Emilia a woman ahead of her time

Eliza Wood with award presenter Patti Chong.

Eliza bestowed

Australia Day Community Citizen Youth Award

Eliza Wood (Year 8) was honoured at the Australia Day Community Citizen of the Year Awards for her energy and efforts over the past two years for her initiative and development of her surf lifesaving club’s Eco Surf Programme.

Eliza was recognised by the Town of Cottesloe for her notable contribution during the last two years for her hard work not only with the North Cottesloe Surf Lifesaving Club, but to the wider Cottesloe and western suburbs community.

Eliza showed commitment and leadership above what was normally expected of a girl who, at the time of the launch of the club’s environment and sustainability programme, was only 11-years-old.

She demonstrated leadership and courage, often speaking at events of more than 400 attendees including meetings with councillors on the importance of reducing, reusing, refusing and recycling to reduce the devastating effects of plastic pollution, especially within an ocean environment.

Since its launch in November 2018, the Eco Surf Program at NCSLSC has introduced an annual Plastic Free July beach clean with partners including KABC, the Town of Cottesloe, WRMC and Pelli Bags.

Eliza and the club’s efforts have seen a positive change along the Cottesloe coast line with the installation of a publicly available refillable filtered water station care of a KABC grant, the introduction of Greenbatch recycle bins, regular Nippers beach cleans as well as inspiring local school students as part of their community service projects that being young is not a barrier to influencing change.

Emilia a woman ahead of her time

Never was there a more relevant and timely drama production than this gripping tale of England’s first woman to assert herself as a professional poet; a feminist who paved the way for women.

Written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, a woman, for an allfemale cast, Emilia takes us back 400 years. Could she have been the ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets? What of her own poetry? Why was her story erased from history? This Senior School production had the audience captivated, moved, and compelled to be the change.

“Listen to us. Listen to every woman who has come before you. Listen to every woman with you now. And listen when I say to you to take the fire as your own. That anger that you feel it is yours and you can use it. We want you to. We need you to. Look how far we’ve come already. Don’t stop now,” Emilia.

The role of Emilia Bassano was expertly portrayed by three students Saskia Boquest (Year 11), Indah Jenkins (Year 11), and Katelyn Wain (Year 12) pictured below. The 35-strong cast comprised students of varying ages and experience. Some were seasoned veterans of the stage, such as Sophie Day (Year 12), but all put on a show none will forget.

The production was directed by Drama Teacher Oliver Craze, and he reflected that the performances, which were shown over three consecutive days, were amazing.

“Every one of the girls handled the script with sensitivity and delivered it with a true in-your-face attitude and determination. They indeed were a force to be reckoned with,” Mr Craze said.

“It was exciting to see the new and emerging talent and they demonstrated that they could bravely step into their character’s shoes and deliver their roles. A brilliant example is one of the lead Emilia’s, Saskia Boquest (Year 11).

“I am enormously proud of everything they have achieved, and I thank the cast and crew for their hard work and determination.”

This play was an amateur production by arrangement with Origin Theatrical, on behalf of Nick Hern Books.