Performing Arts
Senior School play rehearsals underway: Peter and the Starcatcher
Rehearsals have officially begun for this year’s Senior School play, Peter and the Starcatcher. It is a truly fabulous and inventive production that reimagines the original story of 'Peter Pan'. Bursting with imagination and theatrical ingenuity, this play promises audiences an unforgettable journey filled with deliciously villainous pirates, inventive puppetry, dynamic physical theatre and much more.
Set to take the stage in Aikman Hall in Term 3, this exciting production is one the whole family can enjoy. With a large and enthusiastic ensemble cast and crew of approximately 50 students drawn from Years 9–12 across each campus, the production is already taking impressive shape.
From the very first week of rehearsals, the energy and commitment of the cast have been evident. The ensemble has already begun singing in rich four-part harmony, bringing the rhythmic vitality of sea shanties vividly to life. The sound of voices blending has set a strong foundation for what promises to be a vibrant and cohesive performance.
Earlier this year, Haileybury had the privilege of working with renowned London-based physical theatre company Frantic Assembly. It has been wonderful to see students now putting those workshop experiences into practice in rehearsals, experimenting with innovative lifts, expressive choreography and bold physical storytelling techniques that elevate the production’s visual impact.
With such a strong start and a dedicated team both on and off the stage, Peter and the Starcatcher is shaping up to be a highlight of the School’s performing arts calendar. We look forward to welcoming audiences in Term 3 for an evening of adventure, creativity and theatrical magic.
Nicole Smith
Head of Drama and Theatre Studies
Music
Middle School music concert series: celebrating growth, courage and community
Over the coming fortnight, Haileybury’s Middle School Music Department will proudly present a series of four concerts across our campuses at Edrington, Castlefield, City and Newlands. These special evenings provide an opportunity for our young and emerging musicians to share their talents with family, friends and the broader School community, often performing before audiences of more than 450 people and, for many students, taking to the stage in a formal concert setting for the very first time.
Before each concert begins, families are invited to enjoy light refreshments while being entertained by Middle School Jazz Combos. These performances create a welcoming atmosphere and showcase the diversity of musical opportunities available within the Middle School program.
The journey to the concert stage is built upon dedication, perseverance and teamwork. Students have committed themselves to weekly private lessons and ensemble rehearsals, investing countless hours in developing their musical skills. Along the way, they have demonstrated remarkable courage, supporting one another with generosity, collegiality and goodwill as they prepare for these performances.
Research continues to demonstrate the significant benefits of music education. The development of musical intelligence is closely linked to broader academic growth, helping students strengthen their concentration, memory, discipline, creativity and capacity for collaboration. Music provides young people with opportunities to challenge themselves, build confidence and develop skills that extend well beyond the rehearsal room.
As a department, it is one of the greatest privileges for our music staff to witness students flourish both musically and academically throughout their Middle School years. These concerts are a celebration not only of performance, but also of the commitment, resilience and community spirit that underpin every student’s musical journey.
We look forward to welcoming families to these performances and sharing in the achievements of our outstanding young musicians.
Rod Marshall
Director of Performing Arts & Head of Haileybury Music
Visual Arts
2026 Artist in Residence – David Booth (Ghostpatrol) – Keysborough mural
David Booth, better known as Ghostpatrol, commenced his Artist in Residence program with two weeks at the beginning of Term 2, establishing a working studio in the Keysborough Gallery and inviting members of the Haileybury community to share their ideas, experiences and reflections on creativity.
The mural brief sought to capture the many ways creativity is experienced and enacted at Haileybury. This extended beyond the formal study of the Visual Arts and other creative disciplines to encompass the creative thinking that occurs across all aspects of School life: lateral problem-solving, critical analysis, synthesising disparate ideas into new innovations, and approaching challenges from unexpected perspectives. The challenge was to represent both the doing of creative work and the inner experience that accompanies it; states of flow, playful and whimsical thinking, and the sensitive observation of the small, obscure and often overlooked details of everyday life.
Throughout the consultation process, David produced an abundance of preliminary sketches and concepts, weaving new ideas together with his signature characters and visual motifs. Many of these figures had their origins in the sketchbooks that students eagerly explored during his presentations, offering insight into the evolution of an artist’s practice and the value of sustained creative inquiry.
Drawing on his distinctive style and extensive experience, David engaged students throughout the design phase, refining the mural through ongoing discussion and feedback. Students embraced not only the possibilities of what might be included in the imagery, but also the process of thoughtful editing and elimination required to ensure the mural’s central purpose remained clear. Conversations frequently returned to how the student cohort could be represented as the creative force of the present, while also acknowledging their aspirations to carry creativity into future stages of their personal and professional lives.
In Week 6, David returned with a Virtual Reality headset to transfer his digitally mapped design onto the exterior gallery wall. Staff and students alike paused to observe the process, with many eagerly taking the opportunity to try on the headset and experience this contemporary approach to large-scale mural making.
Once the design had been established, David worked alongside numerous student groups, including Year 9 classes, Units 1 and 2 students, the Tuesday Co-Curricular Mural Society and the Senior Art Collective, while also welcoming any passing student keen to contribute, including a lucky few from Junior School. Members of the Visual Arts team enthusiastically joined in, as did many staff members moving through the space. It became a genuinely collaborative endeavour, with the community working together to block in the mural’s foundational layers of colour.
As the mural progressed, David demonstrated his remarkable sensitivity to detail through carefully considered highlights and nuanced colour relationships. The final stage saw the addition of outlines rendered in his characteristic deep blue rather than black, a choice that amplified the vibrancy of the composition and heightened the overlapping, characterful and joyful vignettes of creative experience unfolding across an isometric grid.
The resulting work is both celebratory and contemplative. Through its layered depth, rhythmic movement and references to everyday student culture identified during David’s residency, the mural invites moments of recognition, curiosity and reflection. Whether encountered in passing on the way to class or pausing during a break, it offers a lasting reminder that creativity flourishes not only in studios and classrooms, but also in the ways we observe, imagine, connect and engage with the world around us. The official opening of the mural will take place during the Graduate Exhibition in Term 4.
Artist’s Statement:
‘All Together Now’
We’re drawing our dreams and learning to see the world differently.
We’re sharing our drawings and celebrating what moves us.
Our creative spirit will carry us forward, for if we can dream it we can make it.
Let’s paint the things we love and the things we see around us, then take a rest and soak it all up.
Let’s turn up the colour and make each other smile.
Our joy will be aiming for the stars and remaining connected to each other.
Let’s move forward ‘All Together Now.’
Rachelle Rae
Head of Visual Arts Senior School
Pipes & Drums
The Pipes & Drums were honoured to perform at the Haileybury Ball in May.
The evening commenced with solo piping performances from our Pipe Major Brandon, and Pipe Sergeant, Hamish, followed by a performance from our Competition A Band.
The band performed several pieces, but perhaps the most memorable was our rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean, featuring an outstanding arrangement by the Pipes and Drums’ former Director and Old Haileyburian (OH 2010), Mr Lincoln Hilton.
Earlier this month, two of our Middle School pipers, Dylan (Keysborough) and Charlie (Brighton), competed in the piping solo competitions at Scotch College. Facing strong competition, both students represented Haileybury with pride, delivering outstanding performances against competitors many years their senior. Congratulations to Dylan, who was awarded two third places and a fifth in a competition field of ten, and special thank you to our Director of Pipes, Mr John Young, for supporting the students throughout the day.
Our Middle School pipers and drummers are now preparing for the upcoming Middle School Concert performances at the end of the term. They are working on a range of new and exciting pieces, and we look forward to seeing many of you there.
Daniel Staley
Director of Pipes & Drums
