6 minute read
Ignite!: Guiding Career Pathways
By Anna Flanagan, Communications Manager, Dulwich College (Singapore)
We have all been asked the question; “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Now, with so many career options at our fingertips and a rapidly changing job landscape, this question is becoming harder to answer.
At Dulwich, we are on a mission to help students visualise their personal pathway so they can confidently pursue the career path of their choice. We complement the pursuit of academic excellence with groundbreaking programmes in music, performing arts and sport. This year, we will launch Ignite!, a programme which will support students who are committed to a career in these areas, see the world of possibilities within their reach.
At Dulwich College (Singapore), we are known for our sporting prowess and achieving success in local and regional inter-school competitions. Students can take part in many sports at Dulwich including football, rugby, touch rugby, netball, basketball, athletics, tennis, badminton, swimming, gymnastics, cricket and hockey. For our student athletes who are competing at the highest standards, we underpin their passion with a focus on academic study in relevant areas; in Senior School, students can elect to study Physical Education as a GCSE option (Years 9 to 11) and also Sports & Exercise Science at IB level (Years 12 to 13). Our long-established Student Athlete Support Programme (SASP) has provided the foundations for an Ignite! Sport programme, which shapes ambition into real goals through physical development, lifestyle management, technical and tactical progression and cognitive support. On the physical side, we put together a framework for efficient performance. We monitor the physical and emotional wellbeing of our athletes to ensure they ignite rather than burn-out. This is maintained by goal setting, mental visualisation, positive mental imagery and the ability to think clearly under pressure – all hallmarks of topperforming athletes. By introducing these pillars early on, our student athletes internalise these lessons which are crucial to staying motivated and determined to be the best at what they do.
Our music programme is an integral part of the curriculum from early years, DUCKS, right through to Senior School; students are encouraged to express themselves by singing, dancing and listening to music. In Junior School, every student is given an instrument so that they can pursue their passion on their own terms and in their own time. In Senior School, students have the opportunity to learn a range of rock band skills including playing guitar, bass and drums, song writing and music production. In these final years of school, we recognise that some of our students are spending considerable extra time, outside of our school programmes, practising music.
The Ignite programme provides a framework for students to attain exceptional performance in all areas of their lives. We nurture students to attain the very highest standards they can achieve in sport and their academic studies, whilst providing pathways to elite performance in their chosen field. - Kevin Shaw, Director of Sport
For these students who are already committed to excellence, we offer the Ignite! music programme. In preparation for a career in music, our students work alongside our music staff in the production of events, leading ensembles, sectionals, conducting and developing their musical talent and performance skills. By the time they finish school, Ignite! ensures that our students have built up a network of contacts in the music industry by participating in workshops and talks by music professionals. They leave with a comprehensive music performance portfolio, having developed excellence in more than one instrument, if they wish to do so, and having had exposure to the wider world of music through concerts, trips, tours and talks. As they embark on their desired career path, they can be confident that they are empowered to be future leaders in this competitive industry.
Passion for performing arts is no different, every student is encouraged to take to the stage, whether that’s joining in festivals such as the International School Theatre Association (ISTA) Festival or the Dulwich College International Shakespeare Festival, treading the boards in the school production or performing in dance shows, House drama, and performing arts showcases.
With a magnificent performing arts theatre, two black box studios and a dance studio, students are in an environment which mirrors the experience of performing on Broadway or London’s West End. This taste of what could be, instils in them the belief that they are who they aspire to be, performers, creators, directors, designers, and choreographers. Our Ignite! performance programme fosters this belief in students who are particularly committed to this path. We offer students the opportunity to take on larger and more challenging roles in smaller cast performances, to participate in specialised workshops not in the curriculum such as makeup artistry; we offer master classes in audition technique and support in creating a performing arts portfolio.
This goes hand-in-hand with our existing relationships with Evolve Arts who deliver our LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) examinations, Auckland Dance, the Royal Shakespeare Company and ISTA which give our students the opportunity to work with professionals from all areas of the performing arts industry. Students who are in the Ignite! programme will have a dedicated mentor from the faculty to nurture them in their pursuits and help them identify their choice of career. Students no longer have to grapple with the question of who they want to be when the grow up because through Ignite! we support our students in discovering who they want to be now. Students will have access to working with directors, actors, producers and designers in the Performing Arts Industry creating a network of contacts to help them in their chosen pathways.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna began her marketing and communications career in Poland working in the fast-moving consumer goods industry for several years before moving to Australia with her husband in 2017. In Canberra, Anna worked in the tertiary education sector and held the position of Marketing and Communications Manager at the Australian National University Medical School before moving to Singapore in 2020 and taking up the role of Communications Manager at Dulwich College (Singapore).
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Dulwich College (Singapore) is a leading international school with a British independent school ethos, drawing upon the proud 400-year heritage, excellence, innovation, and values of the founding school in London. Part of the Dulwich College International network of schools, Dulwich College (Singapore) has a global outlook and contemporary approach, reflecting the diversity of the students from 2 to 18 years. Visit singapore.dulwich.org for more information.
