General Information About the Season of Excellence
General Information
What is the VCE Season of Excellence?
The annual VCE Season of Excellence comprises twelve concerts (Top Class and Top Acts), two exhibitions (Top Designs and Top Arts) and multiple screenings of short films (Top Screen) presented in Melbourne’s prestigious cultural venues, March–June.
All work presented has been created by a representative sample of the most outstanding VCE students from the previous year.
The Season is a cross-sectional project, involving students from government, Catholic and independent schools. Staff from the three sectors are on audition and selection panels. The aim of the Season is to benchmark for VCE assessment and curriculum through showcasing exemplary student work and associated education programs.
The Season directly supports the VCAA’s goal to support high quality education, recognise student achievement and best practice teaching, and encourage students to move into allied work areas and further study.
Top Screen presents films including short fictions, animation and documentaries created by VCE Media students, plus associated education sessions with the filmmakers and state reviewers. Selection for Top Screen is by application. VCE Media students confident of achieving a very high score are invited to submit the Top Screen application form by Thursday 16 October.
Short listing of applications occurs in October/November. Short listed applicants are advised by 1 December with the final outcome announced in mid-January. Top Screen will launch Season 2009 on 3 March.
Date: Launch: 6.30 pm Tuesday 3 March
Location: Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Flinders Street
Federation Square
Melbourne
Program information will be available shortly.
Top Class presents eleven concerts by outstanding VCE performing arts students who have completed VCE Dance and VCE VET Dance, Drama, Theatre Studies, VCE Music Solo performance and Music Group performance. Performances are compered by the Chief Assessors and some are followed by Q and A sessions.
Top Class Sound was introduced in 2008. It features performances (acoustic, digital and/or screen based) of original musical works by students undertaking VCE Art, Media, Music Group performance, Music Solo performance, Music Styles, Studio Arts and/or Visual Communication and Design who have created original music as part of Unit 3 and 4 Assessment tasks.
Selection for all Top Class concerts (except for Sound) is by audition, held in January and February. Students who receive a very high score in the October performance examinations are invited to audition by mail after VCE results are made public in mid-December.
Only Top Class Sound requires an application and application forms are due on Thursday 16 October. The other Top Class performers do not require applications.
Top Class Drama and Theatre Studies
Date: 13 and 14 March
Venue: Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank
Top Class Sound and Top Class Music Solo performance and Top Class Music Group Performance
Date: TBC
Location: Iwaki Auditorium, ABC Centre, Southbank.
Top Class VCE Dance and VCE VET Dance
Date; TBC
Venue: National Theatre, St Kilda.
Bookings and pricing information will be available in October.
Each year up to 40 performers are selected from the Top Class concert series to appear in Top Acts.
Top Designs is an annual exhibition presenting work created by students who completed VCE Media, Design and Technology, Food and Technology, Systems Engineering, Visual Communication and Design and VCE VET Multimedia. The exhibition is held at Melbourne Museum and is also part of the Museum designed to inspire initiative.
Works include furniture and objects made using wood, metal or plastic, garments and articles using fibre, yarn and fabric, graphic and product design, short films, interactive media, publishing, photography, food, mechanical and electronic projects. Works are accompanied by folios, work briefs, production plans, client feedback and evaluation, storyboards, scripts and design plans. In 2009 VCE VET Multimedia will be included in Top Designs for the first time.
Top Designs includes associated education programs for each study for students coordinated with Melbourne Museum.
Selection for Top Designs is by application. VCE students who are confident they will receive a very high score are encouraged to submit an application. Top Designs application forms are due on Thursday 16 October 2008.
Short listing takes place in October and November by panels convened for each study. Panels include the State Reviewer and Assistant State Reviewer, a regional teacher and subject association representative. Short listed students are advised by 1 December and invited to bring in selected work and developmental folio/record on 9 and 10 December 2008 for the final selection.
Dates: 21 March–12 July
Location: Melbourne Museum
Program, bookings and pricing information will be available in November.
Top Designs 2008 and 2007 catalogues and CD-ROM are available for $20 including postage. Pre-payment is necessary with the Top Designs 2008 Catalogue and CD-ROM Order Form/Tax Invoice (PDF - 104KB). The Top Design 2009 catalogue will be available on 21 March 2009
Top Arts is an exhibition of painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, film, drawing and printmaking produced by VCE Art and VCE Studio Arts students, held at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Education programs include introductory lectures, folio viewings floor talks, sessions with exhibitors, education officers and the curator.
Selection for Top Arts is by application. VCE Art and Studio Arts students confident they will receive a very high score are encouraged to submit an application. The application form is due on Thursday 16 October 2008.
Short listing takes place in October by a six-member panel comprising the State Reviewers for each study, a regional teacher representative, two NGV staff from the Education and Programs unit and the coordinating curator. Short listed students will be advised by 1 December and invited to bring in the selected artworks and developmental work on 3 December 2008 for final selection.
Top Arts:VCE 2008
Date: 25 March–14 June
Location: The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Federation Square
Program, bookings and pricing information will be available in October.
Information about Top Arts 2008: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/toparts/
Top Acts is an evening concert which presents up to 40 performers from the Top Class concert series in one stunning event. Dance, Drama, Theatre Studies, Music Solo and Group performances and original musical works are blended together into a dynamic presentation at the Arts Centre’s Hamer Hall.
Date: 7.30 pm Friday 22 May 2009
Location: The Arts Centre, Hamer Hall
St Kilda Road , Melbourne
Bookings and pricing information will be available early in 2009.
DVD’s of top acts 2007 and 2008 are available for purchase. Prepayment is required with the Catalogue and DVD Sale – VCE Season of Excellence form (PDF - 104KB).
Application forms for Season 2009
- Top Arts (PDF - 537KB)
- Top Class: Sound (PDF - 131KB)
- Top Designs
- Media (includes Top Screen, PDF - 112KB)
- Technology (Design and Technology, Food and Technology, Systems Engineering) (PDF - 116KB)
- Visual Communication and Design Unit 3 (PDF - 136KB)
- Visual Communication and Design Unit 4 (PDF - 112KB)
- VCE VET Multimedia (PDF - 110KB)
Copyright Clearance for applications
Applicants submitting works for Top Screen, Top Designs and Top Arts should seek copyright clearance on all non-original material used, as works cannot be shown that do not have evidence of clearances.
- Copyright clearance
-
Music: use in student films and home videos (www.copyright.org.au)
Note: This link will take you to the Australian Copyright Council website. Scroll down the list of Information Sheets to Music: use in student films and home videos.
Tips for taking photographs
A successful application relies on you presenting the best possible image of your work. Initial selection is made from your photograph. A poor quality photograph limits your chance of selection. Please note the following recommendations for taking photographs.
- If one work is comprised of multiple pieces it is recommended that you photograph works individually as well as showing the work as a whole. Only one application form is required for this work.
- Place the work of art against a clean, one colour background, preferably a light coloured wall.
- Use the best camera available to you. Use a good quality 100 ISO colour print film. Black and white film is acceptable for black and white images only.
- Make sure the image is sharply focused and fills as much of the frame as possible.
- Don't take the photograph on an angle that distorts the image. Stand squarely in front of it.
- If a flash is used, beware of strong reflections caused by glass and other reflective surfaces. Photograph before framing if you can.
- If the work is generally very dark or very light, it is difficult for a camera to automatically calculate the required exposure. If you can, take a number of photographs using different exposures. Try to bracket the exposure by trying one stop more and one stop less as well as the exposure setting indicated by the camera.
