Back in March when COVID-19 first forced the indefinite closure of many venues and businesses, we were faced with a decision.
We had no choice but to postpone the 6 sold-out May performances of our annual Senior College Musical, Wicked the Musical, at Redlands Performing Arts Centre, and it would have been so easy to (call it quits) and cancel it and the other major Australian School of the Arts (ASTA) events this year, including Just Dance and the Arts Academy Awards.
Additionally, it would have saved time, money and energy and given our hard-working Arts Staff some well-deserved breathing space. If there was ever a year where events like this could be cancelled without too many questions being asked, 2020 would be the year.
However, that’s not how we do things at Sheldon College! Despite the ongoing uncertainty making planning an event a few months ahead risky, we decided to step out on the road less travelled and, come what may, fight to give our students the annual Arts performance and learning opportunities that have, over time, become the essential milestones/rites of passage to our senior students.
On what should have been the Opening Night of the Musical in May, Musical Director, Mr Darren Harvey, received a virtual card from the Year 12 students in the Cast and Band, wishing him a Happy Virtual Opening Night. Along with a personalised message of encouragement, the card read “Fellow Ozians, the only way to stick together is to be apart, for now. But remember, this is #onlyintermission and everyone loves a second act that changes you for good”.
"To say I was proud is an understatement. These incredible students, who have had so much taken from them in their final year of school, took the time to thank and encourage each member of the Production Team, at a time when nothing seemed at all certain in their own worlds".
Mr Darren Harvey - Director of Co-Curricular
So, whilst at that time of making this decision, we didn’t know if, how, where or when we would be able to bring Wicked the Musical to the stage, we only knew we would do everything in our power to do so.
Looking back now over the journey and the incredible high of the 5 show run in September, it is evident that the ramifications of our decision were so much greater and more beneficial than we could ever have imagined, thereby having a hugely positive impact on the entire College community.
Our decision to stage Wicked in the Sheldon Event Centre could have resulted in a below par production. The use of floor level family pod seating, instead of tiered rows could have resulted in reduced ticket sales and a diminished experience for our patrons. However, in every way, our expectations were exceeded.
All five shows sold out in record time, with students, parents and the entire Sheldon community passionate about it proceeding, albeit in a COVID-Safe manner.
Musical patrons were enthralled and spoke of loving the intimate feel of our venue, the incredible costumes and the exceptionally talented performances of our students. However, witnessing the growth, learning, resilience, utter joy and satisfaction experienced by our students and the pride and delight of their Parents, was by far the greatest achievement of the Musical 2020 season.
As is tradition, the Director of the Musical, Mr Darren Harvey addresses the cast before they go on stage for Opening Night.
This year his address was particularly inspiring and timely as he spoke about how important it is that every time you step out, you give the best version of yourself, and how resilience and being able to climb out of adversity is such a critical life skill.
Only two weeks after the Closing Night of Wicked the Musical, the Sheldon Event Centre was again transformed into a spectacular performance and awards space to host the 16th Annual Arts Academy Awards. This formal event is an eagerly anticipated annual event on the College calendar and along with breathtaking performances, celebrates the outstanding work of the ASTA students.
"A visit to the Sheldon Event Centre during the “bump-in” for Arts Academy Awards is likely to inspire awe at the scale of the production setup, rivalling anything one would see at the major event centres. It begs the question of how many schools could produce a professional standard Musical and a major Awards production virtually back-to-back, even in a “normal” year, never mind one so riddled with uncertainty. Add to this the complexities of putting these events together in a COVID-Safe way, with the necessary Department of Health approvals, and you would be forgiven for being blown away!"
Mr Jonathan Thomsen - Director of Marketing and Communications
The scale of the production for both these events rivals anything you would see at a major event centre.
Be a fly-on-the-wall during the transformation of the Sheldon Event Centre into COVID-Safe venue for Wicked the Musical, followed by its transformation into a red-carpet venue for the Annual Arts Academy Awards.
As expressed by the Director of Co-Curricular, Mr Darren Harvey, the true purpose and reason for the Arts Academy Awards was once again to celebrate the hard work, fortitude and successes of our Arts students in what has been an exceptionally difficult year and to provide them with another of their favourite annual performance opportunities. Following so closely after the five-show run of Wicked the Musical, and with only two days of in venue preparation, audience members would have been forgiven for expecting a somewhat diminished version of Arts Academy Awards as we know it. Instead, they were treated to an evening of explosive talent and creativity, as students performed their hearts out for the sheer joy of being able to do so at this time.
In a year characterised by uncertainty, cancellations, lockdowns and home-schooling, we are immensely proud to have delivered these events that are such a critical part of our College culture, not just to the Arts families of the College, but to our broader community.
The Australian School of the Arts has done it again with another outstanding Arts Academy Awards, albeit with a slightly smaller audience, due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time.
Let's take a look at the high pressure and fast paced environment of the crew, the production team, the media crew, the camera operators, the audio mixers, the vision switchers and the supervising teachers who make the show happen.
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