Excellence & Awards

VCE Season of Excellence

Talent comes up Tops

Holly Robertson (Top Designs) and Thomas Emerson (Top Arts): the pick of the crop of creative 2017 VCE students

Image from The Acrobat series by Thomas Emerson

The 2018 VCE Season of Excellence VCAA Board Appreciation Award winners were announced on Wednesday 27 June, with Ballarat High School student Holly Robertson taking out the prize for Top Designs, and St Kevin's College graduate Thomas Emerson winning for his entry in Top Arts.

Holly's Japanese-inspired dress of linen, cotton, jute, plastic tube and wire included hand eco-dying and machine cording techniques. It took her more than 100 hours to produce.

Thomas used digital photography to explore his theme of challenging perceptions of reality. The Acrobatic series is an experimental photo series that explores concepts of connection, physics and surrealism. He was influenced by the surrealist works of René Magritte and Hungarian photographer Sarolta Bán.

Seeing his work exhibited at the NGV was a surreal moment itself for Thomas.

'I was very surprised. I didn't think I was going to make the first round. I ended up making it into Top Arts and from there … it was a massive surprise,' he said.

Holly was a talented athlete in the triple jump, long jump, and 100-metre hurdles. She took up textile arts after being sidelined by a series of injuries.

Holly models her dress, which was influenced by global sustainability and eco-design

Holly said it was amazing to have been selected from such a strong field.

'Academically as well as artistically it was really exciting because it's such a prestigious exhibition in Victoria,' she said.

On exhibiting at the Melbourne Museum, she said 'it felt weird seeing Phar Lap in one room, and then my work in the next.'

The VCE Season of Excellence is a five-month annual arts festival showcasing outstanding work by senior secondary students from Victorian schools. The season presents works created by VCE students in design, technology, multimedia and the cinematic, visual and performing arts through exhibitions, screenings and performances. It is supported by talks, forums and panel discussions, catalogues, programs and online material.

The VCE Season of Excellence is produced by the VCAA in collaboration with some of Melbourne's most treasured cultural venues.

Back to Top

Plain English Speaking Award

Young speechmakers say it in plain English

Top (L to R): Alessandra Negline, Caitlin Grieve, Karmil Nguyen.
Bottom (L to R): Samuel Roach, Jade Vergara, Susan Malikoff.

Six inspiring Victorian students will take to the stage at Treasury Theatre on Wednesday 25 July in the state final of the Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) coordinated by the VCAA.

PESA celebrates the perspectives of students aged 15 to 18, encouraging them to delve into issues they are passionate about and share their ideas and opinions in a public forum.

This year more than 180 students competed in a series of regional finals across Victoria. In reaching the state final, each student has demonstrated outstanding skill in research, speechwriting and public speaking.

The six finalists are:

• Caitlin Grieve from Ballarat Grammar, speaking about farming for the future
• Susan Malikoff from Warrnambool College, speaking about the global garment industry
• Jade Vergara from Waverley Christian College, discussing the Australian organ donation system
• Samuel Roach from St Kevin’s College, discussing boyhood and the coming of age
• Alessandra Negline from Loreto Mandeville Hall, exploring the roots of gender inequality
• Karmil Nguyen from Suzanne Cory High School, who argues that domestic violence is more than just a women’s issue.

The winner of the state final will compete in the national final in Darwin on Monday 13 August 2018. They will also receive a trophy donated by the Australia–Britain Society (Victoria) and a book voucher donated by the English Speaking Union (Victorian Branch).

The winner of the state final will compete in the national final in Darwin on Monday 13 August 2018. They will also receive a trophy donated by the Australia–Britain Society (Victoria) and a book voucher donated by the English Speaking Union (Victorian Branch).

The winner of the National PESA competition will secure a coveted place at the English Speaking Union's International Public Speaking Competition (ISPC) in London, the world's largest youth public speaking event. More than 50,000 students compete worldwide for the chance to represent their country at the ISPC.

The 2016 National and Victorian PESA winner Luke Macaronas won the 2017 ISPC in May, becoming the second student in five years to win for Australia. He will compere the Victorian state finals this year.

The 2018 PESA Victorian finals will be held on Wednesday 25 July at 9.00am at the Treasury Theatre, 1 MacArthur Street, East Melbourne.

For information see Notice to Schools 57/2018 or visit the Plain English Speaking Award webpage.

Back to Top

VCE Leadership Awards

2018 VCE Leadership Awards

Applications are open for the 2018 VCE Leadership Awards, which recognise the efforts of VCE students in promoting leadership and participation in their school and community. Applications close on Friday 10 August 2018. Refer to Notice to Schools 53/2018 for details.

Back to Top