Our annual Performing Arts Awards Evening, held on Thursday 13 November, was a wonderful celebration of the outstanding talent within our Dance, Drama, Music, and Entertainment programs. It was a pleasure to welcome back BDC Alumni, who continue to remain connected to the Performing Arts beyond their school years, as well as to hear an inspiring keynote address from Jack Dutson. We were also delighted to have our outgoing Arts Captains, Ella Chowdhury and Camble Scott, return to assist with the presentation of awards and trophies.

We extend our sincere thanks to all students who performed on the night and warm congratulations to our award recipients. A special thank you is also extended to the parents who generously assisted with the event’s setup and pack-down, along with our valued sponsors for their ongoing support.

For future planning, please note that our next Performing Arts Awards Evening has been scheduled for Thursday 12 November 2026.

Congratulations to Camble Scott, whose HSC Music 2 Core Composition has been nominated for possible inclusion in ENCORE, the HSC Music Showcase to be held at the Sydney Opera House on Monday 2 March 2026. In addition, at the end of last term, Camble’s HSC Music 2 and Music Extension Performance programs were also nominated for ENCORE.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Camble on these outstanding achievements and wish him the very best of luck.

On Friday 21 November, the new Music Building and Music Village were officially opened by the Right Reverend Dr Murray Harvey, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Grafton. We were fortunate to welcome a number of special guests to the ceremony, including members of the College Council and representatives from the local business community.

Thank you to the students who performed at the opening: Highly Strung, Superstrings, Tim Hardman, Adelaide Robinson, Lillian Cruwys, Matthew Healy, and Ollie Bond. Their performances added a wonderful touch to this significant occasion.

Congratulations to Callum Walraven (Year 6) who was recently awarded his AMusA Diploma for Piano at just 12 years of age. The Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA) is a prestigious diploma awarded by the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) and is considered the equivalent to an undergraduate tertiary qualification in music. It is an extremely challenging diploma, recognising outstanding talent in music performance, musicianship and musical theory.

For Callum to have achieved this result in Year 6 is truly remarkable.

A special thank you to his teacher Mimia Margiotta who worked with Callum, including online lessons, to achieve this remarkable result.

Well done Callum!

Well done to our World Options Dance class, who presented their own original compositions last week. In this unit, students are learning how to work from a stimulus to create symbolic movement that tells a story. We are proud of their creativity and growth as young choreographers.

Some familiar faces from our school community are taking part in the Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company’s production of Legally Blonde – The Musical, currently showing at the Jetty Theatre until the end of November. The musical tells the story of Elle Woods, a determined young woman who follows her dreams and challenges expectations along the way.

In this production, students, past students, teachers, and parents from our school have been involved both onstage and behind the scenes. Their contributions include performing, singing, dancing, as well as helping with stage management, costumes, lighting, and props, highlighting the wide range of skills and commitment within our community.

The show is lively, colourful, and full of humour and heart, with music and dance playing a central role. Please note it is recommended for audiences aged 12 and over due to some mature themes and language.

Performances run until the end of November at the Jetty Theatre, offering a chance to see members of our school community involved in a professional and creative local production.

On Friday 21st November, Year 12 Performing Arts students attended the 7:30pm show to support fellow student and Arts Captain Lillian Cruwys. Her performance was outstanding!

Rebecca Day
Head of Performing Arts