An experience of the Arts for Year 9 Students

On Monday July 25th, 162 Year 9 students accompanied by 11 staff members departed Wangaratta well before ‘the fiery steeds of Helios had kissed the tree tops good day’ to travel to Melbourne to take part in the Arts Connect Program for 2011. This program is funded by the Victorian Government and is intended to give country students access to exciting arts experiences without the burden of prohibitive costs.

The first activity that students were involved in was a concert featuring several very talented and passionate Indigenous performers. Galen students who were part of an audience of 500 country Victorian students were treated to some great music with haunting and moving lyrics through which the performers told of their experiences as Indigenous Australians.

Following the concert we lunched in the South Bank Food Court and then attended a reflective and contemplative workshop related to art works on display in the National Gallery. Amongst the famous works on display Galen students were most fascinated by the works of Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts, both artists from the era of the Heidelburg School of Australian Impressionism.

Special thanks are extended to Mrs Julie Nolan for her organisation and Paul Walker,  Bernadette Albertson, Wendy Chuck, Keith Willett, James Bourke, Geoff Welch, Kirsty Watson, Kate Howard, Darren Hovey and Betty Holdsworth for attending.