Newington’s Creative and Performing Arts program is varied, wide and busy. Nearing the end of their dramatic and musical journeys here, our Year 12 class of 2025 took to the stage recently and dazzled.

Pour les joie …for the joy of it. That was the rallying call from Newington’s Head of Drama, Mr Paul Eastway to our talented Year 12 Drama cohort before they took to the stage in the 2025 HSC Drama Showcase. 

‘You have done the hard work, so tonight is about enjoying yourselves, going on stage with a generous spirit and performing simply for the joy of it,’ Mr Eastway said. 

Having made it through their HSC trial performances, over the next few weeks the 19 students are readying themselves to perform their major works to examiners from the NSW Education Authority (NESA). So too, our Year 12 Music 1, Music 2 and Extension students performed in front of a panel of markers and will also perform soon for NESA examiners for their HSC Performance Exams. 

Mr Mark Scott, Head of Music, says students studying Music 2 for their HSC have 15 minutes to perform three pieces, whilst Extension Music students have an additional 20 minutes to perform an extra three pieces (including one piece of chamber music).  

Our Music 1 students have 20 minutes to perform four pieces. Music students this year are performing on a range of instruments including cello, saxophone, violin, percussion, guitar, vocals and drums. 

Back on stage, the performance work of our Year 12 HSC students studying Drama includes four Group Performances and 11 Individual Performances which must be a six-to-eight-minute monologue. Other submitted projects include works across the criteria of Portfolio of Theatre Criticism, Poster Promotion, Set Design and Costume Design.  

Many of the Year 12 Drama students have acted and studied drama throughout all their secondary years at school, starting off in Year 7 Drama club, joining Improv Club Ensemble for Years 8 to 12 held twice weekly, and going on to tread the boards each year in one of Newington’s many plays and musicals. Others only took the subject up in Year 11. 

Similarly, most of the Year 12 Music students have been involved with music from Year 7 at Newington, either singing in the College choir or playing in one of the College’s 40 student ensembles. 

Regardless of which camp they fall into, say Mr Eastway and Mr Scott, the benefits of learning to act or play an instrument cannot be understated. 

‘The breadth of opportunity for students interested in Drama is enormous at Newington and getting up on stage is something every young person should experience. It builds confidence, teamwork as well as developing social and emotional intelligence’ says Mr Eastway. 

Mr Scott agrees. 

‘Music is a vehicle for self-expression and confidence and learning to play an instrument or sing in a choir is something that never leaves you and hopefully will move with you through your life in whatever form and bring you and whoever hears you play, ongoing joy.’ 

Music lovers have the opportunity to see many of our Year 12 musicians play throughout the year in our Senior Concerto Competition and RockFest in Term 2, our annual Founders Concert and our Instrumental Tutors’ Studio Concerts in Term 3.  

The 2025 Founders Concert next week on Thursday 7 August is a showcase of Newington’s music capability and creativity from Years 3 to 12. Theatregoers can enjoy Newington’s next productions, Shack, by George Kemp, performed by our Year 9 and 10 students from 17–19 September; and Accidental Death of an Anarchist, by Dario Fo staged by our Seniors from 12–15 November. In addition, we will be hosting a Year 7 Drama Evening in late November, while our Junior Theatresports Team is involved in the Impro Australia Theatresports Schools Challenge throughout Term 4.