Empowering Students through the Performing Arts

At Dulwich College (Singapore), the performing arts program reflects the ethos deeply rooted in the College's commitment to excellence, innovation, and community. Director of Performing Arts Katrina Hegarty embodies these values through her transformative work. From joining the College in its second year and igniting the passion for the performing arts program from scratch, her vision and dedication, supported by the college's open and encouraging leadership, allowed her to build a comprehensive and dynamic program successfully integrating dance, film, and theatre into the curriculum, transforming the performing arts landscape at the school. 

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Central to Katrina Hegarty's approach at Dulwich College Singapore is the Ignite Performing Arts Programme, which fosters student leadership and community within the performing arts. This initiative empowers students to take ownership of their learning and contribute meaningfully to their school community, exemplified by student-led projects such as running JS CCAs, creative their own performances, taking on leadership roles in the Performing Arts and the annual Oscars event. Through these opportunities, Katrina ensures students not only enhance their artistic skills but also develop as leaders and collaborators.

Katrina's dedication to the value of "Live Worldwise" is evident in her efforts to create a supportive environment that nurtures innovation and creativity, aligning with the College's mission to cultivate responsible and creative global citizens. In our #VoicesofEiM series, we celebrate Katrina Hegarty's inspiring journey from her hometown of Blackpool in the UK to Beijing to Singapore. 


 

The importance of Passion Ignited in Childhood


Katrina's love for performing arts was kindled early in her life in Blackpool, a town renowned for its rich theatrical heritage. "Blackpool is a very performance-based place," she reflects. "We have two well-known theatres, the Winter Gardens and the Grand Theatre. Growing up, there was a lot of youth theatre and pantomimes, which provided ample opportunities for performance."

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Her early exposure to theatre in Blackpool set the stage for her future endeavours. Katrina pursued a degree in contemporary performance practice at Canterbury in Kent, which broadened her scope to include drama therapy and educational groups. "It was during this time that I first got a taste of education and developed keen interest in it," she says. 


 

Building Success in Beijing, then Innovating the Performing Arts Programme in Singapore


After completing her degree, Katrina earned her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Leeds and spent four years teaching at a performing arts college in Doncaster. Her move to Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) brought her abroad. Initially planned for two years, she ended up staying at DCB for 8 years due to the supportive management and the opportunities presented. Her dedication and the supportive environment allowed her to delve into film and dance alongside theatre, enriching her experience and skillset.

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Katrina's transition to Singapore marked a new chapter as she rose to the position of Director of Performing Arts. Arriving the second year of the founding of Dulwich College (Singapore) (DCSG), she faced the challenge of building a performing arts program from scratch. "When I arrived, I was teaching in an art space," she remembers. Despite the initial hurdles, the subsequent decade saw the transformation of the program into a thriving hub of creativity and excellence.

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Under Katrina's leadership, the program expanded to include dance, film, and theatre, becoming one of the most comprehensive and well-resourced performing arts programs in the region. "The incorporation of a dance curriculum has been one of the most transformational aspects of our program. It contributes to our students' development of an understanding of physical, emotional, intellectual, aesthetic and moral dimensions of the human experience," she notes. 


 

The Critical Role of Performing Arts in Cultivating Student Leadership and Essential Skills


Katrina is a staunch advocate for the importance of performing arts in education. She believes that it is crucial for developing creativity, problem-solving skills, and preparing students for an ever-evolving world. "Performing arts is essential for fostering creativity and problem-solving," she says. "It prepares students for a rapidly changing world by teaching them valuable skills that go beyond traditional academics."

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There are plenty of opportunities for the students at DCSG to explore their interests in the performing arts, with the innovative programme providing students with bespoke pathways for musical theatre, acting, directing, dance, choreography and production. This allows students to lead and manage various projects from a young age. Students involved in the program are responsible for scriptwriting, performance selection, and event planning, demonstrating their project management capabilities. "Our students truly excel as leaders. They handle every aspect of events such as the Dulwich Oscars, from creating the script to deciding the food and dress code."

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Katrina continues, "Throughout the performing arts program, the students in our school do all the lighting, the sets, and all those different elements. They're continuing on a particular pathway, so if they are a production shoot, for example, the workshops that they do and the artists that we bring in to work with them, it's kind of tailored to that."

Some of the examples she gives are related to the Worldwise Events programme unique to the EiM and Dulwich schools, particularly the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) residencies. "We've obviously had our programmes such as the RSC residencies for the last few years and that's been very, very successful."

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RSC enhances the performing arts educational experience by bringing practitioners into workshops, helping participants explore Shakespearean texts. The RSC also plays a significant role in the Dulwich Shakespeare Festival, which is an annual celebration of Shakespeare's legacy involving students and teachers from the EiM network.

She explains further, "In addition to RSC, we've been working now for two years with the University of Arts London and our students do the Level 3 performance and production diploma with them. So that is equivalent to 3 A-Levels. We do some great work with the University of Auckland. I think it's always important to have one eye on the future to see who are the next performing groups we can work with, so that we understand industry trends."

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One of Katrina's most notable contributions is the Ignite Performing Arts Programme held at DCSG, designed to foster student leadership and community within the performing arts. "The Ignite Programme is about more than just performing arts; it's about building a community and nurturing leadership skills," Katrina explains.

The Ignite programme invites students from Year 9 to engage in personalized creative projects that can include leading drama clubs, dance classes, and developing original performances. Throughout their participation, students collaborate on a major production, such as the upcoming student-penned pantomime. This hands-on approach not only fosters individual creativity but also serves as a practical foundation for the IBCP starting in Year 12. 

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"We offer the students so many opportunities, whether it's process based developing skills or opportunities to produce and perform, and because of things like the Ignite programme, it's not like the kids are just going to be in one production. They could be in three or four in a year, which is quite unique, and also helps develop specific skillsets because students are on a certain pathway."

 

A Culture of Support: 'Never Told No'


One of the standout features of Katrina's experiences at the Dulwich Colleges in Beijing and Singapore is the supportive environment. 

"At Dulwich, the ethos is very much about support and encouragement," Katrina explains. "In Beijing, the management team was so supportive and this openness has been crucial in allowing us to build and grow the performing arts program there."

She adds, "The leadership at Dulwich College (Singapore) is also incredibly supportive. I've never been told 'no' when it comes to pursuing new ideas or expanding our programs. Instead, the management team is always asking, 'How can we help make this happen?' The beauty of working at Dulwich is that you are given the freedom to explore and develop your passions. If you have an idea or a vision, you're encouraged to bring it to life. It's a place where you can truly thrive because there's always a willingness to back your initiatives."

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Katrina speaks to her own experience being on the cutting edge of creating ambitious programmes: "Whenever I've proposed something new or ambitious for our performing arts programmes, the response has always been positive. It's this culture of encouragement that has allowed us to develop a programme that's both expansive and impactful."

 

Moving Forward and Preparing Studentsto Live Worldwise


As Katrina enters her 10th year at Dulwich College (Singapore), she is focused on enhancing the existing curriculum. Her goal is to integrate contemporary practices into teaching and learning, ensuring that the performing arts curriculum remains innovative and effective. "This year feels particularly stable after a year with the Dulwich Olympiad and the opening of The Greenhouse. It's a chance to reflect and refine our practices. Are our contemporary practises coming into our classrooms? Are we incorporating compassionate systems framework, concept-based learning and the Global Citizenship Framework into the classroom in a meaningful way?" she muses.

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In her view, the performing arts are subjects that the students really need to build skillsets and adaptability. "Whether it's confidence or creativity, and if you think about looking at Live Worldwise, we are looking to educate our students and prepare them for the future."

She continues, "When I think about some of the things that I'm working on with my students at the moment, which is problem solving, solutions, scheduling, logistics, organisation, pitches, proposals, planning, project management - it ticks every box for universities and beyond. Creativity is going to be a big key element of what the students are going to need for the future and therefore the performing arts should be the heart of any good kind of College programme.

To Katrina, being part of DCSG is being part of an amazing, passionate, and dedicated team that fosters the incredible creativity and maturity of students who truly take ownership of their learning.

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She enthuses, "My team are so hard working, they give endlessly of their time and they do that because the students within the performing arts are just incredible. They are creative and they're passionate and mature by doing things like the Ignite programme. I have just never been in a school where students just take so much ownership. It is incredible."

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