RIA-Rowville Institute of the Arts

31/08/2026

WHAT A TIME OF ARTS IN RIA!
What an incredible couple of weeks it has been celebrating the talent, dedication and passion of our RIA students.

Gemco One Act Play Festival
Our Senior Drama students performed at the Gemco One Act Play Festival. Their outstanding work was recognised with nominations for:
- Best Ensemble
- Best Youth Play
And we are thrilled to celebrate some wonderful individual achievements as well:
Liam Walter: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Elizabeth Clarke: Youth Award
Ayanna Akeli-Falaniko: Youth Award

Victorian State School Spectacular
On Saturday 29th August, our incredible RIA students took to the stage at John Cain Arena and absolutely shone! We also had student working backstage, ensuring the event was world-class.

RIA Dance Troupe
And as if that wasn't enough, our RIA Dance Troupe travelled to the Sunshine Coast to compete at the TFT Nationals and have come home with an incredible 2nd Place in the Lyrical section! And Lilli Elliott-Bone came 3rd in her Jazz Solo.

From the stage, to backstage, to rehearsal rooms and to the competition floors, our students have represented our program with passion, creativity and dedication.

It is so exciting to see RIA continuing to grow and provide our students with exceptional arts education, authentic industry experiences and incredible opportunities to learn and create. These experiences are at the heart of what makes RIA so special, and we are incredibly proud of the opportunities our students continue to embrace.

27/08/2026

Our wonderful RIA Dance Troupe will be competing in the TFT Dancestar Nationals Competition on Monday 31st August in the beautiful Sunshine Coast QLD. Our Lyrical troupe has successfully been selected for Nationals and both our soloists in the Lyrical and Jazz audition section, will be competing at the Nationals Competition. The students have been working on these routines since early Term 2 and this is the first time for us to compete at Nationals with TFT. We are very excited for the opportunity ahead and we know the students will shine on stage no matter the outcome.

22/08/2026

🌟 It’s an exciting weekend for RIA! 🌟

This weekend marks the beginning of production week for the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, with many of our talented RIA students heading into rehearsals and preparations throughout this weekend and the week ahead in the lead-up to the big show at John Cain Arena on Saturday 29 August.
We are incredibly proud to have so many RIA students involved both on and off stage. From performers bringing the show to life on stage to students contributing their talents behind the scenes, it is wonderful to see our students playing such an important role in this spectacular event. And, of course, keep an eye out for a very special RIA number featured in this year's show!

Also, our Senior RIA Drama students will be taking their production of DNA to the Dandenong Ranges One Act Play Festival tomorrow at GEMCO in Emerald. After weeks of rehearsals, refinement and hard work, our students will have the opportunity to perform their work alongside other schools and theatre groups as part of the festival. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase their skills, challenge themselves in a festival setting and share their interpretation of this powerful play with an audience.

We wish all of our students the very best for an exciting weekend ahead!

Tickets to both events are still available:
https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=STATESCH26

https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1535658

GEMCO PLAYERS ARE PROUD TO HOST THE 29TH DANDENONG RANGES ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL - KNOWN AS THE "FRIENDLY FESTIVAL"
ONE WEEKEND OF ONE ACT PLAYS FROM

07/08/2026

Our Junior and Intermediate Dance students were privileged to take part in a ballet technique masterclass with Damian Smith, teacher at the National Theatre.

Throughout the session, students refined their technique, developed their artistry and were challenged to strive for excellence under Damian's expert guidance. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from an industry professional, gain valuable insights and continue growing as confident, versatile dancers.

A huge thank you to Damian for sharing his knowledge, passion and expertise with our students. Experiences like these are invaluable in inspiring the next generation of performers, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

03/08/2026

What an incredible Semester 1, we had in RIA!

From industry workshops and live performances to gallery visits, location shoots and career expos, our students have embraced every opportunity to learn, create and connect beyond the classroom.

And we're only just getting started... Semester 2 is shaping up to be just as exciting, with even more performances, excursions, workshops and real-world arts experiences still to come. We can't wait to share the journey with you!

14/07/2026

Congratulations to RIA Alumni Hyu Motoki! 🌟

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the feature film debut of Hyu Motoki, whose film Leviticus is now showing in cinemas.

Hyu graduated from the RIA Drama program in 2023, and it has been wonderful to see his passion, dedication and talent continue to flourish beyond school. Achieving a role in a feature film is an outstanding milestone, and we couldn't be happier to see him reaching this exciting stage of his career.

Please note that Leviticus is rated R and is intended for adult audiences.

Congratulations, Hyu—we're so proud of you! 🎭✨

08/06/2026

On Tuesday 2 June, our RIA Dance students had the incredible opportunity to attend En Pointe at Hamer Hall, presented by the Australian Ballet School.

Students were treated to a stunning showcase of dance, featuring classical ballet, contemporary works, and vibrant Hungarian character dances performed by the talented young artists of the Australian Ballet School.

The performance was both inspiring and educational, providing students with valuable insight into a range of dance styles, performance techniques, and artistic expression. Experiencing professional-level performance firsthand helped deepen their understanding of dance as an art form and broadened their awareness of the diverse possibilities within dance performance.

A wonderful day of learning, inspiration, and appreciation of dance!

05/06/2026

The Intermediate Visual Arts Specialism students have been busy bringing their creative ideas to life as they put the finishing touches on their stunning oil paintings for this year's Showcase. Drawing inspiration from the expressive floral works of Georgia O'Keeffe and the vibrant contemporary paintings of Tim McGuire, students have explored colour, composition and painting techniques to create highly personal and imaginative artworks.

With Showcase preparations nearly complete, students have now begun an exciting new project inspired by this year's NAIDOC Week theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy". Through research and artistic investigation, students will create artworks celebrating influential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians whose achievements, leadership and contributions have shaped our nation. We look forward to seeing how students respond to these inspiring stories through their own creative voices.

18/05/2026

Lights. Camera. Suspense.

Our Senior Media students have been hard at work creating a chilling short-form horror/thriller film inspired by the iconic style of Alfred Hitchcock. Titled 'Quiet Obsession', the film follows a jilted boyfriend hiding within the walls of a house… based on a true story.

Collaborating with Senior Drama students as lead actors, the production explores an intense and unsettling narrative designed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. From a full day of on-location filming to fortnightly “black out” soundstage shoots in the PAC, students have embraced a “less but better” filmmaking approach, carefully crafting every shot with precision, purpose and atmosphere.

We can’t wait to see the final cut at our Semester 1 Showcase!

08/05/2026

Our Junior Dance Specialism students have been loving the opportunity to learn repertoire from talented RIA alumni Stephanie Miller!

Through this exciting experience, students are developing their performance quality, refining their technique, and building confidence as they prepare for our Semester 1 Showcase.

We are incredibly proud to see former RIA students returning to share their industry knowledge, passion, and experience with the next generation of dancers at the Rowville Institute of the Arts.

We can’t wait to share their hard work and talent with our community!