SGA Arts Life Brochure 2023 Entry

Arts at St George’s

Art, Drama and Music play a central part in every girl’s life at St George’s.

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Every pupil who wants to be involved has opportunities in abundance.

Whether they take centre stage in the whole school musical or help backstage as crew, every pupil who wants to be involved has opportunities in abundance.

Each year, inter-house competitions in Performing Arts, Art and Music mean that from the moment they arrive at St George’s each girl is part of a team working together towards a final piece. Pupils also have the chance to visit some of the best theatres, concert halls, galleries and venues in the world to experience plays, musicals, ballets, operas and art exhibitions.

We believe that it is these opportunities that go towards giving Georgians a unique confidence and a great appreciation for arts and culture by the time that they leave for higher education or the world of work.

The Arts are an important part of an all-round balanced education and St George’s is able to offer specialist teaching and stunning facilities to support the girls in their studies and in the plethora of co-curricular activities and opportunities on offer.

Drama is an important part of life at St George’s. It enables pupils to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, and gives them the confidence to communicate with others effectively. Girls have the opportunity to use Drama in many areas of the curriculum, as well as honing their individual skills in timetabled Drama lessons.

Drama allows girls to be creative, step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves in an environment that is nurturing but stimulating.

Drama

All pupils have curriculum drama lessons in Year 7, 8 and 9 and they are able to pursue Drama as an examination subject at both GCSE and A Level. Our ‘speciality’ Theatre Director in Residence and full time Theatre Technician mean that an environment is created where girls can push personal boundaries, channel creative energy and learn about many aspects of theatre craft, from acting to production and management.

Our superbly resourced theatre provides enviable facilities for a wide range of drama activities and allows pupils to explore many styles of staging and performance. Speech and Drama lessons are also offered as a paid extra and Speech and Drama Exams offer an ongoing measurement of progress in these areas. The gradual progression through the grades provides benchmarks for every stage of a pupil’s development. It helps to support a steady improvement in self-confidence, vocal and physical technique, and language awareness.

The school delivers the new, innovative and creative courses certified by New Era Academy. Pupils can take examinations in pairs or as individuals and, whilst no previous experience is necessary, girls are also able to continue at the level they may have previously attained in LAMDA or Trinity exams.

In addition to the Drama curriculum, St George’s has a thriving and vibrant co-curricular programme. There is a strong collaboration with the Music department and all girls in Year 8 and above are given the opportunity to take part in whole school productions which regularly feature a cast of seventy girls. Recent successes have included performances of ‘Grease’, ‘Sister Act’ and ‘The Sound of Music’. Pupils with a diverse range of talents enjoy the opportunity to participate as actors or directors, members of the technical teams responsible for stage management, make-up, lighting, sound and set designers.

The House Performing Arts Competition takes place every year in the Summer Term, and girls work across year groups to create a programme comprising a solo performance, duologue and small group piece in Drama. The aim of the department is to provide every girl with an opportunity to perform in front of an audience. The Year 7 pantomime is performed in December, with an afternoon showing watched by pupils from local primary schools and the evening performance attended by parents, friends and family. It is a fantastic opportunity for girls who are new to the school to interact with their peers and build social relationships. Performance opportunities are built into the curriculum at Key Stage Three, with all year groups taking part in the Year 8 play, and pupils in Year 9 and 10 have the opportunity to take part in the Senior Drama production.

Mrs L McConville | Director of Drama

Girls’ creative talents are nurtured by dedicated and experienced staff who recognise the importance of showing the pupils both historical and contemporary works of art to inspire art projects and encourage discussion.

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Art, Textiles & Photography

St George’s girls have an exciting passion and enthusiasm for the Arts.

From Year 7, pupils are given the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of materials through a carousel of drawing and painting, textiles, sculpture and printmaking.

All girls are given the opportunity to visit a range of renowned galleries and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition, pupils have the opportunity to enter internal competitions, as well as competitions for Windsor Festival, the Royal Ascot Art Competition and the Saatchi Gallery amongst others, frequently winning prizes.

At GCSE the girls can choose to study Art and Textiles and these subjects are also offered at A Level along with Photography.

Life drawing and supervised weekly prep sessions are offered to GCSE and A Level pupils in which they are given support by experienced teachers with their ongoing projects.

Many of St George’s artists continue their Art education on an Art Foundation course or degree and have had frequent success at entry to London’s leading art colleges such as Central St Martins as well as acceptance on degree courses such as Fine Art, Architecture, Fashion Marketing, Photography and Fashion and Business, to name a few. Alumnae have gone on to successful careers as the Fashion editor for American Vogue, a Fabric developer at Roland Mouret and a PR manager at Louboutin.

The Artist in Residence offers additional support to pupils in the Art department during lessons, art club and during art prep. During the course of their residency they will produce a portfolio of artwork to inspire pupils, working towards an end of year exhibition and enhancing the life of the department. In addition, visiting artists work with the pupils on a variety of projects and girls can push the limits of their creative talents during art club sessions.

Miss O Antolik | Head of Art

‘Music for all’ is the fundamental principle of the Music department’s work. Girls are encouraged to take part in music at all levels and most find it a part of their education and time at school that they value highly. Music is offered as an option at both GCSE and A Level.

Participation in instrumental and choral ensembles inspires loyalty, confidence, an appreciation of excellence, a feeling of community, a point of essential social contact and an aesthetic dimension to the girls’ development.

Under the guidance of first-class teaching by a team of 16 visiting staff, a large number of pupils take individual instrumental tuition on almost every instrument, with over 120 timetabled lessons each week.

Each week there are rehearsals for the Chapel Choir, First Year Choir, a ‘Rock & Pop’ choir which welcomes all voices, a Jazz Band, a Flute Group, a Junior Woodwind Group, a Guitar Ensemble, a String Ensemble and the School Orchestra*.

The full-time and visiting music staff combine to create an atmosphere in which they and the pupils can share their enthusiasm and experience and enjoy music-making to the full. The excellence of performance is a characteristic of the music here, and the Chapel Choir, in particular, enjoys an enviable reputation for its work. The Choir regularly performs at major venues here and abroad, undertakes a European Tour every other year, records regularly, has broadcast for the BBC and has sung on four occasions for HM The Queen. Each year the Choir sings at St Paul’s Cathedral, and has had a number of pieces especially composed for them. Additionally, all Year 7 girls belong to the Year 7 Choir which is great for building confidence in performance.

The Music School itself is a purpose built and well equipped building with a dozen individual teaching/practice rooms, a large classroom and direct access to the performing areas of the Chapel and the Sue Cormack Hall.

Mr I Hillier | Director of Music