An Ode to the Braeburn Amphitheatre

An Ode to the Braeburn Amphitheatre by Ms. Miranda Rashid

There are little pockets of magic that happen all over the school I work at. Small people learning to decode little dots on a line and turn it into beautiful melodies. Big people flying up the basketball court, dunking the ball into the net with a grin and twirl. Others packaging gifts for those less fortunate than themselves, others still puzzling over steaming beakers and petri dishes.

And the place where this all comes together? Where all this resilience and confidence and curiosity and empathy and dedication is displayed? The amphitheatre. A couple of years ago this space was, to paraphrase our new Head Girl’s speech, a ‘souped-up frying pan baking in the sun’. Slowly, as and when we’ve had the means, we have added a roof, a backstage area, even a little sound booth. It is not a fancy theatre by any stretch, but it is ours and it fosters magic. 

Truly.

It has always been a magical space but somehow this term it has held an extra special place in my heart. Being semi open air provided a great refuge for many of us in our early days of COVID restrictions, when we all tried to teach outside as much as possible.

In the past few weeks alone, this space has seen so much action! With social distancing plans in place that require a maths degree to come up with. We saw the Primary kids perform their little hearts out in Moana. From the tiny tot performing to the backboards (and constantly being turned around to face the audience by his friends!) to the dazzlingly, amazingly glam and glittery crab. The Year 11’s showcased their performing and devising skills in an Arts evening; moving monologues, hilarious duologes and one very thought-provoking piece entitled ‘The Pandemic is a Portal’. A small gathering of Christmas Carol singers, shining and singing under the twinkly lights and dangling gold stars hung from the roof. Our BTEC Music students showing their massive range from rapping at the Boarders party the night before (also in the amphitheatre!), to rock concert style performance at Bonfire Night to this beautiful melodic choral singing for Carols. The week before this, two Theatre in Education performances created and performed by the BTEC Performing Arts students. An interactive play on Consent where the whole school came up with and acted out solutions to this very relevant topic. Let’s not forget the ongoing rehearsals of The Greatest Showman Reimagined. A cast of 92! Such vibrancy and energy and joy. People learning to sing, to dance, to juggle, to ride a unicycle! 

I digress. What I am really wanting to write about is the prefect voting. I sat in the amphitheatre on Friday and watched 6 confident young men and women give speeches to convince us why they would be the best choice for Head Girl, Head Boy and Student Council President. And they blew me away. To watch these young people, some who have only been with us for a term, some who have been here since they were three years old, stand up in front of the whole school and deliver such passionate, mature and inspiring speeches, well, it made me cry.

I am utterly shattered this term; I think we all are, teachers and students alike. I feel like I have been flayed, skinned to the bone. But then I think of the amphitheatre. Of everything that has happened there. How all our hard work is distilled and then put on display in this space. And I realise I wouldn’t have it any other way.