Latest news with #Queen'sHighSchool
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Tyres and dental floss prove winning combination
Annalisa Wikitoria McConachie (second left) wears the 2025 MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards "Award of Excellence" winning garment, flanked by designers Vicki Taylor-Blair (left) and Chris Reeve. Awards emcee Antonia Prebble is also pictured. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING A garment made from the inner tubes of bicycle tyres and dental floss won the top prize at this year's MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards. Dunedin duo Vicki Taylor-Blair and Chris Reeve won the "Mataura Licensing Trust Award of Excellence" award in Gore on Saturday night for their design. The hours of hard work and inventive ideas of Southland designers and makers were also recognised. Hairdresser Ms Taylor-Blair won the same prize in 2018 alongside other accolades in the competition in the 12 years she has been involved. "I don't come to win, I just come for the challenge," she said. "I just love to see my work coming down the catwalk." She said the skirt was made with the woven tyre tubes. Then underneath was a frame. To sew the heavy structure to straps she had to use dental floss for its strength. The pair have entered the competition together as well as individually in previous years. Mrs Reeve said they usually get together once a week, until the competition deadline looms closer. "Just on Sundays mostly and, as the time gets closer, we get busier," Mrs Reeve said. Mrs Reeve works as a fabric technology teacher at Queen's High School and said her students had watched the garment come to life. "[They] have been watching this whole thing grow," she said. After some nerves over how the dress would show on the runway, Mrs Reeve was happy enough to win the Avant Garde Award earlier in the evening. "I thought, this is the best night of my life," she said. When she and Ms Taylor-Blair won the final, $16,500 prize package, tears were shed. "I was definitely crying," she said. Another winner on the night was Viv Tamblyn from Gore who won the "Peroni Open Gala Award" for her purple quilted puffer creation. It was Ms Tamblyn's 18th year competing. She had won a section every year bar one, she said. Ms Tamblyn usually has three looks in the competition, but this year it was "only" two. She said she took two months off after the competition before starting again. Her second look, an all-red pin-tucked garment, took her at least six months, she said. Another Gore local Debbie Smith won the "Heather Paterson QSM Memorial Trophy - Best Southland Designer Award" for her gown with horned headpiece. The evening was emceed by Outrageous Fortune actress Antonia Prebble, who took time to honour the awards' volunteer organisers, convener Jacqui McKinney and ambassador, Huffer founder Steve Dunstan.
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Studying mother acknowledged by YWCA initiative
University of Otago philosophy student Ellathea Fleming, holding her son Kahukura Tonginako-Fleming, 3, and Queen's High School student Malak Tamimi were named on the YWCA Y25 programme this year. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Becoming a mother at 18 years old inspired a Dunedin woman to make a difference in her community. Ellathea Fleming was recently recognised for her work in the community by being named in the YWCA Y25 programme — a celebration of 25 young wahine and gender-diverse change-makers between 15 and 25 years old. Ms Fleming said it was nice to be acknowledged. The biggest thing she was involved in was the Hive, a group of young people who act as a two-way bridge between youth and the government started by Curative NZ. Ms Fleming was involved in starting Hive's rangatahi civics engagement group which involved talking to young people in different communities about politics. She got into the work when she was 18 years old and taking a break from university after having a child. "I was getting bored. "I was like 'no, there's still stuff I want to do'. "I want to see more change." She wanted people her age to understand the policies and vote. Ms Fleming said it had not been easy going through university with a child and some days were more frustrating than others. "It required a lot of patience not just with him but also with myself," she said. "This is the hard part; all the other stuff is easy." On top of being a mother and a student Ms Fleming is actively engaged in Talavou Village, and university-based networks. She has served as te aka mātauraka (academic officer) for the Otago Māori Humanities Students' Association, vice-president of the Otago Cook Islands Students' Association, and is a komiti member for te Manaaki o Tamariki Kōhanga Reo. Queen's High School student Malak Tamimi, 15, was also named on the list of the impressive young change-makers. She was a part of many different youth-orientated initiatives including the Dunedin Youth Council, the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand Youth Advisory Croup and Gen Z Aotearoa as well as being involved in her family's Rozana for Palestine fundraiser. University of Otago medicine student Eleanor Dunn, 23, and Wakatipu High School head girl Manuella Sanches Pedrosa, 17, were also named on the list. The young women went to Auckland for a three-day wananga (learning retreat) last week where they networked with other young people from around the country.
Otago Daily Times
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Student performers wear hearts on sleeves
A Dunedin secondary school's theatre group has placed Shakespearean women in a Gen Z world. Trinity Catholic College's The Bardchelor imagined what it would be like if four Shakespeare heroines — Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Ophelia (Hamlet) and Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew) — were contestants on the reality TV show The Bachelor. In the scene, written by Trinity head of drama and dance Erica Ward, the four were competing for Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. The group performed the parody at the Dunedin Theatrefest on Saturday with five other schools and the Dunedin Repertory Society. Ms Ward said it was a successful day with performers of all ages taking part. The purpose of the festival was for the students to receive feedback and improve their performances. Ms Ward said she chose the different Shakespearean characters based on their personalities for the parody. Benedick, the wilful lord, ended up choosing himself instead of any of the dames presented to him. Ms Ward said a lot of the performances were devised by the schools with their own inspiration and content. "It was really special to see lots of original works." Groups from Logan Park High School, Dunedin Repertory Society and Queen's High School were chosen to advance to the regional stage of the Theatrefest contest on August 24. Theatrefest results Magic Moment Trinity Catholic College: The Case of the Missing Mug: Inspectors Entrance Queen's High School: Seacliff: Opening Imagery Columba College: Housekeeping: Collaborative Creation Queen's High School: Tangiwai: Physical Imagery Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Karen's Tantrum Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Original Comedic Script Merit Awards Acting: Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Bethan Mundy Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Case of the Missing Mug: Riley Culling Acting: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest: Riley McIntosh Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Bardchelor: Joseph Kelly Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Bardchelor: Meadow Stewart Acting: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis: Jess Mundy Acting: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis: Glenn Ericsson Directing: Queen's High School: Seacliff Ensemble: Queen's High School: Seacliff Ensemble: Queen's High School: Tangiwai Overall design: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis Overall design: Logan Park High School: Poetic Descent Distinction Awards Acting: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest: Rowan Metreyeon Direction: Logan Park High School: Poetic Descent: Finn Trotman-Ericsson Production of Comedy/Farce: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Speech a reflection on racism in NZ
A Dunedin teenager's poignant reflection on the Christchurch terror attacks has earned her a spot at a national final for a speechmaking competition. Queen's High School student Malak Tamimi, 15, placed second at the Rakaia to Milton regional finals for Lions Young Speechmaker Contest for a speech she made on racism. Ashburton College student Jake Parsons, sponsored by Ashburton County Lions, won the competition. Malak, who was sponsored by the Taieri Lions Club, said being recognised at the competition made her feel she had a voice. ''I felt like I was actually seen.'' Dunedin Host Lions Young Speechmaker Contest winner Malak Tamimi. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Her speech was about how racism feels in the Western world, which she felt was a ''forgotten-about topic''. ''For the longest time, I didn't write about racism because I thought it was only in legends and movies, but then I realised it is not just in verbal or explicit things. ''It is often the backhanded comments and things you don't think would be called racism.'' Malak felt racism was experienced less in New Zealand, but was present nonetheless. She said her speech was emotional because of her mention of the Christchurch mosque shootings of March 15, 2019. As a young Muslim girl at the time, she did not know exactly what had happened, but she could see how it was affecting the people around her. ''I didn't know the severity of it, but I knew what happened was bad and that it would be bad for a long time. ''As I said in my speech, we were afraid and we are afraid.'' There were 11 contestants in the competition from Ashburton to Milton. Both Jake and Malak have qualified to go to the New Zealand final of the competition to be held in New Plymouth on August 2.
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Summers in NZ U16 squad
Dunedin City Royals youngster Charlotte Summers has been named in the New Zealand under-16 squad. Summers, a student at Queen's High School, is the only South Island player in the squad for the Oceania under-16 championships in Samoa next month. The tournament is a qualifier for the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup. — APL
