HotHouse Company: The Arts as a Canvas for Capabilities and Connection

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

INTERNS

THE COLLEGE’S INTERN PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE OLD SAINTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN PAID WORK EXPERIENCE WHILE UNDERTAKING TERTIARY STUDY, OR PERHAPS TAKING A GAP YEAR.

THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY HAS FIVE INTERNS WHO WORK IN THE ARTS, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES, MARKETING AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS, NEXUS-S, AND SPORT. THE INTERNS GAVE INSIGHTS INTO SOME OF THEIR EXPERIENCES WHILE WORKING AT THE COLLEGE THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU TO THE 2022 INTERNS FOR THEIR VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. GENEVIEVE BOWYER-FUNNELL

(CLASS OF 2018)

My intern role at the College is in Nexus-S, helping in any way I can to ensure things run smoothly while making my own mark. As well as cataloguing books and helping students, I have been tasked with creating a Young Adult section for Years 9 and 10, and a senior fiction section for Years 11 and 12. With the many skills I am learning, I plan on working in a library after my internship has finished.

ELLEY DYMOND (CLASS OF 2021)

As the Design and Technologies Intern this year, I’ve been assisting and working alongside teachers, helping with framing and installing pieces for art exhibitions, laser cutting work for student projects, formatting documents for class use, and much more. I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Graphic Design at Curtin University, with plans to undertake a Master of Secondary Education afterwards to become a teacher so this internship closely aligns with my future plans. Working with the Design and Technology staff has been a wonderful experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing what opportunities arise later in the year.

JARED FALLON (CLASS OF 2021)

I work as an intern for the Marketing and Community Relations team at the College. Much of my work consists of creating advertisements and other media for the College, which can range from a short video for cocurricular soccer to an Instagram story. I help out at many College events, such as the School Holiday Program and Grandparents and Friends’ Day. Another part of my role is to take photos and videos of events as well as everyday College life. I’m glad I can work in a comfortable and familiar environment, while being surrounded by the amazing Marketing and Community Relations team at ASC.

JACOB FEIST (CLASS OF 2021)

As the Sports Intern, I have a variety of responsibilities such as planning logistics, organising sporting events and interhouse carnivals, managing Koorliny (the College gym), coaching and umpiring at carnivals, working on various administrative duties, and supporting the Sport, Health and Physical Education staff in many different tasks. I have learnt how to organise events effectively, communicate well with other staff, and better understand the inner workings of a school Sports Department. This role has given me a wealth of experience that I believe will be relevant to careers I am interested in pursuing in the future. At the end of the year when the internship finishes, I plan to continue studying for my degree in Exercise and Sports Science and will look to find a job in the sporting industry. I have really enjoyed working in the role so far and am very pleased with the knowledge I have gained.

SOPHIE SMITH (CLASS OF 2021)

As the Arts intern, my main role is to assist staff in the Arts with tasks ranging from posting on the HotHouse Company website to making flower hair clips for dance costumes. I also help out with College Arts events such as the Connected 7 exhibition, the Dance Concert and the HotHouse Company Film Festival. I have learnt so much already and enjoyed working with talented staff and artists. This position aligns with my Arts Management studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). We are encouraged to undertake internships and broaden our networks. This internship is doing precisely that and will help lead me to future success in the Arts.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

PETER ALLEN, VICE PRINCIPAL

By Ben Fitzpatrick

Director of Marketing and Community Relations AS A LEARNING COMMUNITY, ALL SAINTS’ TAKES PRIDE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF AS WE SEEK TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD. IN 2023 PETER ALLEN WILL COMMENCE AS THE PRINCIPAL OF GUILDFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS AS VICE PRINCIPAL AT ALL SAINTS’ COLLEGE. AS HE PREPARES TO CONCLUDE HIS TENURE AT THE END OF TERM 4, HE REFLECTS ON HIS TIME AT THE COLLEGE, WHAT HE’LL MISS THE MOST, AND WHAT MAKES ALL SAINTS’ DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER SCHOOL AT WHICH HE HAS WORKED.

Prior to coming on board as Vice Principal at All Saints’, Peter had extensive experience teaching at several independent schools in Perth and overseas at schools in London and Dubai. He brought with him a wealth of skills and experience, and his time at the College has enabled him to learn and grow further. He is now looking forward to stepping into his first Principal role. It has become a tradition at All Saints’ for the Vice Principal to move on to a Principal role. Peter saw the opportunity for the role to act as an apprenticeship, offering a multitude of new experiences that he could call on in his future career in a Principal role. “What attracted me to All Saints’ was the reputation of the College. I’d watched it change significantly from 2010 to 2020. You could see there was a great deal of development and its reputation was growing.” “I was also interested in the diversity of the Vice Principal role, which allows involvement in a broad range of areas. With experience mainly in teaching and learning for five years at Scotch College and four years prior to that at Penrhos College, I felt the role would allow me to diversify and try other things.” The Vice Principal in any school works very closely with the Principal, and Peter’s collaboration with Belinda Provis has been part of the continuing success of All Saints’ College in building a leading school with a strong community. “A big part of the decision to take the role was to be able to work with people like Belinda and the other members of the Leadership Team. I knew I would be able to continue learning new things, which for me is an important driver in a role.” “I am the first to say that Belinda and I are very different people. However, that works extremely well for each of our roles. She challenges me and I challenge her. And that’s healthy in terms of the way that we work together.” As someone who has worked in a variety of schools, both overseas and in Perth, Peter is well placed to speak about how schools differ and what sets them apart from each other. So, what is the All Saints’ difference? “For me, it’s the strength of the values; they’re not just rhetoric, they’re lived values. I think that the College is grounded in those values; the students represent them in the way they behave, and the way they interact and care for each other and the staff. The values permeate through the entire College community.” “When people ask me what it’s like to work at All Saints’, I share the story of when I started. I was walking across The Common and a student walked up to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re the new Vice Principal?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I am. Great to meet you. Who are you?’ I can’t remember who the student was, but they said to me, ‘How are you settling in?’ It just blew me away. “I’ve worked at six schools around the world previously, and never had a student show that kind of empathy for someone who was new. It was a huge indicator to me of the great culture at ASC.” Similarly, when it was announced that Peter was moving to Guildford Grammar School, the first person to come and see him was Year 12 student Sammie Ward, who knocked on his door.

“She said, ‘I just wanted to say, well done, but I’m really glad that you’re staying (until the end of Term 4) for us to finish Year 12’. I’ll miss the students and staff here; the culture is something very special.” “I’ll miss those interactions with staff and students, especially seeing them in their element. Whether it’s dancing on stage, engrossed in music, on an Outdoor Learning Program or playing a sport, I feel proud that I have played a small part in creating those opportunities.” After four years in his role, Peter reflects on what he will bring to Guildford Grammar School as its new Principal. “My time at ASC has given me a wealth of diverse experiences that will enable me to hit the ground running. The key learning I take with me from ASC is to slow down and make informed, considered decisions. My number one takeaway is that behind every behaviour is a story. I try very hard to understand people and why they do things before I make a judgement.” “I’m looking forward to being part of the community at Guildford Grammar. I mentioned earlier that diversity is important to me, and I’m excited to work at a school that made a strategic decision to become coeducational in 2019. There’s a considerable opportunity that comes with that, and I’m excited to be part of bringing that to life.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT SAMARA AINGE

YEAR 12

Delving into the world of digital art is a creative outlet for Samara and allows her the freedom to tell stories and create worlds both familiar and alien to our own. Samara’s artwork ‘Treehouse’ features on the cover of this edition of The Dove and her other works were displayed in the 2022 HotHouse Invitational Exhibition, daydreams.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO CREATING DIGITAL ART?

Growing up I was into a few things: drawing, watching cartoons, and animation YouTubers. All these interests culminated in me wanting to learn how to create digital art myself. When I received a plastic stylus in a Christmas cracker one year, I really started trying to learn how to make digital art. I think I started out mostly just doodling on my iPad notes app, and then, after trying out as many different free art apps as I could get my hands on, I fell in love with the medium. I continue to create traditional art, but the digital medium allows me to create things I couldn’t otherwise.

WHAT WAS YOUR PROCESS IN CREATING THE WORKS FOR YOUR EXHIBITION?

I tend to have a fairly inconsistent style across all of my work. I like experimenting and trying out different styles, mediums, techniques and subjects, but for the daydreams exhibition I really wanted to try for a more consistent body of work that felt cohesive. I tried to create a whimsical dream-like feeling throughout all of my works, focusing on storytelling. I always start with a vague idea or concept I’d like to work with – it’s usually something fairly simple like, “Hey, what if there was a weird creature on the bus?” And then I quickly sketch out some ideas of how I’d explore that concept, usually on OneNote. I then import it into Procreate (the app I use to create all my art) and flesh out the sketch a little more before moving on to line art, colours and lighting. The initial sketching stages are probably my favourite part of the whole process, closely followed by adding lighting to my works. I love working with interesting lighting: I think it can really add another dimension to the piece and change the feeling of the work. A lot of my works for this exhibition had a focus on lighting. I think this helped to create a more cohesive body of work and added to the ‘dreamy’ feeling I try to achieve in much of my art.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR ART?

It’s hard to pinpoint exact inspirations for my work because a lot of the time I just draw whatever comes to mind. That being said, I definitely take a lot of inspiration from things I see around me in the world. I often see interesting people on the street or something happening that sparks my imagination, and I’ll make an artwork about it. I base a lot of my art on my dreams: I’ll often have a strange dream or thought and wake up to type out the idea in my notes, then develop it into a more coherent artwork later. I’d say experiences I’ve had and memories play a big part in my work too. At the same time, many of my works are just things I think look interesting or cool together.

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO DO IN THE FUTURE?

I’m currently very interested in illustration and graphic design which I’m hoping to study at university. After that I’m not so sure, but I know that, whatever I do, I want to be creating art of some kind. I’d also love to learn more about animation and character illustration. But really, I’m just seeing where the future takes me.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO START CREATING DIGITAL ART THEMSELVES?

In my opinion, the best thing you can do to start is to just jump right in and experiment for yourself. You don’t need fancy equipment or to be great right away; just give it a go and see what you can learn. The internet is your best friend here: YouTube tutorials are great to learn the basics and get some tips from professionals. If you have an iPad, you can usually get simple styluses for a few dollars, or even just use your finger. There are plenty of good quality, inexpensive drawing tablets too. I’d also recommend downloading some free digital art apps. I used Autodesk SketchBook for a few years before moving to Procreate. Once you’ve downloaded some programs, try out all the brushes and see what you like and what you can do with them. Look into blending modes – they’re super helpful if you know how to use them, and great for creating interesting lighting effects. Overall, don’t worry about making ‘good’ art: just try to make something and you’ll get the hang of it eventually. Oh, and use layers!

GOOD GOVERNANCE

AND GROWING UP: CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND HIS ALL SAINTS’ JOURNEY

By Ben Fitzpatrick

Director of Marketing and Community Relations

GOVERNANCE OF THE COLLEGE IS IN THE HANDS OF THE COLLEGE BOARD, AND CURRENT CHAIR, MARK STICKELLS, WILL BE STEPPING DOWN FROM HIS POSITION AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. MARK HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE BOARD AND COLLEGE DURING HIS TENURE AND HAS GUIDED THE COLLEGE THROUGH SOME SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES AND EVENTS INCLUDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE LAUNCH OF THE STUDIO SCHOOL.

As he approaches his final few months in the role, we sat down with Mark to talk about The Studio School, his work at the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, his interest in photography and poetry, and his pride in leading the All Saints’ Board. Softly spoken, well considered, warm and engaging, Mark models the College values of Empathy, Respect, Integrity and Courage, aka ERIC. Mark is the Executive Director of the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre which provides national supercomputing services to the Australian research community, including our largest universities and the CSIRO.

He leads 60 staff and is undertaking a $70 million multiyear upgrade of the technology and infrastructure to ensure the Centre remains world class.

Later this year, Mark will launch what will be the fastest research supercomputer in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a demanding job, but one that has eminently qualified him to lead the College in his role as Chair of the Board, a position he has held since 2018. “Pawsey is a joint venture of WA’s four public universities together with CSIRO, and we work with stakeholders around Australia and overseas. I’ve most recently travelled to London and Hamburg for international conferences and announcements of exciting projects that we’re working on. In Hamburg, with our German and Australian partners, I announced a world first: the installation of a roomtemperature Australian quantum computer at Pawsey. The next generation of computing is starting to become a reality,” said Mark. Extensive travel allows Mark to indulge in his hobby of photography. He enjoys discovering new places through street photography which you can find on his Twitter account, along with the occasional poem including haiku. “I enjoy photography as a hobby and creative outlet, whereas poetry is more for fun. I’ve given a couple of friends’ birthday speeches in rhyme and with a touch of theatre, including one with a Star Wars theme where I dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi. So that’s kind of where it goes,” he said with a laugh. “Poetry and the ability to engage and move people through words interest me. It’s become a bit of a tradition that at the end-of-year Board dinner, I recap the year that was in rhyme and express my thanks to those who have supported the College.” In 2014 Mark was appointed to the College Board as a nominated representative of the Parents and Friends’ Society. Before this, Mark’s wife Michelle held the mantle as the family member most engaged in community life around the College. So Mark decided it was time to step up and lend more of a hand. “Two or three good friends also expressed an interest in joining the Board and we were all interviewed. I was fortunate enough to be selected,” said Mark in a typically humble fashion.

“I believed I could offer something in terms of governance, strategy, business and university engagement, and philanthropy. I also thought I could offer something to the College based on my professional background. I served three years as a Board member and then I succeeded Thirl (Millachip, the previous Chair) five years ago.” Mark and Michelle’s two sons Matthew (Class of 2018) and Callum (Class of 2021) attended All Saints’ from Kindergarten. Graduating as Collegians, Mark remembers why they were set on an All Saints’ education. “We were very keen for our sons to go to a coeducational school. However, at the time there were no schools close by that we were happy with,” said Mark. “We were not confident that the local school, including the teaching and pastoral environment, was the best option for our children. Almost 22 years ago, when Matthew was born, we put ourselves on the waiting list to secure Matthew’s place in Kindergarten. Michelle filled out the forms while still in hospital! “We wanted to make the decision for Junior School to give a solid foundation for our sons in terms of their education, our shared values and their upbringing.” Mark still believes those values hold true for College families today, when they make their own decisions on an All Saints’ education. It is the College’s diversity and ability to innovate and lead in the educational landscape that now provides even greater opportunities to prospective students and families. “I’ve worked in universities and CSIRO almost all of my career, and I’m absolutely an advocate for university education and for what that might offer,” he said. “But it doesn’t drive or constrain what we do at All Saints’. It’s much more about bringing out the best in young people and supporting their education in a way that’s been borne out over time: that there are many different pathways to successful lives, careers of service, community, or entrepreneurial professionals. “And they’re not all going through the traditional university degree pathway and a defined career path. I think All Saints’ was ahead of the curve in contemplating alternative pathways to support the development of innovative, engaged, entrepreneurial, impact-driven young people.” This mindset has led to the development of The Studio School in the heart of Fremantle, an exciting alternative to mainstream schooling structures and systems that is already receiving from students and families much acclaim for its progressive and highly personalised model. The Studio School’s campus has been specifically designed to complement the studio learning concept. It is, in essence, a co-working space that includes year level precincts. “The Studio School marks a truly significant achievement of the College in terms of providing an innovative education,” said Mark. “Having seen this concept build over several years, it’s borne out of a commitment to innovation and studentcentric education.