APATA – The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association

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Awards > Award Showcase

2024 APATA Performing Arts School of the Year

WINNER: St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace

Drum Roll Please…And a Round of Applause for the 2024 APATA National Awards Winners!

It’s been an amazing start to 2024 reading through incredible award applications, especially hearing from champions in the performing arts community supporting teachers, educators, and students. A common thread across everyone’s story has demonstrated how communities have come together for arts education and rallied behind each other to make a difference, and developed ‘safe spaces’ for students of all ages to learn, grow and harness their talents and passions for the performing arts.

What has truly struck us about the 2024 award applications, is the opportunity provided by teachers in performing arts education to drive and provide a plethora of programs for their students. We’ve loved the opportunity to serve our community and showcase your passion, expertise, remarkable generosity, and achievements.

We’re incredibly proud of our teachers, educators and students continuing to lead performing arts practice and supporting those developing in their craft.

Congratulations to all who entered or were nominated by champions in the community for the Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association (APATA) 2024 National Awards Program. The high calibre of applications, dedication and passion for each and everyone’s vocation was heartfelt and exceptional. The judging committee have commented on several occasions the outstanding applications received this year has been truly inspiring.

Congratulations to our winners, their schools, and communities! We’re very proud to share your story!

Performing Arts School of the Year

St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace Does It Again!

Awarded for the second year running, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace does it again by taking home the Performing Arts School of the Year Award!

St Joseph’s College is deeply committed to enabling their students to explore and discover an extensive range of programs in the performing arts. From music, speech and drama, theatre sports, debating and public speaking through to college productions to the likes of Jazz Night and the school’s annual musical theatre showcase where all students are encourage to ‘Don’t Just Watch, Participate’.

Gregory Terrace celebrates performing arts in all facets of their school culture to enable participation in varied cultural activities to further enhance the development of self-confidence, emotional intelligence, communication, higher order and creative thinking skills, self-discipline and teamwork. Most Terrace students are involved in cultural pursuits within the College, with many taking on a variety of the offerings and gaining from the talented staff and tutors, including industry leaders who specifically come together to give students a specialist education. The Terrace Performing Arts pedagogical approach identifies three elements of learning: enable, grow and transform. It is centred on relational pedagogy within a high engagement, collaborative and feedback orientated environment.

All 325 students in Years 5 and 6 are provided access to experience a band or string instrument within their first two years at the College. This immersion program is designed to inspire students with a musical experience and also enable those yet to commence their musical journey. The musical balance of instruments for this immersion program is intentionally weighted to preference the instruments that are typically absent in sufficient quantities within music programs in Australia. Favouring low brass, double reeds and low strings has allowed more students to continue on these instruments providing a greater future balance.

To support students grow, the College has implemented recording projects. The approach enables a collaboration of students from the choral, band and string departments giving them hands on experience in a professional recording studio. This exposure provides students with a valuable learning experience that goes beyond traditional rehearsals and private instruction. By combining this practical application, collaboration and exposure to new technology, this project significantly enhances critical listening, personal and ensemble growth, and student confidence leading to a very successful performance in front of the wider school community. The College has also diversified their keyboard students with the introduction of a talk box pushing the boundaries of sound education and technology.

Professional development is a consistent approach by the College ensuring that teams of staff are supported to collaborate and discuss initiatives to deliver a modern program. Initiatives supported in the last 12 months have included safe hearing works with education on safe hearing and staff completing safety modules on manual handling and working at heights for musical productions. The percussion program also lead the way with workshops from Dr James Whiting from University of Las Vegas and Dr Gifford Howarth from Bloomsburg University. Through the incorporation of safety modules, professional workshops and collaborations the College has improved teaching outcomes and continue to be innovative.

St Jospeh’s, Gregory Terrace is proud of its strong acceptance of the colleges performing arts pursuits. Like many schools the college participates in athletics days and swimming carnivals, however, at Terrace July sees the annual House Choir night held at Pat Rafter Arena. This night sees all 9 houses compete for the People’s Choice Award and the House Choir Cup as the students sing and dance a 6 minute performance choreographed and taught solely by the students. This night is a unique event that unites all elements of the school community around the
performing arts encompassing 1,700 boys and an audience of over 3,000.

“Students are free to be the best they can be. One person can make a difference, walking together for the common good. We talk the talk and walk the walk, as a servant leader shoving compassion and humility. I am because we are, treating others as I want to be treated.”

– Mr Fred Leone, Yirimi Gundir

These are the touchstones that underpin core values that a Terracian takes into the community. St Joseph’s partnerships to indigenous beginnings are very important to the College and its community. The music department take Acknowledgement of Country further by collaborating with Mr Fred Leone in his original work of Yirimi Gundir where the integration of solo cello and modern pop orchestra in his traditional piece with Fred at the helm singing and leading the indigenous troupe who danced their totems around the solo cellist. This was performed at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre receiving resounding comments from school staff, community parents and our cultural mentors.

Congratulations to the faculty, teaching team and students at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. We are honoured to celebrate with you the 2024 Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association National Award – Performing Arts School of the Year.

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