Culture
Bastion Primary School is proud to offer a wide range of cultural activities and our learners excel in all areas.
Drama
Our drama programme is so much more than just a stage production. We develop self-confidence, creativity and character. Through drama, learners are offered the opportunity to broaden their creativity, express themselves freely, and develop vital life skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving.
We focus on nurturing every child's unique talents while encouraging them to act outside of their comfort zones, within the safe and supportive environment that we provide.
Our learners are given the opportunity to take part in tours and performances, where they are able to display their skills outside of the school and they are exposed to a variety of audiences. These tours are not only fun and valuable on their own, but also give our learners the opportunity to grow in responsibility, adaptability and resilience. Bastion Primary School is a respected participant and has won a variety of awards at festivals such as the Logan Drama Festival in Fraserburg and Montagu's festival, as well as various local festivals which include our own Silwervaring Festival.
Whether a learner is dreaming of a career in the arts, or merely wants to build self-confidence, Bastion Primary School offers the tools and experiences which are necessary to shine, whether on the stage or off. Here, we train people who do not only perform; we form strong, balanced individuals.
Music
At Bastion Primary School, we are passionate about building a lifelong love of music. Our music department offers an extensive programme which includes theory, vocal training, piano, guitar, recorder, as well as a marimba band and percussion orchestra.
Learners are encouraged to hone their talents by taking part in eisteddfods and regular performances, including individual practical and theory exams through Trinity College London.
Our experienced educators offer structured, high quality training while simultaneously developing creativity, discipline and self-confidence in every young musician.
Choir
Bastion Primary School believes that music plays a key role in the development of a child's self confidence, discipline and teamwork. Our choirs do not only offer the opportunity do develop a singing talent, but also allow learners to experience the joy of singing with others and to experience the value of cooperation.
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Annually, our senior choir consists of 80 to 100 members under the leadership of Mrs Buys, with Mrs Turketti as accompanist. This choir regularly performs at concerts, choir festivals and eisteddfods, and has an established reputation for outstanding quality. During the 2025 choir tour, more than 50 of our choir members undertook a tour to Montagu. For four days, they enjoyed educational outings and at the same time, served the community by performing at schools, churches and retirement villages.
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Our junior choir with approximately 90 learners under the leadership of Mrs von Solms and accompanist Mrs Buys, achieved great success this year by receiving a Cum Laude award at the Parel Vallei Eisteddfod. This achievement emphasises the high standard and dedication with which our youngest choristers work.
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Both of these choirs are the pride of Bastion. Every year they entertain and inspire audiences with their quality and enthusiasm. Our choirs do not merely sing songs, but also build character, friends and memories that will always remain with them.
Orators
Orators are learners who practise and develop the skill of public speaking, where they learn to state their thoughts with confidence and persuasion in front of an audience.
At our school, we offer orators because it helps learners to develop essential communication skills, improve their self-confidence, and learn to think critically about a wide variety of topics. It also encourages creativity, improves vocabulary, and teachers learners to listen and to debate the ideas of others with respect.
By participating in orators, learners do not only prepare for academic success, but also develop skills which will remain with them for life, and will be beneficial in leadership, teamwork and in their future careers.
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Regularly there are Bastion learners who not only excel provincially, but also nationally. This year we had two learners who took part in the ATKV Orators' national final, with one achieving a fourth place and the other one an eighth place. Various learners also take part in the national competitions of On the Tip of your Tongue, Radikale Redenaars and Kansvatters, where they achieve excellent results. This year we had two national first places in the Radikale Redenaars competition.
Eisteddfod
Every year, Bastion's learners have the opportunity to take part in the Tygerberg International Eisteddfod in a wide range of categories. Not only do they take part in musical items, but their drama talents are also showcased.
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Various talented learners are identified by their educators and entered for items such as neat handwriting, unprepared reading, presentation of poetry, performing monologues, and creative writing. Year after year, Bastion boasts excellent results, which include a number of category winners.
Silwervaring Arts Festival
In September of each year, Bastion is the proud host of the Silwervaring Arts Festival, a youth arts festival first started in 2017 by the creative arts department of Bastion. Over the years, this festival has grown to one of the largest youth arts festivals in the country, attracting participants from all over South Africa.
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What started as just a drama festival, has since added a choir festival and an orators' section. Adjudication is done by judges from the performing arts industry and valuable feedback is given to the young performers.
Artworks of Bastion learners are also exhibited during this event.
