Monthly Archives: June 2012

Mrs Emma Lowry, Head of England House “We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” (Williamson, 1992) The last day of a school term is always filled with anticipation. This year, Year 11 students are particularly excited, as the last day coincides with the Combined Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls Grammar School Charity Social. There is a tangible buzz at this opportunity to socialise with the boys, to wear semi-formal dresses, and to don high heels and makeup. “I’m excited about wearing pretty new clothes and feeling special” said one student. It is an enjoyable night, on which girls readily compliment each another and they feel good about themselves. The Social is a significant milestone for Year 11; the perfect opportunity to feel confident and special. Such feelings however, are far from universal amongst the girls, and may in some cases run only as…

Ms Lorraine Thornquist, Director of Creative Arts “…the life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of the nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose- and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization."—John F Kennedy. (35th US President (1961-63), 1917-1963) In his World Theatre Day message (27 March 2012), actor John Malkovich went to the heart of the matter of the role of the Arts: it is about framing the question ‘how do we live?’(Malkovich, 2012). Artistic nourishment is fundamental to our humanness, not only for us as the artist, but also for our interactions with the Arts as audience and in the utilisation of our creative skills, derived from the study of the Arts, which inform our personal and professional lives. How is this nourishment channeled and who ensures that it is not only available but clearly articulated and delivered? As an integral…