Excellence and awards
Top Designs 2022 opens
Top Designs was officially launched on Friday 1 April at Melbourne Museum. Suzy Chandler, Executive Director of Curriculum, was the master of ceremonies and congratulated this year’s exhibitors, ‘who exemplify the highest standards within their studies’.
Top Designs showcases the work of the highest-achieving students from across Victoria. This year, 83 students had their works selected from close to 1,000 submissions.
The studies represented in Top Designs 2022 include VCE Media, Product Design and Technology, Theatre Studies, Systems Engineering and Visual Communication Design, VCE VET Creative and Digital Media, VET Integrated Technologies, VET Furnishing and VET Music Industry (Sound Production).
Top Designs will be open until Sunday 10 July. Bookings can be made through the Melbourne Museum. Visit the Season Hub for further details and updates.
Part of the Top Designs 2022 gallery space at Melbourne Museum, with Product Design and Technology works on display. Photo by Nicole Cleary.
Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships recipients announced
Congratulations to two recipients of a Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarship for Performance, who were recently recognised at this year’s Top Class Music.
Sujie Kim from Glen Waverley Secondary College and Virtual School Victoria has played violin since the age of 7. She is continuing her music studies with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the University of Melbourne, building her skills as a chamber and orchestral musician, and intends to participate in violin competitions both locally and internationally in the coming years.
Ava McDermott from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School is studying jazz voice at the University of Melbourne and continuing classical-voice lessons. Ava wants to experiment with new arrangements for jazz standards in an ensemble so she can gain confidence in playing cohesively and exchanging ideas with peers.
Mia Robinson from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School was the third recipient of a Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarship for Performance. She has been studying Classical Voice at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School since 2016 and is now pursuing music at a tertiary level. Mia would like to study overseas and learn about history, art and culture to provide further context to her singing repertoire.
From left: Sujie Kim, Fiona Cochrane, Trustee of the Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarships, and Ava McDermott at Top Class Music 2022. Photo by Nicole Cleary.
The family of the late Margaret Schofield established the scholarships in her name to recognise her achievements as a musician and her commitment to music education. Successful applicants receive a $7,000 scholarship to assist them with pursuing their passion of music in tertiary education. Applications are open each year to students who have completed their VCE at a government secondary school.
Top Screen Jury Prize winners announced
Each year, the Top Screen Jury Prize celebrates outstanding filmmaking talent to encourage further development of skills and passion. Prize winners were announced at the Top Screen Premiere on Thursday 10 March at The Capitol, where award-winning screenwriter and playwright, Kim Ho, officially launched Top Screen 2022.
This year’s winning film was The Flower in Me by Erin Kim from Templestowe College. The first runner up was Strings by Alissa Mohamed from Narre Warren South P–12 College and the second runner up was Puppet Show by Finn Woodlock from Billanook College. Each filmmaker took home a Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Share Pass and ACMI membership, and will be invited to participate in the MIFF Schools Jury.
From left: Top Screen Jury Prize winners Alissa Mohamed, Erin Kim and Finn Woodlock.
The Jury Prize is selected by MIFF programmer Kate Fitzpatrick, MIFF publications and content manager Adolfo Aranjuez, ACMI school programs producer Garry Westmore, and Alice McShane, program manager of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival.
The winning film, The Flower in Me, is an animation about self-acceptance and celebration.
‘Some of the best art manages to encapsulate commentary in a single frame or mere minutes, and The Flower in Me is one such work,’ said Adolfo Aranjuez. ‘The film is profound in its simplicity – its clean lines and hand-drawn style belie a work that is tremendously imaginative, presenting a world of creatures at once humanoid and cervid, where coming of age is marked by the blooming of a flower bud and a goldfish-dog is a trusted confidant.’
Tickets for Top Screen 2022 screenings and education programs are currently on sale. Sessions will take place at The Capitol and ACMI until Tuesday 10 May.
Still from The Flower in Me by Erin Kim from Templestowe College.
Registrations for PESA 2022 state heats open
Registrations for the Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) 2022 are now open.
PESA is a public-speaking competition for students aged 15–18 years. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to build self-confidence and extend their skills in oral communication, speech writing and research.
The competition encourages students from government, Catholic and independent schools to speak to their peers from other schools on topics they are passionate about.
In Australia each year states and territories organise and conduct competitions at school, regional and state levels. State winners then go to the national final, which is held in the various states and territories on a rotational basis.
Register online by 9am on Monday 2 May.
Send any questions about the state heats to the Festival and Events team.
Top Acts 2022
Bookings for Top Acts 2022 on Friday 20 May at 7.30pm are now open through the Melbourne Recital Centre. Visit the Season Hub for further details and updates.
Melanie Xuereb from Catholic Regional College, Sydenham performs at Top Acts 2021. Photo by Nicole Cleary.