St Eugene College in Burpengary Queensland, has grown to become a proud community of over 1200 students, many of whom are gifted, talented and passionate artists of one kind or another.

 This is a story about how we got to be who and what we are today!

St Eugene College was originally a modest Catholic primary school that went by the name of Blessed Eugene School, and later St Eugene School. In the Year 2008 we took up our first cohort of Year 8 students to begin our growth as a P-12 college. These first foundation students left our college last year as the first ever graduating senior students from the college which was a most proud, exciting and emotional experience for all community members alike! Our beloved school principal Mr Denis Anthonisz was passionate right from the start about building a P-12 college that would pride itself in excellence in The Arts. Under his guidance and vision, and along with some outstandingly passionate and talented staff, students and parents, this is exactly what has happened. We have begun to share with the community our ever evolving excellence in The Arts.

Our Arts curriculum is a rich and diverse program that has been and continues to be touched by a range of talented teachers.

The Creative Arts department here includes Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Art, Creative Arts, Film and T.V. and Media Studies. While the artistic journey of children has already well begun by the time they begin Prep, from the moment they enter our school grounds their developmental artistic journey is certainly kick started into an exciting and carefully scaffolded path ahead.

Something else we pride ourselves on at St Eugene’s is our extra-curricular Arts program. We produce an annual P-12 musical, an annual Soiree “Arts Celebration” night, and also enjoy great ongoing performance and competitive success by our choirs and vocal group, concert bands, instrumental music program, dance troupes and many more. We have also begun an annual Arts Immersion Camp for our most promising senior artists. Our first of these was during March in Melbourne this year. Our students on this camp truly shone through a variety of experiences including skill building workshops with industry professionals, enjoyment of local live theatre events, and showcases of their own original works of art in a range of places around Melbourne, including the live stage in the heart of Federation Square!

Perhaps one of the most exciting and unique parts about our arts culture at St Eugene’s is our rich tapestry of artistic collaboration.

We are proud to have our most senior dancers now mentoring and coaching our youngest up and coming dancers, even coaching their young team to a first place in a recent eisteddfod! We also enjoy co-artist relationships right throughout the college between student and teachers wherever possible. We are so lucky to have some truly talented and passionate students and teachers who work so well together to produce high quality works across all the artistic disciplines. Furthermore, we enjoy a rich and committed artistic staff who are constantly evolving in their exciting relationships as co-artists with each other. With each new project and adventure we plan and undertake, we become more closely connected with one another and inspired by one another’s ideas, contributions and expertise in arts curriculum, extra-curricular contributions and general willingness and enthusiasm to support the arts department in any way we can.

I am so thankful to be part of our divine community here at St Eugene’s – a community of artists of many kinds who dare to create and dare to express; dare to grow in their faith, hope and love.

Kathy Stewart
(Dance Teacher/Acting Head of Creative Arts)