The Meriden school community and distinguished guests gathered in September for a momentous occasion: the official opening of our new Design and Creative Arts (DaCA) building. The evening was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone.
Our esteemed guest included the Honourable Courtney Houssos, the NSW Minister for Finance and Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning.
We were also delighted to welcome Meriden alumna, celebrated artist and three-time Archibald Prize finalist, Sally Ryan (Class of 1981). Sally shared insights into her artistic journey, and offered invaluable advice to our girls, especially those considering creative arts options.
The DaCA building is a symbol of Meriden’s commitment to nurturing creativity and design thinking as fundamental to a complete education. This new facility marks a landmark addition to our 127-year history of providing outstanding education.
As Meriden’s Principal, Mrs Lisa Brown, articulated, “In an increasingly complex world, we need young women who can think differently, who can see possibilities when others see problems.”
This modern facility provides the perfect environment for that to happen. From digital design to traditional and contemporary art, students now have a space where they can explore their imagination and engage in collaborative projects.
The showcase of Year 12 students’ HSC major works perfectly displayed the building’s potential. Mrs Brown noted, “The DaCA building will teach students that creativity and rigorous thinking are not opposing forces, but complementary skills that form the foundation of design thinking.”
Ms Gillian Legge, Head of Design and Creative Arts expressed, “It has been a true privilege to witness the development of these extraordinary HSC major works within the new purpose-built spaces.”
Mrs Brown also invited students to “dream boldly” as DaCA’s cutting-edge technology and flexible learning spaces provide the perfect setting for bright ideas to thrive. However, she also emphasised, “The most important element in any creative space is not the equipment or environment—it is the courage to begin, to experiment, to fail, to learn, and to try again.”
The DaCA building stands as testament to Meriden’s commitment to preparing young women not only for academic success but also for purposeful lives of service and leadership.
Design and Creative Arts building Construction Team
Architectus
Buildcorp
CTPG
BM+G, Context Landscape Architecture,
Douglas Partners, Funktion,
Harris Page, Holding Redlich, Mack Group,
MBC Group, Northrop, Omnifire,
Ramboll, RWDI, Shelmerdine Engineering,
Taylor Civil & Structural, Tree IQ, TTW,
Urbis, WT Partnership, WSP
