During the holiday break 41 students set off to Melbourne for a performing arts tour with the team from CAPTIVATE, for an experience they will never forget
41 talented students packed their bags and set off for a performing arts tour to Geelong and Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne recently.
CAPTIVATE, the Creative & Performing Arts unit of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, runs an annual immersion program for leading students in music, dance and drama. This six day program is a collaboration across the three disciplines culminating in a performance at the end of the week. In 2018 students from 21 schools participated in the program.
CAPTIVATE Immersion students were invited to take their performance Gabriel’s Travels on a debut tour to Melbourne following a successful tour of Bathurst earlier this year.
Gabriel’s Travels is an original piece written by CAPTIVATE drama teacher, Lucinda Armour and covers the topical subject of electronic device usage among youth today.
It explores the importance of staying engaged in the real world when it is so tempting to live online!
CAPTIVATE Immersion students were invited to take their performance Gabriel’s Travels on a debut tour to Melbourne following a successful tour of Bathurst earlier this year
“It is about a young girl, Gabriel, who is attached to her electronic device and will not part with it despite her Aunty Agnes having other plans,’’ Mrs Armour said. “Gabriel then has to navigate herself through the remote corners of the online world, travelling through Instaworld, Twittersphere, Youtubeatory, Rocket-Man-A-Topia and No Man's Land. This leads her to question what she sees.”
CEDP Executive Director Greg Whitby, who travelled to Melbourne to see the show, said this is an outstanding example of collaboration between students and teachers. A high standard production that enthralled the audience from start to finish.
Playing the lead character, Gabriel, is Nagle College Year 9 student Hannah Witteveen. She describes her character as someone who is addicted to her phone and it is not until her aunt transports her into different social media worlds does she realise how much this device rules her life.
Joining her were dancers Rita El-Ghossein of St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty Hill and Georgia Carter of St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood who, with their dance crew, add a bit of hip hop to the production which is a main feature during the Youtubeatory scene.
Mr Whitby finished by saying “This piece of work speaks to the concerns of life in the digital world. It is real and requires the cast to internalize the complex issues. It’s a powerful lesson for teachers to stretch students and watch them deliver. It was a fun piece of work with a powerful message,’’ he said.
CEDP Executive Director Greg Whitby who travelled to Melbourne to see the show said it was a high standard production that enthralled the audience from start to finish
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CAPTIVATE is the creative and performing arts program for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta.Learn more about CAPTIVATE |