Year 12 CAPA Excursion

Our Year 12 Drama, Dance and Visual Arts students travelled to Sydney early in Term 1 for an inspiring and purposeful Creative Arts immersion. Across four full days, they engaged with outstanding HSC works from across NSW, gaining insight into the level of creativity, discipline and commitment required in their final year.

For our Drama students, attending OnSTAGE at the Seymour Centre was a powerful experience. Watching exemplary Individual and Group Performances live allowed them to see what sustained characterisation, vocal control and confident stagecraft look like at the highest level. The learning extended beyond the auditorium. At Belvoir Street Theatre, students participated in a Performance Monologue workshop led by industry actors and directors, working directly on their chosen HSC monologues in a professional rehearsal space. They also explored Neighbourhood Watch in a practical workshop with a current director, working upstairs on the theatre stage itself, an invaluable opportunity to test ideas where professional productions are realised. A collaborative Group Devised workshop at the Seymour Centre challenged students to create new work alongside peers from another school, strengthening their ensemble skills and creative confidence.

Our Dance students immersed themselves in a full-day CALLBACK workshop, focusing on performance, composition and appreciation. The depth of insight into what distinguishes strong HSC work was exceptional. A question-and-answer session with 2025 students selected for CALLBACK offered practical advice and reassurance from those who have recently navigated the process. Classes at Sydney Dance Company in both ballet and contemporary pushed students technically and artistically, and it was a joy to share the studio space alongside them. The CALLBACK performances themselves were both moving and motivating, demonstrating the power of technical precision combined with authentic artistic voice.

As with any travel experience, there were a few unexpected moments,  including an eventful bus trip home,  yet our PLCA girls demonstrated resilience, maturity and good humour throughout. It was a pleasure to accompany such engaged, thoughtful young women. I was also delighted to be joined by Mrs Kylie Alcorn, whose support of our Drama and Dance students across the week was invaluable.

Experiences such as this do more than inspire; they clarify what is possible. Our students return not only energised, but focused — with a deeper understanding of excellence and a renewed determination to pursue it in their own creative practice.

On Tuesday morning, we made our way to the National Art School for a five-hour intensive drawing workshop. It was an incredible opportunity to step into a real art school environment and experience what tertiary art study can feel like.

The workshop was led by one of the university lecturers, who challenged us to rethink the way we approach drawing. Throughout the day, we engaged in a series of observational drawing activities that pushed us well beyond our comfort zones. We experimented with charcoal and ink, created progressive drawings that evolved over time, and even attempted drawings using our non-dominant hand, which was both frustrating and freeing at the same time.

One of the most memorable activities involved working with a partner. We were asked to draw together using a shared long stick, meaning communication and collaboration were essential. It forced us to let go of control and truly respond to one another’s movements. It wasn’t about producing a “perfect” artwork, but about process, trust, and connection, all vital aspects of artmaking.

On Wednesday, we visited the Art Gallery of NSW where we explored three exhibitions.

The first was Dangerously Modern, the first major exhibition to focus on the vital role of Australian female artists in Europe from 1890 to 1940. The exhibition reclaims the place of these pivotal women, recognising their significant contributions to the development of European art during a time when their work was often overlooked. It was inspiring to see how these artists challenged expectations, travelled internationally, and forged successful careers despite social and cultural barriers.

We also had the privilege of seeing Encounter by Ron Mueck. His hyperrealistic sculptures were astonishing up close. The scale, detail, and texture of each figure felt almost unsettling, you could see every crease in the skin, every hair, every subtle expression. The exhibition encourages audiences to connect with the works through deeply physical and emotional encounters, and standing face-to-face with the sculptures truly was a powerful experience.

Last, but certainly not least, visiting ARTEXPRESS was an absolute highlight of the trip. ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition that features a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the artmaking component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts in NSW. To see work created by students only a year or two older than us displayed in a professional gallery space was both motivating and humbling.

Most inspiring of all was seeing our very own Daisy Donaldson’s Body of Work hanging proudly in the gallery. Witnessing someone from our own school community achieve that level of recognition made the experience even more meaningful. It reminded us that with dedication, courage, and creative risk-taking, our own ideas can reach far beyond the classroom walls.

This excursion reminded us that art is not just about creating finished works for assessment. It’s about experimentation, collaboration, history, and connection, with materials, with ideas, and with audiences.

Experiences like these help shape our own Body of Work journeys, inspiring us to take creative risks and think more critically about the world around us.

Navita Maher - 2026 Creative Arts Prefect