The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy Student and Parent Handbook

Student and Parent Handbook

WELCOME

Welcome to the Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy in 2023!

Please read the following conditions of enrolment into the Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy.

Upon agreement and acceptance of your offer in the Academy, students and parents are in acceptance and agreement to abide by all the conditions set forth by St Columba Anglican School for the Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy. The conditions will also include any instruction delivered via verbal or written form during your involvement in the Academy.

The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy reserves the right to terminate any student’s enrolment at any time for misconduct, inability to perform, inability to abide and adhere to the ethos and students and parent expectations of St Columba Anglican School and the Iona Peak Academy. Such misconduct includes (but is not limited to) inappropriate actions by either the student or their parents.

Please note that students will not be permitted to Academy classes or activities until these conditions have been accepted via the link provided in your acceptance letter.

Our Philosophy

The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy is part of our commitment to inspire young musicians, dancers, actors and vocalists to continue to excel and pursue a lifelong passion for their artforms.

The Academy believes that performing arts equips those passionate and diligent with skills that are more than a hobby or a brief professional pursuit. It’s a call to greatness and an opportunity to contribute and make a difference.

This philosophy is based on the belief that talent is valuable but that effort combined with a desire to grow and achieve make a sustainable career possible. Students will be mentored with techniques and skills that will instil self-discipline, technique and a positive work ethic.

The Academy is centred around developing the whole person in readiness with multiple skills across the performing arts to help prepare for a career in the realm of the entertainment industry. This means developing making, composing and entrepreneurial skills so that students feel confident in seeking casual or contractual employment in their skilled areas to be able to support themselves working across a range of areas in the industry. From performer to director, to sound and lights production assistant, stage manager, film maker, editor or even theatre barista! Our aim is to be able to provide as many skills and experiences possible for each child to benefit.

EXPECTATIONS

To agree to the conditions of the Academy, the students and families need to understand the importance of the bespoke journey that will be scoped for them in collaboration with the Director of Performing Arts, the students and their families.

Partaking in Performing Arts Co-curricular and Co-curricular Plus (User Pay) Programs and Academy Students Ongoing Commitment and Membership to Performing Arts Groups and Ensembles.

Academy students have been selected for their vocational interests and ability to manage a greater balance of performing arts training experiences with the goal to develop a well rounded preparedness for further study and career pursuants in the realm of the performing arts industry.

It is an expectation that each Academy student is involved in a range of co-curricular and/or co-curricular plus (user pay) activities. Students and families need to understand that the work of Academy students needs to be at the forefront of the performing arts profile of the school and Academy students hold the honour of being Ambassadors of the Performing Arts Academy within the school.

Attendance and Participation in Workshops and Masterclasses.

The Director of Performing Arts will work closely with families and students to ensure that the workshops provided will be designed for best fit with their skills and abilities. To make the workshop worthwhile for a number of Academy students and be able to invite other performing arts students to partake in the workshop. The main service of the workshop may be delivered to a broader audience to encompass a larger group of students. However, as part of the workshop and masterclass experience, the experience will also have smaller tutorial components to be able to work closely with Academy students to refine skills and offer specialised guidance in their areas of interest.

This will mean that workshops brought to the School for the benefit of chosen Academy students are indeed purposefully designed with a selection of students in mind in order for the experience to provide skills and connection for the students in their chosen areas of expertise.

No Prima Ballerinas or Prima Ballerinos!

The Academy recognises that the Iona Peak experience is a bespoke approach to navigating the curriculum in secondary school. However, it is only for those who are self-motivated, proactive in their learning and already have a willingness to perform and work collaboratively with their like minded peers and their teachers. Academy students will be challenged with an immersive approach to developing their skills across multiple artforms linked to the performing arts industry. Students must be able to listen to and implement feedback given by their mentors, teachers, Alumni connections and industry guests. Personalised feedback is designed to enrich each student on their bespoke journey.

Throughout their Academy experience, we expect that students and families treat all faculty teachers, industry guests and workshop leaders as well as Alumni connections with utmost respect. The Academy is only as successful as the commitment, respect and energy brought to it by students, families and the teachers and alumni. Any disrespect, demands or undermining the importance of the programs will result in the termination of the agreement and the membership of you child in the Academy. If a termination of agreement occurs there will be no refunds returned.

The Right Academy Attitude for Students and Families

Academy students are expected to immerse themselves fully in each learning experience. The Academy experiences will be delivered in a range of formats.

Academy Dance, Drama and Music

In 2023, the weekly Academy classes will be held during the whole year Sport time. This means that your child will opt to select “Iona Peak” during sport time.

Stage 4 Mondays 11:30am to 1:00pm

Stage 5 Fridays 11:30am to 1:00pm

Academy Performance Opportunities

Throughout the course of 2023 there will be scope for Academy students to participate in a range of workshops to develop their skills across the performing arts forms. Not all workshops will be relevant to all Academy students. As each student’s pathway will be different. So some students may attend all workshops across all artforms, whilst some may attend only the workshop in their single or double area of interest.

One-Time Annual Fee Membership for 2023

The membership cost in 2023 will be a one-time annual fee of $1350.

There will be no further costs, and this fee covers all accommodation and travel costs involved in the tour to Sydney, as well as all experiences, costumes and materials throughout 2023.

Do More. Be More.

About the Academy

The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy further enhances our offerings to students, who might otherwise need to leave the area to follow their performance aspirations. The programs delivered are purposefully designed with our students' abilities and pathways in mind.

Each student in Iona Peak has been selected for their experience, skill, vocational interest in two or more of the performing art forms. The suite of offerings allow the design of bespoke programs for students across the artforms. Mentors and industry professionals will contribute guidance working from time to time with individuals and small ensembles to foster artistic growth while supporting students’ academic success.

The experience in the Academy will equip students with confidence, skills, more performance opportunities and the opportunity to produce performing artworks across the range of dance, drama, music and production design.

The experiences and enrichment opportunities members of the Academy will have will inspire students to focus their talents, share their passions with others and connect to the industry in readiness for lifelong learning and pursuits in the performing arts industry.

The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy is consistently focused on a single mission:

‘Training the best and brightest students to become industry ready. The Academy prepares students for life-long learning and entrepreneurial skills in the vast field of performing arts and connects them to industry professionals, providing students a springboard into the greater performing arts network in Australia and abroad.

The Academy offers a plethora of training opportunities to inspire students to create, connect and contribute across the artforms. Under the guidance of our Performing Arts faculty, students will explore respected techniques delivered by industry professionals, esteemed artists and passionate educators from across Australia and abroad.

At the heart of the Academy’s training design are the opportunities to perform and showcase student works. Academy students will participate in more performances throughout the year from full-scale productions to showcases, pop-up performances and regular Twilight Soirees in our purpose-built, state of the art Iona Theatre and recital rooms on our campus.

When you consider the diverse needs of our passionate student body, varying class sizes and intensive, well-balanced curriculum, you’ll realise that The Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy is simply unrivalled among schools of its kind.

Immersive Educational Experience

The Academy will connect students with a range of master instructors composed of industry performers, selected alumni, composers and directors. All mentors will come with a wealth of both industry knowledge and educational knowledge. Along with their industry experience, they are genuinely dedicated to supporting individual progress throughout students’ membership in The Academy.

The Academy values the integrity and discipline of classically trained techniques across the artforms. We value individually supporting each student’s growth in their skills and artform.

Iona Peak students should continue their usual training and we will also address self-care, adjunct training and wellbeing. These are important aspects and dispositions needed to provide awareness and techniques for young people to be able to notice and look after their own wellbeing as they navigate a career in the performing arts industry.

Academy of Excellence

The Academy’s educational design has the student at the very heart. It has a genuine foundation built upon experiences and preparedness. Our program creates a foundation of profound discovery, growth and development of skills to enhance student confidence and experience as a performer and best equips students for a life long career of study and work in the entrepreneurial world of the performing arts industry. Our education will ignite passion and empower students in an environment where a young performer can find their deepest potential.

Academy members, as part of their individual program, will be offered access to the 2023 Peak experiences:

Industry Connections

The Academy has an ongoing commitment to enriching the student’s experience by inviting notable alumni, industry

professionals, local artists, celebrities and established working artists. They will visit the campus throughout the year with the purpose of sharing their professional insight in an intimate group setting. On offer, there will be bespoke masterclasses and smaller workshop opportunities students will be able to book as part of this insight into the Entertainment Industry. The Industry Insight Connections provide candid advice and an invaluable opportunity to ask questions about the industry, and students have the opportunity to connect with our guest speakers.

Workshops and Masterclasses

We will be offering new workshops and masterclasses across the disciplines of Acting, Dance, Instrumental and Vocal.

Regional Shakespeare Carnival Academy members will represent the School and assist in running the first Regional Shakespeare Carnival hosted by St Columba Anglican School.

Carnival dates:

Term 2, Week 1

In-school competition

Term 2, Week 3 or 4

Semi-finals

Term 2, Week 8

If successful, we will represent the School and travel to Sydney for the State Finals, consisting of workshops and competitions, held over the June long weekend.

Iona Peak Academy Tour to Sydney

Iona Peak Academy students, along with featured Peak Academy faculty, will travel to Sydney to perform samples of their repertoire to other selected performing arts students in schools around Sydney. They will also engage in shared workshop experiences at these schools as well as bespoke workshops in selected areas of

performing arts. These workshops will depend on the variety of performing art disciplines students are enrolled in. There will also be opportunities to attend live performances across a range of mediums.

Industry Insight Connections Workshops, Masterclasses, Guest Speakers

The Academy has an ongoing commitment to enrich the students’ experience by inviting notable alumni, industry professionals, local artists, celebrities and established working artists. They will visit the campus throughout the year with the purpose of sharing their professional insight in an intimate group setting. The Industry Insight Connections provide candid advice and invaluable opportunity to ask questions about the industry and students have the opportunity to connect with our guest speakers.

Academy students will:

• have the opportunity to access the widest range of cocurricular training programs and participation in Performing Arts events run by the School;

• be required to select relevant academic electives and courses, in consultation with the Director, in order to be a part of the Academy;

• need to show that they are meeting the School’s behavioural standards and educational requirements to maintain their place in the Academy.

The Academy will offer the opportunity for St Columba students to:

• access first class training and artistic development in an excellent regional school environment, developing individual student talent while allowing them to be a part of the St Columba learning community and achieve exceptional academic results;

• nurture, encourage, inspire and change lives through creativity, collaboration and performance;

• The Academy will create a series of concerts, recitals and performances that enable members to display the diligence and quality of performance achieved by our gifted students.

• be guided in creating a portfolio that will enhance their further artistic progress on graduation from St Columba.

If you are ready to work, ready to have fun, ready to create great work, ready to enjoy your craft and ready to be inspired and inspire others through your achievements, then the Iona Peak Performing Arts Academy is ready for you.

Do More. Be More.

This is our simple yet boundless motto. The Academy reserves the right to design a bespoke journey for each child as they navigate formal education at St Columba Anglican School.