Fabian Coppola plays Shrek and Oliver Boniface is Lord Farquaad in Wollongong High School of the Performing Art’s sold-out adaptation of Shrek. Photo: Region.
It’s a standard Wednesday morning at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts.
Students are in their classrooms, most looking forward to the upcoming recess break. A few latecomers make their way to the office for late notes.
But then comes a voice that sounds an awful lot like … Shrek?
A peek inside the hall confirms it is indeed the big green ogre, along with his faithful sidekick donkey and the unlikeable (but perfectly played) Lord Farquaad.
WHSPA principal Kylie Wood explains that it’s the school’s biannual theatre production – it’s such a huge undertaking that it can only be managed every two years.
“Nothing is done by halves,” she laughs.
Kylie is immensely proud when she relates a comment from a couple who saw a previous show – “they said it was as good as it gets on Broadway”.
What’s even more remarkable is that the more than 100 students involved in the show not only perform, but design and build the incredible sets, create the costumes, work backstage, do the sound, technical production and lighting – the lot.
It’s probably not so surprising given that it’s a performing arts high school and many of the students are hoping to break into the industry after they leave school.
The musical – which opened on Thursday (28 May) – is a sell-out. Tickets to all 10 shows flew out the door.
All money raised from the show goes directly back into resourcing. The school has created a fully-functioning theatre which is booked out almost every school holiday by other theatre groups.
The sets themselves are so impressive and of such quality that other schools and groups are eager to buy them when the shows end.
While Shrek is underway in the hall in front of an appreciative audience from Warilla High’s support unit, in the library, 180 Year 11 students are discovering all about one of the certainties of life in the real world – income tax.
For some, it’s the first time they’ve heard of, or even thought about, tax. Even those who are already working part-time jobs have little or no knowledge of income tax and annual tax returns.
Shaye Wicker and Matilda Hodgson knew little about income tax until they attended UOW’s Tax Clinic at WHSPA. Photo: Region.
It’s the second school tax clinic created and run by the University of Wollongong to help boost financial literacy among students.
The program gives high school students practical financial skills including applying for a Tax File Number, setting up myGov accounts and understanding how to lodge an individual tax return.
UOW Tax Clinic director, Associate Professor Stephanie Perkiss, said the university operated a tax clinic to support vulnerable people in the community as well as students.
“We were witnessing a really low financial literacy among a lot of the people,” she said.
“Some was based on financial hardship, various other issues [such as] domestic violence and abuse, but some was just that they did not know anything, had no exposure to it, hadn’t learned it at high school or their families were unfamiliar with it.”
After discussion with accounting students, the concept was extended to high schools and Professor Perkiss engaged UOW students to help run the program.
Students Matilda Hodgson and Shaye Wicker, both 16, were enthusiastic after attending the clinic.
“I think it was really beneficial for people who are going freshly into the workforce, because it gave us a bit of insight into things that we wouldn’t have known otherwise,” said Matilda, who has a part-time job with a pharmacy.
“I didn’t even think I had a myGov account and then I realised I had one with the ATO linked and I had a tax return that needed to be lodged and was overdue.
“I got a little bit scared when I saw the big red overdue sign, but there was no return, nothing owing. It was just really good to see the setup and the process of how to do it in the future.”
Shaye was even more excited when she discovered during the tax clinic that the ATO owed her money.
“Before this I knew nothing about tax. I didn’t know where it went, if I get it back. I knew absolutely nothing until they taught us about it, and I actually know a lot about it now,” she said.
“Now I’ve got a myGov account and I actually got some money back as well, so that was really good.”
