As part of our commitment to celebrating diversity, caring for others and imagining a better future, Newington College warmly invites students, family and friends of the College Community to attend an evening production of ‘Tree of Life’ at the Chatswood Concourse. This performance represents a significant opportunity to hear stories of courage, resilience and hope, as written and performed by refugee children. More information can be found on the Treehouse Theatre site.

As a community, we hope to encourage as many of you as possible to attend the production on Friday, 8 June, commencing at 7:30 PM. This will be a worthwhile event that will educate and inform whilst celebrating these young individuals.

Mrs Linda Munns-Conry, Head of Library, has seen the show and offered her reflections below:

The young performers created a spellbinding, authentic emotional landscape which invited the audience to share survivors’ experiences about which we know too little and should acutely understand. The performances were riveting and the truths told, enlightening. You left the theatre changed by the courage and generosity of the stories that were shared and which had unfolded in movement on stage. Through the powerful voices of the innocent, the ugly reality of the impact of violence and stolen choices was hauntingly revealed. An indelible memory.

A note from the Head of English, Mr Richard Wheeldon, on how this performance connects to the curriculum: 

Links to refugee voices and communities within the English curriculum at Newington are seen as important to the learning experiences we provide our students. In Year 7, the first text we teach is Anh Do’s memoir, The Happiest Refugee, which sets an important tone for the way that refugees should be welcomed and celebrated within Australia and elsewhere. In Years 9 and 10, episodes from the SBS documentary series, Go Back to Where You Came From, or the interactive graphic novel, The Boat, are used as art of our approach to topics around prejudice, war and marginalised voices. Given the ongoing refugee crisis around the world and the continuing discussion in Australia about our own responsibilities, including the Manus Island situation, a range of texts are used to supplement different units in senior English. There is a Yr 11 task, I’ve Got Something to Say, where some students might choose to write about the refugee crisis, targeting newspapers, politicians and a range of other stakeholders in the community to convey their ideas and opinions. In Yr 12, a unit called Representation and Text: People and Politics is well suited for a discussion of different refugee stories, developing links to political ideology, social ethics, and the effects of policy making on different segments of the community. In all these contexts, the NSW English syllabus provides a strong foundation for students to explore the role of language and communication methodologies between people in developing positive interaction and cooperation with others, and for students to explore the social, cultural, and moral dimensions of human experience.

Chatswood Concourse is easily accessible by car (dedicated parking is available) or public transport, with the bus terminal and train station close by. Bookings can be made through the Chatswood Concourse website. 

We look forward to seeing you there!