audition only. Rose has been accepted into the second-highest level of the programme. Students accepted into the programme receive exceptional training within the world-class Queensland Ballet Academy, home of the Queensland Ballet Company. Students are given training in classical ballet, contemporary dance, body conditioning, technique, repertoire, historical dance and well being sessions. Students also get to attend company rehearsals. Assessment is continuous throughout the year, and if good progress is made, Rose will be invited to return at the top level in 2027.

Rose has also been accepted into the Professional Division Summer Intensive Programme in Alberta, Canada. Selection into this programme is also by audition only and the programme attracts students from all over the world. The programme offers aspiring dancers with elite technical and artistic training to develop their skills, artistry and strength further. The Programme requires dedication and commitment as students dance 30 hours each week, training in classical ballet, pointe work, Pas de Deux, repertoire, variations, contemporary dance, character dance and body conditioning.

Speech and Drama Results

Emerson Monk Grade 4 - Honours

Iya Gear Grade 4 - Honours Plus

Miu Miu Young Grade 4 - Honours

Jiayu Huang Grade 6 Module 1- Honours

OPPORTUNITIES

Arts Champions 2026 – Call for Expressions of Interest

The Isaac Theatre Royal is thrilled to open expressions of interest for the 2026 Arts Champions programme! Our inaugural 2025 Arts Champions have had an incredible year—attending a wide range of performances, including La Bohème (NZ Opera), Come From Away and Blood Brothers (Showbiz), Home, Land and Sea (RNZB), In Other Words, and Hagley Theatre School’s devised performances. They’ve also taken part in workshops on audition techniques, ballet, and contemporary dance, and enjoyed opportunities with The Court Theatre and Te Wā Creative Space.

Are you interested in becoming an Arts Champion? The group meets roughly once a month to attend shows, take part in workshops, and connect with industry professionals. We understand students have other commitments, so the programme is designed to be flexible. 

Luminaires Summer Theatre Camp! (Ages 10-15)

Auditions Nov 29 &30 | Rehearsals Dec 7 & 14 | Camp Dates 12-17 January

Successful participants stay at a local camp venue for a week in which they will sing, dance, act, make props, create costumes, design makeup and more. 

Culminating in public performances of ZOOM! By Craig Hawes

For more information and to sign up

https://forms.gle/nx1BECRDswoWPSPM7 

general@luminairescharitabletrust.org

Hagley Theatre School proudly presents The Odyssey, the 2025 graduating student project of the One-Year Acting Training Course — a bold, contemporary reimagining of Homer’s epic under the direction of Dr Pedro Ilgenfritz. 

Blending tragic chorus, mask, puppetry, bouffon, comedy, music and storytelling, this production marks the culmination of an intense year of artistic growth. Every aspect - from performance and design to marketing and production - is student-led, making The Odyssey both a creative achievement and a living expression of the school’s training philosophy: learning through making, exploring, and performing. 

At its heart lies the timeless journey of Odysseus - a story of courage, longing and transformation. For these emerging artists, The Odyssey becomes more than myth; it becomes a mirror of their own voyage - navigating uncertainty, facing challenges, and discovering who they are as theatre-makers in Aotearoa today. 

Join us for an evening of theatre that celebrates imagination, resilience, and collaboration — and witness the next generation of New Zealand actors and theatre-makers step boldly into their craft. 

Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-odyssey-hts

Looking for a unique place to study theatre and launch your career in the performing arts? Hagley Theatre School offers world-class training in Ōtautahi Christchurch. 

Relaunched in 2025 with a revitalised curriculum, HTS provides immersive, embodied, and transformative training through two programmes: the

One-Year Acting Training and the Six-Month Theatre Creation courses. 

Our teaching - on par with tertiary drama schools - develops actors and theatre makers through a laboratory-style approach, exploring Stanislavski’s method of physical actions, Jacques Lecoq’s poetic body, and popular theatre forms including mask technique, Commedia dell’Arte, clown, bouffon, melodrama, tragedy, street theatre, improvisation, dramatic acrobatics and kapa haka. 

Experience the unique opportunity to study acting and theatre creation in a theatre school with a point of difference. 

Extended Audition Day for the 2026 intake: 6 December. 

Find out more: www.hagleytheatreschool.nz 

Apply Now: www.hagley.school.nz/senior-college-enrolment-26/ 

Contact: Pedro.ilgenfritz@staff.hagley.school.nz 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Junior School Christmas dance/singalong (MDS Arts Committee) - 27 November

SMC Carol Services - 1 December 

Senior Prizegiving - 2 December