Excellence & Awards

Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships

Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships for Music Performance and Music Composition

The Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships were established by the family of musician and educator Margaret Schofield and are open to students who have completed their VCE at a government secondary school.

The scholarships encourage students to pursue their careers in music by contributing $7000 towards the cost of tertiary education in music.

Margaret Schofield was one of Australia's leading pianists, with a distinguished career including performances as a soloist, accompanist, and actively teaching the piano for almost 60 years. She continued to teach and play until almost 80 years of age.

Fiona Cochrane, daughter of Margaret Schofield and Trustee of the Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships, said her mother was committed to helping others.

'As someone who grew up without a lot of money in her family, my mother was keen to help promising musicians whatever their financial circumstances,' she said.

'She frequently taught students and accompanied students for low fees as well as giving many concerts for charity, so her social justice attitude was present throughout her life. We have tried to continue it with this scholarship,' Ms Cochrane said.

Applications for the Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships are invited from government school students of VCE Style and Composition, VCE Music Investigation, VCE Music Performance and/or VCE VET Music. For more information see the VCAA website .

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VCE Season of Excellence

Top Designs, Top Screen and Top Class Sound

The VCE Season of Excellence provides a number of opportunities to showcase student work and highlight the extraordinary talent of Victoria's VCE students. This year, for the first time all application forms will be online.

Student Events Manager Miranda Picton-Warlow said the all-online process will make it easier than ever for students to apply for Top Designs, Top Screen and Top Class Sound, which are signature programs in the five-month Season of Excellence.

'With students needing to apply for parts of the Season at such a busy time of year, the online process takes the stress out of having to put together a hard copy application and make sure that it is posted and received by the deadline,' she said.

Top Designs is an annual exhibition at Melbourne Museum presenting work created by students who completed VCE Media, Product Design and Technology, Theatre Studies, Systems Engineering, Visual Communication Design or VCE VET studies. Top Screen is a festival of short films produced in collaboration with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and features the VCE Media films displayed in Top Designs on the cinema screen.

Top Class Sound showcases original compositions by VCE and VCE VET music students from the previous year, in a spectacular concert in Melba Hall at the University of Melbourne. Selections of student work are showcased to demonstrate the creativity and sophistication of VCE performing arts students from 2018.

Students who complete VCE Music Performance, Music Investigation and/or VCE VET Music who have composed their own work and can arrange a high-quality live performance can apply for selection. Students who have composed works for VCE Music Style and Composition are not required to submit an application. Works will be selected via the Externally Assessed Task process. The VCAA will contact students to confirm that a high-quality live performance of the work can be organised.

Online applications for Top Designs, Top Screen and Top Class Sound will open on 1 September 2018. For more information see the VCAA website.

Recognising the work and contribution of VCE students is a great way to inspire students to continue a journey of lifelong learning. If you require assistance with the awards or would like more information, please contact VCAA on (03) 9032 1627. Please refer to Notice to Schools 73/2018.

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