VCE Season of Excellence 2018 commences

Ceridwen McCooey performing her composition, Nothing to do with calypso, at Top Class Sound.

The VCE Season of Excellence 2018 has officially begun, with Top Class Sound taking place on Friday 23 February. The Top Class concert series celebrate exceptional 2017 VCE and VCE VET student performances in music, dance, drama and theatre studies.

Top Class Sound was held at the iconic Melba Hall at the University of Melbourne. Eleven inspiring students were invited to present their original music compositions to a delighted audience, demonstrating professionalism and creativity beyond their young years. Each work was composed for various forms and instrumentation, including big bands, chamber groups, jazz ensembles and piano soloists.

The Top Class concert series continues with Top Class Dance on Thursday 1 March and Top Class Music on Tuesday 6 March at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Top Class Drama and Theatre Studies performances will be held on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 March at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne.

On Thursday 8 March the short films, documentaries, music videos and animations of talented VCE Media students from 2017 will launch at the highly anticipated Top Screen film festival. During the festival’s nine-week run attendees will have the opportunity to meet the up-and-coming filmmakers, listen to industry professionals and participate in talks that explore the process behind each student’s work. Top Screen closes on Wednesday 9 May.

Melbourne Museum will be hosting the Top Designs exhibition, which opens on Saturday 17 March. Top Designs is an exciting exhibit to attend, with diverse work and folios featured from students who studied VCE Media, Product Design and Technology, Systems Engineering, Theatre Studies, Visual Communication Design and VCE VET Creative and Digital Media in 2017. School groups will have the opportunity to participate in education programs featuring VCAA representatives and industry guests until the exhibition closes on Sunday 15 July.

Top Arts is presented by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). The showcase runs from Friday 23 March to Sunday 15 July, and features magnificent work from VCE Art and Studio Arts students from 2017. Professional learning opportunities for teachers and folio viewings are offered in conjunction with the exhibition, which can be booked through the NGV.

The final event in the Season of Excellence program is Top Acts, a stand-alone concert curated from performances featured during the Top Class series. Top Acts blends original music, contemporary and classical music, dance, drama and theatre studies acts into one spectacular evening. This highly anticipated event will take place on Friday 11 May at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

The Season is a remarkable opportunity for current and future students to gain insights from their peers, and prepare them for artistic and creatively oriented VCE studies. Students who attend the Season gather inspiration for their own work, and learn valuable information from VCE assessors and industry professionals in their field of expertise. For further information on the events being held across the Season, and how you can book tickets, please visit the VCE Season of Excellence webpage. Please note that the 2018 Top Class Music concerts have sold out.

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