Arts Awards 2022

1. Rory Tiyavanich, 
2. Luke Muncaster

1. Joyce Ji
2. Alexander McCallum
3. Emilie Geng
4. Gaby Jackson
5. Sarah Steven

2. Yasiru Jayasuriya

3. Breanna Dreadon

4. Kaz Lohrer

1. Rehan Razak
2. Rose Zhao

1. Tom Hannon
2. Alicia O’Connor
3. Hein Durand
4. Anika Nel

Level 1 Art Certificate

1ARDP – photography and design

1ARPP Jennifer Guo

Kaz Lohrer

Bri McIntyre

Vicky Wang

We started off with outdoor performances of The Winter’s Tale which was truly magical and a logistical nightmare.

We also embarked on our annual Drama trip to Wellington. Performing the 15 minute scene for the Shakespeare National festival at the Michael Fowler centre was a highlight.  

We also had numerous class performances with NZ plays and Children’s Theatre by level 1 students, The year 12 production of 12 Angry Men and the year 13 Production of 53rd Victim were a success despite the illnesses along the way.

We finished last term with our annual Junior Shakespeare performances. 

I would like to thank Merran Cash and Claire Brougham for their dedication to the Drama Department and Hillcrest High School. These energetic and passionate teachers contribute to our success.  A big thank you to Elizabeth Pamment and Jordan Baker for their work with the Shakespeare Production and junior Shakespeare club. Both teachers bring to life and share their love for the Bard with so many eager students. 

Amira regularly demonstrates a depth of understanding and maturity beyond her years. She has shown a passion for the arts through her participation in numerous events. Amira is a creative and innovative learner who often generates extra curricular projects for others to be involved in. She even initiated the Creative Collaborators Schoology group for like-minded people. Amira has excelled in Drama this year.  This award is to acknowledge her development, commitment and range of skills in performance.

Ephraim is a highly capable student who has been involved in  Theatresports, and he is a talented level 2 Drama student who has been working diligently in the year 13 drama class due to clashes with Music on the timetable.  Ephraim is highly committed and reliable- he can be counted on to step up and challenge himself and others to do their best. 

She has always demonstrated a passion for The Arts by getting involved and supporting events.  This has allowed her to be a brilliant Arts Captain. Her creativity and her energy onstage is unstoppable.  Emma is also a hard worker who will listen to feedback to hone her performance.  Her dance skills adds a poise to her performances as she has complete control of her movement and body language.  I hope Emma continues to develop her immense talent.

Alisha Mohamed

They say that good things come in small packages. Alisha is definitely a testament to that.  She is a hardworking person who always goes out of her way to help others and her contribution to the drama class and our extra curricular events have been greatly appreciated.  Alisha is highly diligent and she has the ability to work with a wide range of people constructively using her diplomatic leadership abilities.  All these skills have made her an excellent Arts Captain. I have enjoyed seeing her develop into this kind, caring and mature young person. 

Tyler Kemp

Tyler has really stepped it up over the last few years. From someone who was unsure about Drama to someone who has had main roles in Shakespeare and year 12 and 13 Productions. Tyler is also a keen member of the Arts Council and he has been on Wellington drama trips over the last few years. He has certainly matured into a natural performer who has learned to portray characters with depth and understanding in a realistic manner. I hope that Tyler continues to develop his confidence in performance at uni!  

Cara Torr

Cara is a hardworking and diligent drama student who always goes above and beyond during rehearsals. She is always happy to help out and will often play roles for people who are absent. Cara is a strong performer who has shown resilience throughout the year. She has played range of roles over the past few year that she should be proud of her. Her passion for Drama and her support for the Arts has been outstanding. I hope you continue to build on this passion in the future.

Riley Davidson

Riley is a quiet a capable person who has incredible work ethic. He often helps others and is happy to be part of a larger ensemble. He shines as a comedic character through his impeccable timing and unique use of voice. We were amazed at how quickly Riley learnt lines for the Shakespeare Production this year to fill in for Aspen who was ill. Not only did he learn all the lines but he also embodied the character. I hope Riley continues to develop his awesome talents in the future.

Tylah-Dawnn is an immensely talented person whose natural characterisation and maturity on stage adds depth to the performance. They are able to convey the emotions of the dialogue effortlessly and with conviction. Tylah-Dawnn is a helpful person who does not shy away from hard work. This was evident in their almost too real and unnerving performance as Rachel in the 53rd Victim. She managed to portray the numerous facets of a complicated and damaged character effectively on stage.

Tylah-Dawnn is highly self motivated and has an excellent work ethic. They have been involved in regional Shakespeare, Shakespeare productions.  They played integral roles for last Year’s 12 production, Revenge of the Amazons. Tylah-Dawnn’s passion and enthusiasm for all things Art is abundant. I wish Tylah-Dawnn all the best for their future endeavours. 

Lachlan has surprised us all this year with his mature and compelling portrayal of Leontes for Winter’s Tale. He is eager to engage the audience by drawing them into his performance. It is hard to believe that he is only in year 12 with the incredible amount he has accomplished this year. He performed for the regional and national Shakespeare Festival. He had a main role in the 54rd Victim. Lachlan is also a member of the hilarious and highly talented senior theatresports team.  I have been impressed by Lachlan’s work ethic, organisation skills and his focus during rehearsals. His incredible work ethic and commitment to character means that every performance has been outstanding. Lachlan’s numerous talents and his ability to develop and hone his skills make him the perfect candidate for the all round excellence Drama Cup.

Zoe is an enthralling performer who has always demonstrated a depth of understanding about her character’s motivation through her controlled and purposeful use of tone, facial expressions and body language.  Zoe’s ability to empathise, analyse and critique at a high level adds a maturity to her performances that are beyond her years. This was evident in her convincing and breath-taking performance as Rachel in 53rd Victim this year. Zoe uses her kind and caring manner to inspire her peers.  It is her ability for effective leadership and her strong work ethic that has meant I can trust her to work under pressure while maintaining positive relationships.  She works tirelessly in rehearsals to perfect her performances and hone her skills.  Zoe is always willing to listen to feedback to explore her characterizations.  I have no doubt that she has an exciting and creative future ahead.