On stage
Whangārei Boys’ High School is proud of its’ Performing Arts and Cultural programmes. Each year the School hosts musical evenings featuring our own vocal group, the Fideliter Jazz Band, with solo and group performances.
At mid-year the annual Festival of Performing Arts, a veritable feast of Music and Drama performances, is held.
The School participates in the SmokeFree Rockquest, The University of Otago Sheila Winn Shakespeare Festival, and the Chamber Music Competition. All are national competitions held at regional level. The school has also participated in Stage Challenge in recent years.
Drama is a discipline we celebrate. For the last six years, WBHS has been represented in Wellington at the Shakespeare Festival held during Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Five students are selected to attend the Globe Theatre as part of The New Zealand Young Shakespeare Company.
Senior Drama productions take place each year in the third term to sell-out houses, and always present high calibre humorous performances.
Our students excel in music. The School has many musical instruments for hire and music teachers offer expert tuition in these. Instrumental tuition is available for all students. Instruments taught include drums, guitar, brass, woodwind and keyboard. The School jazz band operates in conjunction with Whangārei Girls’ High School and features at public functions in and around Whangārei. Other musical activities include percussion groups, rock bands and guitar ensembles. As many as five student-led bands enter the annual SmokeFree Rockquest competition.
Traditional Maori performance is also embraced at the School with Te Aka Matua, our Kapa Haka group, which has performed at the annual Tai Tokerau Festival. A combined WBHS and WGHS group, Te Kapa Rau Aroha, competes for a place in the national Kapa Haka competitions.
Visual arts
Maintaining excellence in visual arts including photography and design keeps our students and teachers busy inside the classroom and out. Our teachers are consistently impressed with the high calibre of work coming through from our students. 2018 brings changes in the structure and courses in the Arts Department at Whangārei Boys’ High School. A new digital art course for Year 11, incorporating both digital photography and art design has been introduced. This extra option assists students towards successful NCEA Levels 2 and 3 achievements. Our art teachers regularly improve their own skill sets with professional development.
Other clubs and activities in which we encourage our students to participate in are:
- Big Sing
- Chamber Music Competition
- Debating
- Drama productions
- Fideliter Jazz Band
- Kapa Haka
- Performing Arts Festival
- Public speaking
- Rock Quest bands
- Shakespeare Festival
- Stage Challenge
- Theatresports / improvisation
