2024 Network Festival

Two thousand performers. Ninety schools. Five performance days. Four weeks.

Sounds big, right? Well that’s because it is. Introducing the inaugural Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Network Festival.

This term, primary and secondary students will set the stage alight in a month-long extravaganza showcasing drama, music, dance and the visual arts.

The Network Festival will involve shows at five different region-based hubs, creating a powerful platform for creative expression and community connection.

The shows will include an eclectic mix of acts, including performances by casts from SCS’ Arts HQ, as well as the Goodjarga Dance ensemble.

Each hub will also host a visual arts exhibition featuring artwork from a collection of 411 pieces created by students.

The hubs will see SCS Vocational Education and Training (VET) students assisting with the technical, backstage and front-of-house elements for the hubs, and SCS Central Office staff volunteering in a variety of roles throughout the four weeks.

The Festival promises to be both a showcase of the artistic talent of SCS students and staff, and a celebration of the transformative and uplifting power of the Arts.

Iris McGill, SCS Education Officer for Creative and Performing Arts, said the Festival has been a huge undertaking for the Arts team but one that they are so excited to bring to life.

“It’s such a valuable opportunity for SCS to highlight some of the great artistic things that are happening in our schools,” she said.

“We have some incredibly gifted students who are extremely passionate about the Arts, and under the guidance of their equally passionate teachers, we can’t wait to see what they produce.”

Earlier this year, SCS hosted its fourth annual Eisteddfod, where some of the system’s top performing arts talent competed in categories in drama, dance, instrumental and vocal.

The Network Festival has been designed as a more accessible, community-building initiative that will see students and schools who have never performed on stage do so for the very first time.

“The response from primary and secondary schools alike has been overwhelming, particularly those that haven’t previously participated in the Eisteddfod for example,” said Iris.

“We are so fortunate that there is a deep and real appreciation for the Arts at Sydney Catholic Schools, and being able to stage an event like this helps us spread that love even further.”

Sydney Catholic Schools Network Festival