From class to global curtain call – Federation graduates take centre stage
Imogen Brown, Sarah Eaton, Hannah Manderson, Alice Quick and Amaya Pardillo at their Ballarat graduation.
Graduation will be extra special for five Federation University Australia graduates in Ballarat this week, who will cross the stage together while also staging their own musical production.
Imogen Brown, Sarah Eaton, Hannah Manderson, Amaya Pardillo and Alice Quick first met while studying performing arts at Federation’s Arts Academy, where they began developing their original work, Girlhood in the Bathroom.
Exploring themes of friendship, heartbreak and coming of age, the production is set within the intimate and often unfiltered space of a women’s nightclub bathroom.
The idea for the show was first sparked during a conversation between first-year students Imogen and Hannah in a club bathroom, after seeing the Academy’s third-year self-devised productions.
In a full-circle moment, they returned to the concept in their own third-year self-devised work, developing it into an original piece as part of their studies.
“It was a really exciting opportunity to put everything we’d learned into practice and create something entirely unique – all with the support and expertise of Federation staff,” Imogen said.
“What we learnt during that process gave us a really good grounding, giving us the skills and confidence to keep developing the show beyond our studies.”
Since then, Girlhood in the Bathroom has been performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and will also feature at the upcoming Ballarat Cabaret Festival later this month.
Later this year, the production will head overseas as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Imogen said the journey from student project to the world stage was only possible because of the connections and support at Federation University.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do Girlhood in the Bathroom without coming to Ballarat, without meeting these girls – and without the incredible support of the Federation Arts Academy,” she said.
Reflecting on her time at Federation, Imogen said the experience went far beyond formal study.
“I was expecting to be welcomed into university – but what I wasn’t expecting was to be welcomed into a community,” she said.
The five performers are part of more than 1,500 students graduating across Federation University’s April and May ceremonies, marking a significant milestone for graduates across a wide range of disciplines and campuses.
Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Duncan Bentley said whether returning to study after many years in the workforce, embarking on postgraduate study, or stepping into university life after secondary school, all graduates should be incredibly proud of their hard work.
“Graduation is an amazing personal achievement, but also a shared milestone, made possible by the encouragement, support and belief of loved ones, and we are proud to celebrate this moment with our graduates as they take their next steps and make a positive impact in their communities,” Professor Bentley said.