Henrietta has been an educator in Catholic schools for over 34 years, working with both Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta and now Sydney Catholic Schools. She has taught HSC Drama, VET Entertainment, English and Studies of Religion and is a strong advocate of the creative arts in education. Over the years she has been invited to assist NESA in both Drama and VET Entertainment syllabus and resource development, and has been the Catholic Schools NSW representative for both Drama and VET Entertainment and as a CEC representative member of the Creative Arts Cross Sector Committee for Drama.
Her experience as both an HSC Senior Marker and member of exam writing committees, ensures she can assist teachers with professional learning opportunities to better prepare students for the demands of Stage 6 courses. She is also on the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta Education Committee, a long-standing member of Drama NSW, and has presented both nationally and internationally on the drama conference circuit.
As a director and dramaturg she has worked with numerous Drama Ensembles and in school mentoring as part of CaSPA and CAPTIVATE, and enjoys seeing students and teachers from all stages grow in their skill development, and overall confidence. As part of the CaSPA Team she works on giving schools the best professional opportunities, to build capacity within our teachers in SCS, and ensures both student and staff wellbeing is monitored during the lengthy rehearsal periods.
Her experience with large scale events include, the 2000 Opening and Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, and 3 tours of the USA with the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.
Henrietta believes in giving opportunities beyond the classroom and showing how the arts can be used working across the curriculum. By engaging with the arts, students begin to appreciate and understand different cultures and values of our very diverse society, and by giving students this educational space in CAPA, they are given the potential to inspire innovative ways of thinking – expressed creatively. By being able to show their individuality through the arts, students can develop their sense of identity.
As an Education Officer – Creative and Performing Arts, Henrietta aims to give students, teachers and their communities, opportunities to ‘share the creativity’, take risks, and trust in one self, using the Ken Robinson motto as her guide: “Creativity is as important as literacy”.