Performing Arts
The third act: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
As the third act of the Senior School Drama season begins, the lights are once again flickering to life on Aikman stage. Following the poignant brilliance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the vibrant joy of Mamma Mia! the final show of the season promises both magic and emotional depth: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
If Mamma Mia! was a sunlit celebration of friendship and the powerful bond between mothers and daughters, The Cursed Child is its perfect dramatic counterpart — darker in tone but equally rooted in connection. The story continues the legacy of J.K. Rowling’s beloved characters while exploring enduring themes of friendship, legacy and the complexities of father-son relationships.
Rehearsals are now underway, with more than 40 students from four campuses and across four year levels joining forces to bring this epic story to life. Under the guidance of dedicated staff, the cast is embracing the challenge of this ambitious production. With time-turners and deep emotion at its core, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child promises to be a magical finale to a remarkable drama season.
The stage is set — let the final act begin!
Nicole Smith
Head of Drama and Theatre Studies
Music
Concerto Concert 2025: a celebration of talent, dedication and community
Last Thursday evening Aikman Hall came alive with music, emotion and applause as we hosted the 2025 Concerto Concert — an inspiring showcase of exceptional student musicianship.
A large and appreciative audience of over 500 guests filled the venue to celebrate the achievements of eleven remarkable soloists, each of whom earned their place on stage through an audition process held back in mid 2024. Their performances, spanning a range of musical styles and historical periods, reflected not only their technical ability but also their dedication and expressive maturity.
These soloists were accompanied by the School’s finest large ensembles: the Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, String Sinfonia, Chamber Brass and Stage Band. Together, these groups created a vibrant and supportive musical landscape, highlighting the spirit of collaboration that lies at the heart of our music program.
The evening was a true celebration — not only of individual excellence but of the entire school community. Behind every performance stood a network of encouragement: our passionate music staff, school leaders, committed conductors and accompanists, and the families and friends whose support makes this level of achievement possible.
The audience’s response was overwhelming. Warm applause and heartfelt praise reflected the genuine admiration felt throughout the hall. It was clear that this event had resonated deeply with all in attendance.
After the final item concluded, what remained was a sense of pride and unity. The 2025 Concerto Concert was more than an evening of music — it was a powerful reminder of what young people can achieve when talent is nurtured and community stands behind them.
I thank all performers, staff, parents and guests for making this event a resounding success.
We look forward to seeing you all at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday, August 13 to celebrate the wide array of talent within the Haileybury music department.
Rod Marshall
Director of Performing Arts & Head of Haileybury Music
Visual Arts
Senior School Subject Expo
It was a pleasure to meet so many prospective families at this year’s Senior School Subject Expo and to speak with students considering Visual Arts subjects from Years 9 to 12. The enthusiasm for our three subject offerings — Visual Communication Design, Art Making and Exhibiting, and Media — was truly heartening. Our students continue to inspire us with their bold ideas and evolving career goals, and it was wonderful to see that spark of interest igniting through engagement with the displays, sample-folios, interactive activities including the green screen, and monoprinting, as well as talking to the current students who generously donated their time to create for a live audience.
Many conversations at the expo centred on what it is like to undertake a folio subject and how study score scaling works. It is important for families to know that folio-based subjects are highly achievable for students who establish a routine of weekly folio development as part of their broader study habits and regularly develop their theory skills. Like any subject, consistent effort pays off, and when students stay organised and engaged, they flourish. Regarding scaling: the higher a student scores in a subject, the less scaling is applied, which means strong folio and theory work can contribute meaningfully to a student’s ATAR while they are busy exploring their passions.
We also touched on the long-term value of studying a creative subject, regardless of whether a student plans to pursue a related degree. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, employers across industries are looking for creative thinkers — people who can communicate visually, innovate under pressure and approach problems from fresh angles. Taking a VCE arts subject equips students with these sought-after skills and offers them a unique point of difference in a competitive world.
Unit 1 Art Making and Exhibiting excursion
Next up in our excursion series is the Unit 1 Art Making and Exhibiting trip that earlier in the term saw students take to the streets and galleries of Melbourne for an immersive day exploring diverse artistic environments and exhibition methodologies. Beginning in Hosier Lane, students explored the cultural and political role of urban art in the heart of the city. From there, they travelled to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), one of Melbourne’s leading contemporary art venues known for its kunsthalle model — a non-collecting institution focused on commissioning bold, experimental work from living artists.
At ACCA, students experienced Tina Stefanou: You Can’t See Speed, the artist’s first major solo exhibition, which brought together performance, film, sound, sculpture and socially engaged practice in a multisensory, immersive installation. This exposure to expanded contemporary practice powerfully contrasted with the earlier part of the semester, in which students developed technical painting skills and art history knowledge from preliminary drawing through to watercolour, gouache, acrylic and oil painting processes in the still life genre. Stefanou’s radical approach to material, collaboration and exhibition challenged students to think beyond the canvas, broadening their understanding of what contemporary art can be and do.
After lunch, students explored the public art spaces along Southbank, then concluded the day at Blender Studios in West Melbourne. There, they took part in a hands-on workshop with practising street artists, learning freehand spray-painting techniques including consistent linework, large-area colour application, compositional planning and collaborative mural-making.
It was a rich day of inspiration and skill-building, offering students valuable insights into the workings of the arts industry (thanks so much to our partners), while energising their own developing creative practices.
Rachelle Rae
Head of Visual Arts Senior School
Pipes & Drums
On 17 May, the Pipes & Drums travelled to Maryborough to compete in the Victorian Pipe Band Championships.
The combined bands of Haileybury began the day with the morning Street March and, despite the cold and wet conditions, were triumphant — winning first place. This is our first Street March competition victory in many years and to win with all three of our competition bands amalgamated into one band is truly special. Shout out to all the Years 4 and 5 performers, who are forming the next generation of our incredible bands.
All three Haileybury bands also had amazing individual performances at the Victorian Championships, including:
A Band
- Grade 3 – equal 3rd place
- Grade 3 Medley Drumming – 1st place
- Novice A – 2nd place
- Novice A Medley Drumming – 1st place
B Band
- Novice B Marches – 3rd place
- Novice B Medley – equal 3rd place
C Band
- Novice B (Marches) – 5th place
As the Pipe Band competition season comes to an end, the Solo Piping season begins. On 31 May, two of Haileybury’s finest and youngest pipers (Dylan – Year 4 Keysborough and Charlie – Year 4 Brighton) took on the challenge of competing at the Scotch College Solo Piping Competition.
Dylan placed third in the highly technical and challenging ‘Classical Style Piping’ (Piobaireachd) Element. Well done Dylan.
Daniel Staley
Director of Pipes & Drums
