With the theme for the camp being ‘The Seasons’ it seemed that winter was the dominant force as it was cold indeed at Midginbil Hill! There were jumpers and beanies galore while we composed, devised and created for the three days of camp.
In week 10 of last term, our excited and talented Aspire students across Drama, Music and Visual Art hopped on a bus bound for camp, stopping first at the Tweed Valley Regional Art Gallery. After being wowed and mesmerised by the artworks on display we headed for a camp full of inspiration and ideas.
After a delicious dinner, a massive brainstorming session allowed us to get our ideas together and on paper ready to workshop the next day. Lulled off to sleep by the dulcet tones of the violin and trumpet by Miss Mathison and Mrs Terhorst, the students drifted off to sleep dreaming of the different seasons and how they could be brought to life on stage.
On Thursday, Kate from The Farm came to run some devising workshops giving ideas and methods to devise all aspects of a production and create movement to go with each season. Mr Berrell and Ms Murtagh helped to shape the movement for each season.
Our phenomenally talented musicians composed music with Miss Mathison to complement each season having not seen the actual movement at that point. With an unusual arrangement of instruments, our brass, strings, woodwinds and percussionists created beautiful melodies far beyond our expectations.
Our visual arts students worked tirelessly with Mrs Breeden using their knowledge of colours and painting techniques to create a backdrop which beautifully showed the Australian year throughout the seasons. As well as painting and sketching, the arties cut, glued and sewed items for costumes for our actors for the performance.
On the last day of camp it was time to bring our items together. Each of the seasons performed one after the other creating a year overall combining movement, music and artwork. The production culminated in a performance on the Junior Secondary Pillar Assembly today.
