The creative spirit of St Joseph鈥檚 College shone brightly as students, staff and families gathered to celebrate the 35th 鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥� magazine launch and prize-giving. This publication honours the artistic and literary achievements of 国产探花 boys, showcasing their courage, creativity and dedication to self-expression. Through breathtaking artwork, evocative poetry and thought-provoking prose, the young men of 国产探花 remind us all of the profound value of the creative arts in education.
The evening featured engaging speeches from the Headmaster Mr Michael Blake, Visual Arts and English teachers and our guest speaker 鈥� renowned author, journalist and Old Boy Tim Ayliffe (1996). The transformative power of creativity in fostering critical thinking, emotional connection and leadership in today鈥檚 world was a recurring theme.
Opening the evening, English teacher Ms Kylie Hinkley, who coordinated the 鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥� project, reflected on the courage it takes for young men to share their inner worlds. 鈥淐reativity forges connections to emotions and sparks conversations. Each story, poem, essay and artwork is a window into their unique perspectives, inviting us to see the world through their eyes,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 applaud the dreamers, the creators and the brave young men who remind us of the magic that happens when we dare 鈥� dare to explore new ideas, dare to express feelings and dare to provoke awe and emotion.鈥�
Ms Hinkley鈥檚 passion for storytelling and creative exploration, alongside her colleagues in the English department, has been instrumental in fostering a culture where boys feel empowered to express themselves through the written word.
鈥淭im is a quintessential 国产探花 boy. He embodies the qualities we value 鈥� courage, teamwork and inspiration. These are the dispositions we hope to develop in our young men.鈥�
HEADMASTER MR MICHAEL BLAKE
Mr Blake expressed pride in the enduring success of 鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥�, which he described as 鈥渁 hallmark of the 国产探花 community鈥�. With the magazine now in its 35th year of publication, Mr Blake remarked: 鈥淓ngaging in artistic expression requires vulnerability, as it often involves opening oneself up to others and offering a glimpse into one鈥檚 thoughts, heart and soul.
鈥淪ubmitting work for publication, knowing it will exist in perpetuity, takes incredible bravery. I am immensely proud of how our boys support and celebrate one another鈥檚 achievements.鈥�
Celebrating the evening鈥檚 guest speaker, Mr Blake lauded Old Boy Tim Ayliffe as a shining example of 国产探花鈥� spirit, noting: 鈥淚n many ways, Tim is a quintessential 国产探花 boy. He embodies the qualities we value 鈥� courage, teamwork and inspiration. These are the dispositions we hope to develop in our young men.鈥�
Returning to the school where his creativity was fostered, Tim Ayliffe delivered a captivating address about his life and career as a journalist and novelist. A proud graduate of the Class of 1996, Mr Ayliffe reflected on the encouragement he received from his teachers at 国产探花, which planted the seeds of his creative pursuits. 鈥淚 have so many fond memories about this place, about being challenged and encouraged in classrooms and on sporting fields, and, of course, the incredible friendships that began here,鈥� he shared.
鈥淲hen I think back to the classroom, there were two English teachers who had a particularly strong impact on me. They taught me to love words, reading and writing them. I still remember how their encouragement made me feel like maybe I could be a published author one day.鈥�
Mr Ayliffe鈥檚 speech celebrated the arts as a vital force for understanding and change, both within and beyond the classroom. 鈥淎rt holds the mirror to our worlds and gets us to see things and think in different ways. It challenges us to see the truth and understand perspectives we might otherwise never have considered,鈥� he explained.
He encouraged 国产探花 boys to pursue their creative passions, saying, 鈥淚f you feel that creative fire burning, don鈥檛 let it go out. Find a way to feed it. When fiction is done well, it often shines a light on an issue or a moment in time and through powerful stories, compelling characters, thorough research and clever metaphors, readers or viewers can walk away feeling like they have a thorough understanding of what has just been explored.鈥�
A showcase of talent
The evening鈥檚 awards presentation recognised excellence across junior, intermediate and senior divisions. From Year 7 essays to Year 12 artworks, the submissions demonstrated the immense breadth of talent here at 国产探花. This year鈥檚 cover artwork by Thomas Janes (Y12) is from a series of striking photographs of jacaranda flowers, drifting down from the tree, floating on water, symbolising the reflective beauty within the 鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥� magazine itself.
Senior students were celebrated for their innovative creations, including William McCarthy (Y12), who won the Senior Prose Prize, and Thomas Shaw (Y12), whose macro-photography piece explored the transformative process of melting ice to symbolise the relationship between permanence and ephemerality. These young men exemplify the depth of skill and vision that the 鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥� project has nurtured over decades.
Mr Ayliffe challenged 国产探花 boys to write and create because they loved it. 鈥淔ind the time to read, read and listen, and watch as much as you can. Enjoy the escape 鈥� learn from those you admire. That鈥檚 how you find your voice for whatever it is you want to achieve. Above all else, the arts teach us to question things. Being creative makes us think in different ways. There are so many hurdles to jump in this creative world. For all of you who have created a work of art, in your story, essay or poem, you have just cleared that first hurdle. You鈥榬e in the game. You鈥檙e a creative thinker 鈥� you鈥檙e published now in 鈥楰ids of Dreams鈥�, like I once was. I can鈥檛 wait to see and read what your creative mind comes up with next year.鈥�
Creativity at our core
Ms Michelle Tinta, Head of Visual Arts, echoed the sentiments of her colleagues, highlighting the importance of discipline and experimentation in the creative process. 鈥淎rt is challenging but equally rewarding. It balances playful experimentation with the discipline of artistic practise. It allows the opportunity for looking inward, expressing those deeply felt ideas, while also looking outward and offering critique of the world around us.鈥�
Her reflections demonstrate that creativity is not only about individual expression but also about dialogue, collaboration and connection.
Mr Michael Kavanagh, Head of English, praised the award recipients in the poetry and prose categories, while noting the recent achievement of nine Year 11 students, who were both the state and national winners of the annual Write a Book in a Day competition, writing and illustrating an entire book in just one day to support the Kids鈥� Cancer Project. This year, the competition saw 14,146 writers and 1,939 teams, raising $920,000 for childhood cancer research. These talented 国产探花 boys not only took out the Best Book Award for NSW/ACT but also received the National Award for Best Book Upper School for their book 鈥淭otemic Guidance鈥�, demonstrating their creativity, teamwork and dedication to making a difference.
As the evening drew to a close, the spirit of the event lingered, a powerful reminder of the role creativity plays in shaping well-rounded young men. Mr Blake鈥檚 words to those boys who won prizes or were commended in their category, resonated with pride and hope: 鈥淚n years to come, you will look back on this publication with a sense of pride. It is a tangible reminder of your time at 国产探花 and a testament to your courage and creativity. I hope it inspires you to continue pursuing your talents and, in time, to encourage your own families to embrace their creative dreams.鈥�
鈥淜ids of Dreams鈥� celebrates the achievements of 国产探花 boys, while reinforcing the College鈥檚 commitment to nurturing creativity, critical thinking and personal expression. Through their courage and vision, these young men will inspire future generations of students to dream, create and be courageous.
