‘You don’t need me to tell you that the arts sector suffered terribly during COVID … the arts are not a luxury. The arts are central to our very being.
'Whether it’s our stories being told, or our music being played, or our world being interpreted through paint, dance, textile, stone or clay, we cannot separate ourselves from the arts. The arts are central to our culture and it is through the arts that we build our identity as a nation and a people. The arts contain, nurture and protect our very sense of self.’
– Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
These words, spoken at the Woodford Music Festival, reflect the beliefs and philosophies of the Performing Arts department at Carey. In this, our centenary year, we once again look forward to telling our stories through music and drama, and nurturing the Carey identity through growth, care and respect.
And the stories are already there to be told. We celebrated Year 8 drummer James, who played the kit with American band The Killers in front of 20,000 people, achieved by simply holding up a sign asking to play with them. We congratulate our 2022 graduates, including Abby Dickson who gained a place at WAAPA; Ivy Ingles and Ella Nixon who have started at Showfit; Jamie Holmes, our 2022 Dux, for his place in the Jazz Course at the VCA; and Alessio Russo who represented Carey on tuba as a Top Class Act for the VCAA Season of Excellence. We anticipate the sharing of The Addams Family as rehearsals continue after the weeklong holiday intensive. And we admire the commitment of our choral and brass students who, by Week 3, will already be performing at official events despite the short lead up.
We are pleased this year to welcome the following new staff to the department:
Alister Barker: Cello
George Vi: Violin
Luke Andresen: Percussion
Vanessa George: Clarinet
Sue Wedding: Trumpet
Isabelle Roberts: Classroom music
Ensemble rehearsals across all sections are underway and it has been wonderful to see the students arriving early in the morning and staying late in the afternoon to engage with these groups. But without question, what we are really looking forward to is the morning of Thursday 9 March, when our Year 7 beginner mandolin, wind band and string players arrive for their very first rehearsal after only five lessons on their instruments – it is a little crazy but the best fun.
Looking forward to a wonderful year of Performing Arts activities and sharing our performances with the Carey community.
Sally Davis
Head of Performing Arts
