PERFORMING & CREATIVE ARTS

PERFORMING AND CREATIVE ARTS NEWS

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL BY MR DUNNING (DIRECTOR OF PERFORMING & CREATIVE ARTS) On Friday 14th January, 72 brave students from Years 7-10 auditioned in front of their performing arts teachers for a chance to bag a leading role in KAA’s upcoming production of ‘High School Musical’. We were overwhelmed with the students’ confidence and talent, so much so that we have decided to double cast many of the roles! A huge congratulations to all of the students taking part, especially our leading man and ladies Dominick (7 Knowles), Mia (7 Knowles) and Omara (8 Muller) (pictured below) who are taking the lead roles of Troy and Gabriella. Rehearsal are now well underway for the production and tickets for ‘High School Musical’ will be on sale in the Summer term.

SIX THE MUSICAL TRIP

On Thursday the 10th of March, the Performing Arts and History departments joined together to orgnaise a trip to see the amazing musical ‘SIX’. Year 8 students who have been studying musical theatre learnt about the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII through a modern retelling presented as a pop concert. Students were seen to be having the time of their lives singing and dancing along to the songs and getting involved with audience participation. The show was thoroughly enjoyed by all twenty students in Year 8 and 9, as well as the two staff members who accompanied the students.

NUTCRACKER THEATRE TRIP

On Tuesday 11th January the dance department treated twenty-three students from the Intrepidus Dance Company to their first theatre trip of 2022. Students watched the critically acclaimed Matthew Bourne’s ‘Nutcracker’ at Sadler’s Wells and thoroughly enjoyed the reinterpretation of a classic ballet. We were also incredibly lucky to have our seats upgraded from the far back of the royal circle, to the front row of the theatre! It was an experience that many students (or staff) will not enjoy again, so we were thrilled.

JAZZ QUINTET CONCERT TRIP

On Monday 21st March, 20 GCSE and A Level musicians enjoyed a jazz quintet performance at the world-renowned venue Wigmore Hall in central London. Christian McBride with members of Inside Straight played a mesmerising set of jazz showcasing seriously impressive talent.

GCSE OPTION TASTER DAYS

On Thursday 20th January 20 Year 9 students went to The Royal Academy of Dance to take part in a GCSE Dance Taster Day. Students got to take part in a series of workshops focusing on different components of the GCSE Dance course. Students really enjoyed the experience and visiting The Royal Academy of Dance. On Friday 25th February, Year 9 students took part in KAA’s second PCA Drop Down Day. The theme for the day centred around ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ and students had the opportunity to take part in a variety of externally lead performing and creative art workshops based around this theme; ranging from learning to use a green screen to creating their own stage combat routines! It was great to see the whole year group really immerse themselves in the experience and we hope their passion and creativity for the arts continues throughout their time here at KAA and their choices at GCSE!

In March, Year 9 students were invited to take part in Taster sessions for GCSE Textiles and GCSE Art.

In the Textiles taster session, the students looked at current Year 11 work and were introduced to some techniques based around the concept of using recycled materials. They made wax fused teabag samples using wax pots and irons. From this, the tea bags become translucent creating interesting textures and patterns. They also tried a plastics fusion technique where a range of different plastics were melted, manipulated and fused together to create exciting layers. In the Art taster session, students were introduced to the GCSE assessment objectives emphasizing experimentation and personal responses. The students explored experimental drawing techniques, playing with a range of different surfaces including painted and collaged grounds. The aim of this session was for students to create personalised responses and push their drawing skills to a new level. The students tried blind drawing, continuous and overlapping line drawing and sustained drawing with non-traditional materials. We hope that these sessions were really exciting and useful for students as they make decisions about their GCSE options for next year!

QUEEN’S JUBILEE CONCERT

On Wednesday 23rd March, the KAA Choir performed at St Mary Abbots Church near High Street Kensington as part of the RBKC Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The mayor was in attendance as well as other council members and the choir performed “Rise Up” by Andra Day. The choir rose to the occassion and put on a beautiful performance, which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

FUTURE SOUNDS SUCCESS

KAA was very well represented at the Future Sounds competition held at The Rhythm Studios in March. This is a battle of the bands-style competition for students 11-18 in the three local London boroughs, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham. Three judges hosted this initial preliminary stage with at least 20 competitors and only 7 acts making it to the final. The school band performed “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, Katie (11 Jones) played “Your Song” by Elton John, and Josh (11 Jones) played a virtuosic jazz interpretation of the standard “Sonny”, by Marvin Gaye. Josh made it through to the final and went on to perform two songs, one cover and one original, at Bush Hall on Wednesday 30th March in front of Hollie Cooke (artist), Dylan MyerscoughHarris (UK A&R Manager at Peer Music). We’re delighted to announce that Josh was awarded the “Star Performer” prize. He performed his piece for students on the final day of term in our awards assembly.

PERFORMING ARTS RECITAL

On Thursday 24th March, our GCSE and A Level performing and creative arts students performed a showcase of their work for parents, staff and students in Year 9 and Year 11 considering selecting performing arts subjects for their GCSEs and A levels next year.

YEAR 12 ART EXHIBITION

Year 12 students have been involved in a collaborative project with The Mosaic Room Gallery, responding to the exhibition ‘Stateless Heritage.’ The images in the exhibition explore the Dheisheh refugee camp in Palestine and are displayed in light boxes. The photographers (Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti ) documented the streets through photography. They believe that the camp should be considered a world heritage site. It has been in existence since 1949. Students visited the exhibition in Earls Court and in a similar way to the photographers, they documented the area with the artist Harold Offeh.

Students took rubbings/clay imprints in the local area, took photographs, documented words they heard people said and did observational drawings. Students worked in small groups creating a collaborative art piece documenting their findings by creating a visual representation. This work has been printed onto vinyl and we invited parents and other students to celebrate the end of the project.

The INTREPIDUS MAGAZINE TEAM

Editor Vashti Turner

REPORTERS

Mr Dickinson Mr Dunning Mr Prasch

Contact If you have a story or a photgraph you’d like to submit for the summer term issue of INTREPIDUS, email Miss Turner at info@kaa.org.uk or visit her office in room 015 to discuss!