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Click the buttons below to find out more about each arts area.

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​We offer an extensive Arts programme through our Visual Arts, Music, and Drama departments, along with a range of extra-curricular opportunities. Dance has also recently become part of our Arts programme and that has added an exciting element to our area. Participation and excellence in all areas of the Arts is encouraged and subjects are offered from Year 9 through to Year 13.

​Every year, we produce a successful school Musical involving a number of students from all levels of the school covering a range of
areas in the performing arts.

Contact
If you would like to contact us about our arts and cultural events, please contact our Arts Coordinator,  Monica Parker.

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For the latest  arts news and events at WHS,  please visit our Facebook page: Wakatipu High School Queenstown.

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Drama Opportunities


Musical
Each year Wakatipu High presents a school musical that is open to students from Years 9-13. It this the highlight of the year for many of the students with a range of opportunities both off and on the stage. These include acting roles, dancers, band, backstage crew and tech crew roles. The show takes place in Term One with four performances to the public. If you enjoy musical theatre then this is one event you don’t want to miss. Teachers in Charge: Jake Hansen and Alison Price

 One Act Play
One act Play is a national competition that schools and community groups perform in. It is a celebration of New Zealand theatre. There are three different stages of the competition, heats, regionals and nationals in Wellington. WHS has competed extremely well in this competition being apart of the National finals four times in the past five years. This one is for the actors - and usually also incorporates a student director. Teacher in Charge: Jake Hansen

Sheilah Winn Shakespeare
The Sheilah Winn Shakespeare competition is a celebration of Shakespeare work. There are usually two student directors that create two Shakespeare pieces, adding their own spin on them. Regionals are in term one usually hosted in invercargill. Teacher in Charge: Jake Hansen
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Music Opportunities


Battle of the Musos
An event organised through the Youthbooth that gives students musicians an opportunity to perform in front of their peers and win prizes. Run over three nights with acoustic and band heats culminating in a final performance, this is a great chance for musicians to showcase their skills. Teacher in Charge: Alison Price
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Big Break
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This is an event run through the Rockformation organisation evening featuring student bands/musicians from around the region. It is an opportunity for musicians at all levels to showcase their skills and have experience of a live event.  Teacher in Charge: Alison Price​

Rockquest
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Rockquest is a national event that focuses on rock music. It has been running for many years and WHS bands have featured successfully throughout that time with bands making it to the top 30 acts in the past two years. It has two categories in acoustic and band and alternates between Wanaka and Queenstown for the regional section of the competition. This is open to any  bands/acoustic acts and is a key event in the music calendar.  Teacher in Charge: Alison Price
String/Woodwind Group
This is a group that involves string and woodwind instruments and runs one break a week. It focuses more on classical style music.
​ Teacher in Charge: Natasha Kumar

Itinerant Music Lessons
These lessons run throughout the year and are provided free by the ministry of education. Depending on the instrument there may be costs for instrument hire but it is still excellent value for money. The priority is for those students taking Music as a subject and is essential for anyone considering senior music courses unless they have access to lessons outside of school. 
 ​Teacher in Charge: Alison Price
 Our tutors are: Vince Leahy, Alistair Monteath and Ned Webster
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Jazz


Blenheim Jazz Festival
The Blenheim jazz trip has been a regular fixture on the WHS calendar for a long time and is an excellent opportunity for the jazz musicians. Involving around 15 schools and more than 20 acts, the Blenheim events also includes performances to the public, a masterclass, competition and the opportunity to observe other schools. This is one of the best learning experiences and we have been fortunate to achieve some great results over the past few years.​ Teachers in Charge: Alison Price and Natasha Kumar

Queenstown Jazz Festival
The Queenstown Jazz festival is another opportunity for our jazz bands to perform and is one of the few times where we get to play in front of our local community.​ Teachers in Charge: Alison Price and Natasha Kumar

Invercargill Jazz Festival
The Invercargill jazzfest has been a regular fixture for our jazz combo over many years as we compete against other bands around the region. A great event to round off the jazz year. ​Teachers in Charge: Alison Price and Natasha Kumar
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Junior Jazz Band
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The junior jazz group was reinstated in 2018 and provides the basic skills for students who want to progress into the senior band. It operates at one break a week and brings together students from all levels of playing in Years 9/10​. Teacher in Charge: Natasha Kumar
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Visual Arts Opportunties


Emerging Creatives
The WHS Design and Design and Visual Communication students exhibit their work annually in Term 3 - and part of the exhibition is 
‘Emerging Creatives’, our Design Competition/Exhibition open to all students, in which they present their best five pieces of work.

At the beginning of the year, the Year 12 and 13 design students construct individualised briefs which they create a series of promotional work throughout the year. One of the brief specifications is to design a poster. The students are required to create a series of potential ideas and to work in a development sequence where they work toward a final resolved poster. Design Visual Communication (DVC) students will be displaying their spatial design projects as part of a presentation assessment, giving a real world environment. Teacher in Charge:
Leslie Koehn
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Cultural Blues Art Exhibition
Students also have the opportunity to display... Teachers in Charge: Leslie Koehn, Abbey Brown and Rosa Scott
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The Cultural Blues Awards is the most formal arts event in Wakatipu High School's annual calendar, and celebrates excellence, achievement, service and endeavor across the arts. Students can receive 'Cultural Blues' for leadership and achievements, 'Service Blues' for participation and effort, 'Achievement Blues' for prizes, competitions and accolades, 'Commendation Blues' for instances of cultural merit and 'Junior Achievement Blues' for those in the junior school. The most prestigious category, the 'Outstanding Blue', is reserved for those who attain extraordinary cultural success. In 2018, Year 13's Isabella Jack - pictured above on the far right - received an Outstanding Blue for becoming a member of the New Zealand Young Shakespeare Company.
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Address
47-49 Red Oaks Drive

Frankton
Queenstown
9300
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2019 Term Dates
Term 1

Thursday 31st January to Friday 12th April

Term 2
Monday 29th April to Friday 5th July
Term 3
Monday 22nd July to Friday 27th September
Term 4
Monday 14th October to Friday 13th December

See our calendar and key dates page for more.


Report an absence
Please call the school office at
03 442 7370 or e-mail
attendance@wakatipu.school.nz

Staff Contacts
See our staff page.

Vacancies
See our current list of vacancies
here.
© 2016 Wakatipu High School - Privacy Policy
  • Home
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