Carlton North Primary School

The Lee St ‘Rhythm of Life’ Performing Arts Festival

While the Melbourne International Arts Festival was buzzing around town in October, Carlton North Primary School joined the performance spirit and conducted a three – day extravaganza of their own: The Lee St ‘Rhythm of Life’ Performing Arts Festival.

The school has never tried anything as challenging or as innovative as this before, but the project turned into twenty solid, fabulous and fun-filled hours of music, dance and drama!
Launched by the playwright Michael Gurr and Neighbours star Janet Andrewartha, the Festival kicked off on Tuesday 24th October with a re-jigged version of the song ‘The Rhythm of Life’ sung by the whole school, followed by a School Parade through the streets of Carlton.
Multi-layered in format, the festival gave students countless opportunities to enhance their learning and to ‘strut their stuff.’

Over the three days students were involved in small individual performances, large scale original grade plays and whole school events. Local high schools were invited to perform and this offer was taken up most enthusiastically by Fitzroy High School, who brought rock bands, dancers and singers to entertain their primary school mates, who loved every minute of it.
The other really exciting aspect of the preparation was the intense involvement of 130 second-year Primary Education students, together with three very inspiring Arts Education lecturers. Some of these students worked at the school in the Performing/ Visual Arts classes for a month, helping Grade 3 /4 students to develop and rehearse their plays and to document the creative journey of all concerned. Others created performances to present at the Festival while a further group produced wild costumed characters and street theatre events to embed within the Parade.
 

After the final curtain call on Thursday night the whole school community was exhausted but exhilarated!
The Principal, Christine Morrison, had this to say in the weekly Newsletter:
‘We have all had the most amazing week at Lee Street … The atmosphere of anticipation for three days and nights of fun, celebration, performance and joy could be felt by all of us. As the festival has unfolded, we have been in awe of the students’ performances, both on an individual and class basis. What this event has given to the students in terms of their learning, on so many levels is immeasurable. To see students totally engaged, genuinely applauding the efforts of each other and recognising the effort it sometimes takes to perform for others, is very special and makes you proud of our young, Lee Street people. There are many students who have grown incredibly in confidence through this experience and found new ways to challenge and stretch themselves with their learning. Many students have shown their leadership skills in a variety of ways. Above all, everyone - students and teachers – has had an enormous amount of FUN, something that we need lots of for good mental health, but in a too often crowded curriculum, doesn’t always get enough attention … Be proud Lee Street! You Rock!