Class of 2019 Prizegiving

Last week we celebrated the achievements of our Upper Sixth leavers at a special prize giving dinner, with an inspiring send-off from alumna and guest speaker Despina Tsatsas, Executive Director of the Young Vic.

The event was one of the last to take place in the old Waterlow Hall, which is due to be transformed into a state-of-the-art performance space by early 2020. Memories and fond farewells were written on the walls, before they are clad with acoustic oak-panelling in the stunning new venue. Messages left included poetry from Ted Hughes, amusing anecdotes and shout-outs to their teachers.

Despina Tsatsas, who attended South Hampstead until 2000, delivered the keynote speech for the evening, lauding the value of arts in society. She remembered the school as “a wonderful place to begin a cultural education”.  At the Young Vic, where she champions diversity, equality and world-class art, she has been described by Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah as “imaginative, ambitious and a true team-player” – assets she attributes to her time at South Hampstead. As well as being a passionate ambassador for our Waterlow Hall campaign, she is a Board Member of UK charity Clean Break, a theatre company working with women offenders.

Despina spoke to the leavers about the adventures that lie ahead, reminding them not to fear failure, nor to worry about feeling out of their depth. She fondly remembered the guidance from her teachers at South Hampstead, where she was taught to speak up, and was instilled with the belief that she could do anything.

In Mrs Bingham’s address, she encouraged the girls not to lose their inner child: “Keep asking questions, especially ‘why?’ Keep saying it’s not fair. Keep thinking you can change the world, because I don’t think you’ve ever had a better opportunity to do so. In a period where age-old assumptions about how we should work, live and run our country are questioned, women have a golden opportunity to shape change. I think all of you are going to thrive in this gloriously uncertain and exhilarating world.”