JOIN US FOR AN EXCITING CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

AT OUR

FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS

THURSDAY 29 APRIL (PLAYS FESTIVAL)

19h00 to 22h00

FRIDAY 30 APRIL from  16hoo  to  22h00

SATURDAY 1 MAY from 10h00 to  22h30

Select a meal from one of our DELICIOUS FOOD STALLS while  you browse through our many CRAFT STALLS

Attend one or more of our many performances  in the form of ONE ACT PLAYS; POETRY and SONG; DANCE; WINDBAND, STEELBAND and JAZZ FESTIVAL (Featuring MOJAZZ); ROCK and BLUES; HIP HOP and RAP; PIANO RECITALS; IMPROVISATION AND THEATRE GAMES; STAND-UP COMEDY (Featuring EVIL TWIN); BATTLE of the BANDS; PUPPETS; PONY RIDES and many more!

Visit our ART EXHIBITION and appreciate the incredible artistic talents of our pupils.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!

For more information please phone the school at 041-5086400

This year has proven to be yet another exciting one, filled with awards, outings and workshops.  We are also fortunate to have Mrs Carina Shellard now teaching Grade 11 Visual Art and Textile Design to the Grade 11 Design pupils.

We are pleased to announce that all 26 entries for the Art Eisteddfod 2009 received awards.  We were the only school that gained a ‘clean sweep’, with awards ranging from Double Golds to Bronze awards:

Grade 12 pupils:
RICHARD RAUTENBACH:  1 Double Gold, 3 Golds, 2 Silvers, and 1 Bronze.
JONATHAN VAN DER WALT: 3 Silvers.
EMMA SCHMIDT:  1 Silver
CHELSEA BOTHA:  1 Silver
TIM BAGG:  1 Bronze
LOUISE BAARTZES:  1 Bronze

Grade 11 pupils:
DANIELLE DURANDT:  1 Double Gold, 1 Gold, 1Silver, and 1Bronze.
ANGELIQUE DEMONT:  2 Golds, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronzes.
JADE BOTHA:  1 Gold
KYLIE HAWKINS:  1 Gold
AMY BODE:  1 Gold

Well done to you all.  Next year we hope to have another ‘bumper year’!

Art Outings
The Matric Visual Art pupils visited the Red Location Museum, as Art and Politics is one of the themes that they cover in the theory syllabus.  They were also taken on a guided tour of NMMU Art School by one of the lecturers, Thys Cilliers.  Visits to the NMMM Art Museum in Park Drive was also much enjoyed (stopovers for soft serve ice creams were always enjoyed!)

The Grade 10 Visual Art pupils were taken to visit the Ron Belling Art Gallery and also Epsac Art Gallery in Bird Street.

Workshops
At the beginning of Term 2 the Grade 10, 11 and 12 Design pupils were treated to ceramic workshops at NMMU Art Museum, each class attending a separate workshop.   Amanda, a ceramicist, demonstrated ceramic building techniques and then each pupil had the opportunity to create their own vessel. The ceramic pieces were brought back to school and glazed and fired in our own kiln.
In Term 3 another ceramicist, Lisa Walker, came to our art room and demonstrated a ceramic mould technique to the Grade 10 and 11 Design pupils.

These workshops are valuable in exposing the pupils to new and exciting techniques that they can apply to their own works.

The Ron Belling Art Gallery “Spring School of Art”
During the September holidays five of our art pupils, Richard Rautenbach, Angelique Demont, Kylie Hawkins, Lauren Anderson and Ethan Frost attended the Spring Art Festival at the Ron Belling Gallery in Park Drive.  Five pupils from each school in Port Elizabeth that offer art as a subject, were selected to attend the workshop, with a total of 40 pupils in attendance.
Workshops over two days were conducted by artist Duncan Steward. Duncan studied and worked in Johannesburg and then trained at one of Italy’s foremost art schools.   He demonstrated and guided the art pupils through expressive art techniques and then highlighted the relationship with the unseen/metaphysical realm of our existence.   The pupils will create art works in their own time which will go on exhibition at the gallery in December.  The theme this year is “Insideout”.

This workshop is a wonderful opportunity for art pupils who wish to pursue a career in the art field after school.  A computer will be awarded to the pupil who produces the top work of art and a full bursary will go to a deserving matric pupil to study in the Arts Faculty at NMMU.  We were delighted when Richard Rautenbach walked away with prize money of R1000.00 for the art work that he submitted for the exhibition in 2008 – a  most deserving pupil who will also be receiving the 2009 ‘Van de Wyde Artist of the Year”  trophy at V.P.

Exhibitions at school
Art works were exhibited at the Grade 8 Open Evening, the Grade 9 Subject Choice Evening, and also in the foyer of the Blake Hall for the duration of the musical “My African Dream”.  Well done to those art pupils who had works on display.  The school can feel quite proud of you very talented artists and designers!

Incentive awards
Crafty Arts at Walmer Park Shopping Centre have kindly sponsored three vouchers  for talented and deserving pupils.  Three Grade 10 pupils have been chosen as recipients of these awards, namely Geoffsen Hart, Nkosinathi Ngcala and Grant Cury. The respective amounts of the vouchers are R125, R75 and R50 for obtaining art materials from their shop.

Design
Grade 10 Design incorporates the practical disciplines of Textile Design and Ceramic Design.  Then in Grade 11 Design pupils specialize in only one of these disciples (the classes are split between the two art teachers to allow for specialized training).  Grade 12 Design sees all the Design pupils being reunited into one class again, a mixture of textiles and ceramics pupils.

Throughout the three years of FET Design, drawing skills are taught and theory is accompanied with the practical.  The theory component of the subject covers the History of Design, Design Process and Production, and Design in a Business Context.

Visual Art
In Grade 10 drawing, painting and mixed media techniques are taught to the Visual Art pupils.  Grade 11pupils are encouraged to experiment with different media in pursuit of highly creative and aesthetic works of art.  Some of our art pupils are highly creative and innovative in creating multi-media works incorporating materials such as wire, nuts & bolts, wood, plaster, clay, photography, lighting and other materials into their works. The sky is the limit!

Visual Cultural Studies covers art history from ancient civilizations through to contemporary South African and International artists, as well as theoretical studies.

In General
Victoria Park High School continues to boast an art department where talented art pupils produce work of an incredible standard.  Well done to those art pupils who put in such tremendous effort, and may you be an inspiration to other pupils who will choose Visual Art and/or Design as their FET subjects.

To the Matric art pupils of 2009 – we wish you all the best for a successful final examination.  These pupils have been an absolute delight and I have spent a very enjoyable year watching them produce a vast portfolio of work which they can feel proud of.

Ms. Jeni  McGrath
[ps-skip]

Grahamstown Eisteddfod – Visual Art and Design May 2009

Victoria Park High School Art Department has received excellent results at the Grahamstown Eisteddfod 2009 in the Arts Categories.

The school’s art department offers both Visual Art and also Design as F.E.T. subjects. Twenty six works were submitted covering disciplines of painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics and textile printing. A clean sweep was gained with all twenty six entries receiving awards ranging from Bronze to Double Golds.
Two works of outstanding quality that received the Double Gold awards was a sculpture done by Richard Rautenbach and a textile print done by Danielle Durandt.

AWARD RECIPIENTS FOR EISTEDDFOD 2009:

Tim Bagg:
Bronze award – painting

Louise Baartzes:
Bronze award – ceramic design

Danielle Rijs:
Silver award – textile design

Jonathan van der Walt:
Silver award – painting
Silver award – painting
Silver award – painting

Emma Schmidt:
Silver award – textile design

Richard Rautenbach:
Bronze award – painting
Silver award – ceramic design
Silver award – painting
Gold award – painting
Gold award – painting
Gold award – ceramic design
Double Gold award – sculpture

Angelique Demont:
Bronze award – drawing
Bronze award – painting
Silver award – painting
Gold award – textile design
Gold award – textile design

Jade Botha:
Gold award – ceramic design

Kylie Hawkins:
Gold award – painting

Amy Bode:
Gold award – ceramic design

Danielle Durandt:
Bronze award – painting
Silver award – painting
Gold award – textile design
Double Gold award – textile design

A Year of Change and Creativity

This year has once again seen changes to the Art Department. The Grade 12 FET Visual Arts and also Design pupils will complete their National Senior Certificate in the new curriculum. The old Art HG and art 2nd subjects have now fallen away completely. A new teacher is also on the block, Ms. Jeni McGrath, teaching Grades 10 and 12 Visual Art and also Grades 10, 11(ceramics) and 12 Design. Mrs Linda Lubbe continues teaching the Grade 11 Visual Art and Grade 11 Design (textiles).

Outings
The Grade 11 and 12 Visual Art pupils were treated to a field trip in August. Braving a cold and very dark morning, they all hopped aboard the 35-seater school bus at 6.45am. The destination – the Walter Battiss Gallery in Somerset East. Once at the gallery, a very intelligent and talented artist displayed Performance Art – a combination of visuals, poetry and acting – in a very dramatic and thought-provoking manner. Through the intensity of this performance, the artist incorporated group participation, and many nervous giggles could be heard, but it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was exciting to be in a gallery so steeped in history and surrounded by works from an artist who is an icon in the South African art fraternity. Walter Battiss, who is part of the school art syllabus, died in 1982. The gallery, a building from the 1800′s, is honoured as a national museum.

Still to come this year will be visits to Port Elizabeth art galleries and also to the NMMU Art and Design Departments.

Workshops
Exciting events are still to be experienced. In the September holidays five pupils, Bianca van Schalkwyk, Richard Rautenbach, Danielle Durandt, Angelique Demont and Alleyne Hug will attend the Spring Art Festival at the Ron Belling Gallery in Park Drive. Workshops over two days will be conducted by an art lecturer, Thys Cilliers, from the Art and Design School at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He will show and guide them through art techniques and then the pupils, along with art pupils from other high schools in Port Elizabeth, will create works which will go on exhibition at the gallery in November. The theme is “Port Elizabeth………………….”. This is a wonderful opportunity for art pupils who wish to pursue a career in the art field after school. A computer will be awarded to the pupil who produces the top work of art and a full bursary will go to a deserving matric pupil to study any art or design course at NMMU.

In October five of our art pupils will attend a one-day Architectural Awareness workshop. It will be conducted by a leading architect from Port Elizabeth. A final year NMMU architecture student will then lead the pupils through a model building session and a prize giving will end the day on a high note.

Exhibitions at school
Our Visual Art and Design works took pride of place in the school Library for the duration of the Arts and Crafts Festival in May. The festival and art exhibition was officially opened by Mr Vermaak and then followed by a cheese and wine. The exhibition incorporated paintings, drawings, mixed media, textile prints, and ceramics. Well done to those art pupils who had works on display as this was a truly fine exhibition of works that the school can feel quite proud of!

In June Victoria Park was quite abuzz with activity as past pupils gathered for four school reunions. The Art Department put on a wonderful display of works in the Thorp Hall which drew many positive comments from ‘the oldies’!

Design
Grade 10 Design still incorporates the practical disciplines of Textile Design and Ceramic Design. Then in Grade 11 Design pupils specialize in only one of these disciplines (the classes are split between the two art teachers to allow for specialized training). Grade 12 Design sees all the Design pupils being reunited into one class again, a mixture of textiles and ceramics pupils.

Throughout the three years of FET Design, drawing skills are taught and theory is accompanied by the practical. The theory component of the subject covers the History of Design, Design Process and Production, and Design in a Business Context.

Visual Art
In Grade 10, Drawing, Painting and Sculptural Ceramics are taught to the Visual Art pupils. Grade 11pupils are encouraged to experiment with different media in pursuit of highly creative and aesthetic works of art. A noticeable shift can be seen this year with some of our Grade 11 and 12 pupils being innovative and creating multi-media works using non-traditional materials such as wire, metal sheeting with pop-rivets, wood, plaster of paris, clay, photography and lighting and other materials being incorporated into works. A very exciting new trend!

Visual Cultural Studies covers art history from ancient civilizations through to contemporary South African and International artists, as well as theoretical studies.

In General
The art subjects continue to be demanding, challenging, but also rewarding. It is good to witness the enthusiasm of art pupils who ask to spend extra hours in the art rooms, coming in to work through break times and also after school hours. To achieve in the art and design field it takes commitment, dedication and many hours of hard toil and sweat.

Victoria Park High School can quite proudly say that there are many talented art pupils who produce work of an incredible standard. Well done to those art pupils who put in such a tremendous effort.

Lastly, to the Grade 12 art pupils of 2008 – we wish them all the best for a successful final examination. So far they have risen to the challenge and produced a vast portfolio of work of which they can feel proud.

J. McGrath

RT DEPARTMENT 2008

A Year of Change and Creativity

This year has once again seen changes to the Art Department. The Grade 12 FET Visual Arts and also Design pupils will complete their National Senior Certificate in the new curriculum. The old Art HG and art 2nd subjects have now fallen away completely. A new teacher is also on the block, Ms. Jeni McGrath, teaching Grades 10 and 12 Visual Art and also Grades 10, 11(ceramics) and 12 Design. Mrs Linda Lubbe continues teaching the Grade 11 Visual Art and Grade 11 Design (textiles).

Outings
The Grade 11 and 12 Visual Art pupils were treated to a field trip in August. Braving a cold and very dark morning, they all hopped aboard the 35-seater school bus at 6.45am. The destination – the Walter Battiss Gallery in Somerset East. Once at the gallery, a very intelligent and talented artist displayed Performance Art – a combination of visuals, poetry and acting – in a very dramatic and thought-provoking manner. Through the intensity of this performance, the artist incorporated group participation, and many nervous giggles could be heard, but it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was exciting to be in a gallery so steeped in history and surrounded by works from an artist who is an icon in the South African art fraternity. Walter Battiss, who is part of the school art syllabus, died in 1982. The gallery, a building from the 1800′s, is honoured as a national museum.

Still to come this year will be visits to Port Elizabeth art galleries and also to the NMMU Art and Design Departments.

Workshops
Exciting events are still to be experienced. In the September holidays five pupils, Bianca van Schalkwyk, Richard Rautenbach, Danielle Durandt, Angelique Demont and Alleyne Hug will attend the Spring Art Festival at the Ron Belling Gallery in Park Drive. Workshops over two days will be conducted by an art lecturer, Thys Cilliers, from the Art and Design School at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He will show and guide them through art techniques and then the pupils, along with art pupils from other high schools in Port Elizabeth, will create works which will go on exhibition at the gallery in November. The theme is “Port Elizabeth………………….”. This is a wonderful opportunity for art pupils who wish to pursue a career in the art field after school. A computer will be awarded to the pupil who produces the top work of art and a full bursary will go to a deserving matric pupil to study any art or design course at NMMU.

In October five of our art pupils will attend a one-day Architectural Awareness workshop. It will be conducted by a leading architect from Port Elizabeth. A final year NMMU architecture student will then lead the pupils through a model building session and a prize giving will end the day on a high note.

Exhibitions at school
Our Visual Art and Design works took pride of place in the school Library for the duration of the Arts and Crafts Festival in May. The festival and art exhibition was officially opened by Mr Vermaak and then followed by a cheese and wine. The exhibition incorporated paintings, drawings, mixed media, textile prints, and ceramics. Well done to those art pupils who had works on display as this was a truly fine exhibition of works that the school can feel quite proud of!

In June Victoria Park was quite abuzz with activity as past pupils gathered for four school reunions. The Art Department put on a wonderful display of works in the Thorp Hall which drew many positive comments from ‘the oldies’!

Design
Grade 10 Design still incorporates the practical disciplines of Textile Design and Ceramic Design. Then in Grade 11 Design pupils specialize in only one of these disciplines (the classes are split between the two art teachers to allow for specialized training). Grade 12 Design sees all the Design pupils being reunited into one class again, a mixture of textiles and ceramics pupils.

Throughout the three years of FET Design, drawing skills are taught and theory is accompanied by the practical. The theory component of the subject covers the History of Design, Design Process and Production, and Design in a Business Context.

Visual Art
In Grade 10, Drawing, Painting and Sculptural Ceramics are taught to the Visual Art pupils. Grade 11pupils are encouraged to experiment with different media in pursuit of highly creative and aesthetic works of art. A noticeable shift can be seen this year with some of our Grade 11 and 12 pupils being innovative and creating multi-media works using non-traditional materials such as wire, metal sheeting with pop-rivets, wood, plaster of paris, clay, photography and lighting and other materials being incorporated into works. A very exciting new trend!

Visual Cultural Studies covers art history from ancient civilizations through to contemporary South African and International artists, as well as theoretical studies.

In General
The art subjects continue to be demanding, challenging, but also rewarding. It is good to witness the enthusiasm of art pupils who ask to spend extra hours in the art rooms, coming in to work through break times and also after school hours. To achieve in the art and design field it takes commitment, dedication and many hours of hard toil and sweat.

Victoria Park High School can quite proudly say that there are many talented art pupils who produce work of an incredible standard. Well done to those art pupils who put in such a tremendous effort.

Lastly, to the Grade 12 art pupils of 2008 – we wish them all the best for a successful final examination. So far they have risen to the challenge and produced a vast portfolio of work of which they can feel proud.

J. McGrath

Countless diamonds in the rough were dug up and moulded into gems, from performers and organizers to entrepreneurs. Each one of these and many more had their moment to shine and perhaps sparkle in a way they’d never dreamed they could.

The never-ending entertainment brought people from all walks of life to see what VP had to offer: in the library, an impressive Art Exhibition and music recitals featuring our very own virtuoso pianist, Jarryd Pow-Chong, for those with a taste for culture; dancers and choirs in the hall for those who celebrate diversity as well as a popular Xhosa play entitled ‘Nontobeko and Bulumnko’. On the Friday night a Battle of the Bands competition was held, where first prize, kindly donated by the Chairman of our Governing Body and musician Andre Strydom, was a professionally recorded 3 song demo CD to the value of R7000 – congratulations to ‘The Righteous’ with drummer Tyrone Hall for winning first prize! In the Marquee we were swept away by the melodic sounds from our Wind band , moved to tears on occasions by the Poetry and Music presentations and as the sun was setting, we were blown away by the Jazz Band. On the lawns surrounding the Marquee were close on 30 craft and food stalls, co-ordinated by an efficient Sanchelle Dunstan and, while the crowds (and there were crowds!) wandered around, a Festival atmosphere prevailed with not only the Caribbean island sounds from our brand new Steelband but also the buskers on the sidelines and the mime artists keeping deadpan faces despite the tauntings from fellow pupils!
Saturday afternoon saw a jam-packed hall being treated to a feast of hip-hoppers, freestylers, house dancers, breakdancers, bootyshakers and the like performing unbelievable moves before a wildly excited crowd. Overall winner was a group called ‘Fusion’ consisting of 16 incredibly talented dancers.
Incorporated into the weekend was our annual Plays’ Festival, adjudicated by drama teacher Linda-Louise Swain.
The selection of plays included hilarious comedies such as ‘Coming out of the Closet’ and ‘The Spy who came in for the Phone’ to the more serious and frightening ‘Witches’ as well as the powerful and very deep Fugard play ‘The Coat’. Included in the festival was a community play ‘Mischievous’ written by one of the pupils, Danielle Deyzel and directed by Lwandile Lupondwana.
Congratulations to our winners:
BEST PLAY: ‘The Coat’ directed by Nosipho Voyi
BEST DIRECTOR: Bradley Theron and Jonathan van der Walt for ‘The Spy who came in for the Phone’
MOST CHALLENGING PLAY: ‘The Witches’ directed by Candice Apolis and Sazikazi Mzileni
BEST ACTOR (in his role as Lavpenti in ‘The Coat’): Vuyani Vanqa
BEST ACTRESS (in her role as Marie in ‘The Coat’): Noncedo Madubedube
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (in his role as Haeman in ‘The Coat’: Zuko Kula
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (in her role as Sally in ‘The Spy…’): Rachel Bolton

One of the highlights of the Festival was the staff rendition of ‘Time Warp’ from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. The audience screamed in delight at a very different looking (and acting) group of teachers with Mr Vermaak in the role of Riff Raff and Mrs Deale as Magenta.

The Festival concluded with a Star Search competition organized by Ms Kendall which showcased the incredible vocal talent at VP. Congratulations to the winners of the various categories .

Congratulations to Mrs. Van der Walt, who, with her enthusiasm and love for the arts, successfully put it all together. Shine on VP; shine on!

Liske Potgieter