By Natashya Fernandez
The 2017 Annual Performing Arts Festival was officially opened with a commemorative Mass on Friday 21 July at Morley Parish Infant Jesus Church.
The Mass saw some 50 schools participate with performances from St Brigid’s College, Mazenod College and Corpus Christi College.
The Mass was celebrated by Perth Auxiliary Bishop the Most Reverend Donald Sproxton and concelebrated with Frs Sunny P Abraham OCD, Tadgh Tierney OCD and John Pallippadan together with Fra Christopher Ross OSM as well as many dignitaries including Chair Catholic Arts John Aldous and Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Executive Director Dr Tim McDonald.
Catholic Arts Chair John Aldous welcomed everyone to the Mass and said that it was wonderful to see so many students and staff representing their schools.
“As the chair of Catholic Arts, I’d like to formally welcome everyone to the 28th Annual Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges, in particular to Bishop Don who has been a great supporter of the arts in our Catholic schools,” Mr Aldous said.
“I also would like to thank Dr McDonald for finding time in his busy schedule to be here today and for his ongoing support of the arts in our schools,” he said.
“The festival officially commenced on 19 July with two events – bible reading and Christian drama; and will conclude with our final concert at the Perth concert hall on Monday 11 September.
“This year’s festival has 110 schools participating overall, including 11 regional schools with about 2,552 entries received and some 19,836 students performing over the next six weeks in the festival, which we believe is a record level of student participation.
“Our festival enables many students in our schools to showcase their talents and the dedication of our students, support of their families and the hard work of the teachers and tutors and the generosity of the many volunteers are all essential ingredients of what promises to be yet another successful festival,” Mr Aldous added.
Bishop Sproxton said that it is great occasion to come and join students and staff of our schools to begin this very special time, the annual event of the performing arts festival.
“We are today in this Mass, asking our Lord to accompany us and to help us discover him in the ways in which he will be acting in us in this festival.
“So we pray in the Lord, to give us that sense of his presence not only today, but in every week that follows in the festival,” Bishop Sproxton said.
He mentioned stories of refugees he has come in contact with in his time at parishes. Another story that stood out is the story of Anh Do, a Vietnamese refugee who is now a big TV personality in Australia.
“Anh Do, himself a refugee, paint portraits on his TV program, Brush with Fame. He paints while having a conversation with a well-known personality and at the end of the program he reveals the portrait to his guest.
“The guest is amazed to see how well he has captured something of their likeness and character, but also something much deeper within them. He has an eye for the inner depths of his guest. Anh seems to be able to look deep into their souls.
“I think Anh’s insight into the lives of others comes from his own self-discovery. He has perception because he has made his own journey within himself first. His inner life leads him to understand the people he meets.
“When we learn to express ourselves in language, spoken in words, or in the language of dance and acting, we are increasing in our knowledge of ourselves. Sometimes we can be amazed at what we learn about ourselves,” Bishop Sproxton added.
While this learning is very precious, Bishop Sproxton said that it often equips us with a knowledge that enables us to look into the heart of others with new understanding.
“Going about learning and mastering new things will reveal what perhaps has been hidden in us. In the area of the performing arts our learning can engage our minds and hearts. New ways of expressing ourselves from the heart are offered.
“The Annual Performing Arts Festival in which so many of the students of our Catholic schools and colleges participate is a great blessing for the new learning and the wonderful outcomes it makes possible for us. Any learning begins from an awareness that there is something more for us to know.
“I pray today with you all that the Festival is a wonderful event in the life of our schools and colleges. Let us pray that it will be a blessing for each participant and that it may help us to know the beauty of God and his closeness to us,” Bishop Sproxton said.
Dr McDonald officially opened the 28th Annual Performing Arts Festival and said that it gave him great pleasure to be present at the Mass.
“What a wonderful way to start term three than to come here to celebrate and to showcase the wonderful performances that we will have in the festival, this coming term.
“It’s great to have 110 schools performing this year. I would like to acknowledge that this can only happen with the dedication and the hard work of our teachers in our schools and college. I would like to thank you for your generosity, time, expertise, skill and your faith in leading these young people in the arts.
“That’s only possible because you have visionary leaders leading the schools and I thank the principals that promote the arts in the schools.
“This festival gives students the opportunities to not only grow in their faith but also their fellowship with other students when they share these experiences of performing together. I am proud to work in a system which acknowledges the important role created expression plays not only in learning development but also faith formation.
“The Pope said – put your talents at the service of the Gospel with creativity and boundless charity. I wish you all the very best of luck and look forward to enjoying many memorable performances at the end concert,” Mr McDonald concluded.