A group of Year 11 Design and Technology and Visual Arts students travelled by train to Sydney for an action-packed week exploring art, design, technology and tertiary study opportunities.
The excursion began at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where students viewed this year’s Archibald Prize exhibition and enjoyed lunch within Mike Hewson’s immersive installation, The Key is Under the Mat.
Design and Technology students then visited the University of Technology Sydney’s ProtoSpace, which houses an extensive collection of additive manufacturing equipment. Students examined filament, resin and metal 3D printers, ranging from desktop models to large industrial machines.
They also experienced the university’s Data Arena, a high-resolution, 360-degree visualisation facility used in architecture, design, scientific modelling and criminal investigations. A tour of the Design and Society faculty introduced students to tertiary pathways in textiles, photography, architecture and digital design.
Meanwhile, Visual Arts students toured the historic National Art School campus, learning about tertiary art education and professional studio practice. The groups reunited for dinner at Spice Alley.
The following day, Design and Technology students visited the University of New South Wales, where they toured the Design Futures Lab within the School of Built Environment. They explored architectural, computational and industrial design spaces featuring traditional woodworking, metalworking and model-making alongside injection moulding, robotics and large-scale 3D printing.
Visits to the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre and James N. Kirby Makerspace also demonstrated how students, entrepreneurs and start-up businesses use university facilities to design, prototype and manufacture new products.
Visual Arts students travelled to Artspace at The Gunnery in Woolloomooloo to view the NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) exhibition. They also completed the ARTpark Sculpture Walk before joining the wider group for the Banksy exhibition at The Rocks.
The day finished with an evening walk around Sydney Harbour, where students photographed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House as the city lights came to life.
During the final part of the excursion, students explored Tony Albert’s exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, visited the White Rabbit Gallery and enjoyed Harry Potter: The Exhibition. The group also celebrated student Cody’s 17th birthday before beginning the 10-hour coach journey home.
Teachers, Ms Squires and Mr Carrig, thanked the students for their enthusiasm, respect and willingness to embrace every opportunity throughout the week.
The excursion provided an inspiring start to Term 3 and gave students valuable insight into the many creative, technological and educational pathways available beyond school.
