What is Pulse Alive?
Pulse Alive is a large-scale event, providing high-quality opportunities in the performing arts for students and teachers from NSW public schools in Greater Sydney and beyond.
Pulse Alive provides performance opportunities for students of all abilities from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Participation in the categories of massed dance, First Nations Dance Ensemble, massed choir and Signing Choir are open to all schools without audition.
This google site contains important information around the 2024 event, including expectations of school groups, teachers and participating students. It is vital that all aspects are read and understood before submitting an application to participate in Pulse Alive 2024.
Contact
If you have any questions about Pulse Alive at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact the Pulse Alive team by email at: pulse@det.nsw.edu.au.
Performance dates
Performance dates
Thursday 14 March and Friday 15 March 2024 (Term 1 Week 7)
All schools participating in Pulse Alive 2024 in massed dance, massed choir, signing choir and First Nations Dance Ensemble will be allocated to ONE performance date. This will be either:
Cast A - Thursday 14 March 2024 OR
Cast B - Friday 15 March 2024.
Students selected via audition to feature as Principal Vocalists, Principal Dancers, Principal Choir, Showband, Drama Ensemble, Student Comperes, Student Crew and Student Creative Team, will be required to perform/participate in both performances.
Venues
Performance venue - Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney Olympic Park
Ken Rosewall Arena is the main arena of the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre and is located at the southern end of Olympic Boulevard.
Rehearsal venues:
Massed dance - Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park
Massed choir - Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park
First Nations Dance Ensemble - Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park.
Signing Choir - Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park
All principal performer auditions and rehearsals - The Arts Unit, Lewisham
Venue address
Ken Rosewall Arena - Corner Olympic Boulevard and Shirley Strickland Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park.
Netball Central - 2 Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park
The Arts Unit - Corner Toothill Street and The Boulevard, Lewisham
Rehearsals
All schools involved in massed dance, massed choir, Signing Choir and First Nations Dance Ensemble must attend a full day preliminary rehearsal in the weeks prior to Pulse Alive 2024.
All rehearsals will take place between Monday 19 February and Monday 11 March 2024 (Term 1 Weeks 4 to 7). Please check your school calendar before submitting your nomination. The online nomination form will allow you to preference specific rehearsal and performance dates to help us in the allocation process.
Confirmed rehearsal dates will be communicated to schools on acceptance into the show in early Term 4.
Each school will only be required to participate in one preliminary rehearsal per category they have applied for.
Schools are expected to attend their preliminary rehearsal in person.
Preliminary rehearsals will run from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Schools will be required to attend for the full day.
Provision will be made for schools more than 2 hours travel time from Sydney Olympic Park participating in massed choir, massed dance, signing choir or the First Nations Dance Ensemble to attend preliminary rehearsals virtually if required.
Specifc information on rehearsals for principal performers is detailed on their category pages.
Performance day
Performance day includes a compulsory final rehearsal, venue rehearsal and performance.
Schools should expect to be in attendance from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on their performance day. Final schedule details will be communicated during Term 4 2023.
All schools must attend these compulsory rehearsals in person.
Pulse Alive reserves the right to modify dates or details should circumstances change.
Opportunities to participate
Opportunities are available for students to participate in Pulse Alive through the following categories:
School Groups (no audition required)
Massed choir - applications now open
Massed dance - applications now open
First Nations dance ensemble - applications now open
Signing Choir - applications now open
Individual Students (audition/application required) -
Principal Vocalist (individual students via live audition) - applications closed
Pulse Alive Dance Company (principal dancers) - (individual students via live audition) - applications closed
Principal Choir (individual students via live audition) - applications closed
Showband (individual students via video audition) - applications closed
Drama Ensemble (individual students via application) - applications closed
Student Compere (individual students via video audition) - applications closed
Student Crew (individual students via application) - applications now open
Student Creative Team (individual students via application) - applications closed
Please note: Students may only participate in one category within the show. Limited exceptions may be made in certain circumstances.
For example:
students participating in massed dance and First Nations Dance Ensemble with their school groups
students selected in the Student Creative Team and performing in another category.
Students participating in more than one category under these circumstances should be aware that they will be required to pay a separate student resource fee for each category they are involved in.
Opportunities for teachers to participate in Pulse Alive are also available as part of the Teacher Production Team.
To explore all the details regarding the areas that interest you select the appropriate buttons below:
Resource fee
There will be a resource fee of $52 per student for students participating as part of a school group.
The resource fee assists with the costs involved in the conductors, choreographers and tutors working with the students, supports a number of music copyright costs and includes a Pulse Alive t-shirt, which will be worn by all performers as their costume during the event.
For school groups, the resource fee will be direct debited in late Term 4 2023, based on the number of participating students submitted as part of the online nomination process. It will not be possible to issue any refunds if students or schools withdraw after the closing date of the online nomination form.
The resource fee for principal performers (principal vocalists, Pulse Alive Dance Company, principal choir, showband, student comperes, and drama ensemble) is $150 per student. For these performers, the resource fee will be required to be paid through The Arts Unit student payment portal on acceptance into the show.
Please note, there is no resource fee payable for students participating as part of the Student Crew or the Student Creative Team.
T-shirt sizing
As part of the online application process, students and schools will be required to submit their t-shirt order.
Please find a graphic below to assist in ensuring the most appropriate sizes are ordered for your participating students.
Duty of care
All students at Pulse Alive must be supervised at all times by a teacher.
School or representative groups participating in massed choir, massed dance, First Nations Dance Ensemble and the signing choir are expected to provide a teacher to attend all rehearsals and performances. Relief costs must be provided by the school.
Students participating as a principal performer or student crew will have teachers on the production team allocated to provide duty of care.
Schools with groups of students participating in more than one category (for example: a group in massed choir and a group in massed dance) must provide a teacher to supervise each category group (a teacher for massed dance and a separate teacher for massed choir).
Every group requires supervision as entry and exit points, holding rooms and performance spaces are in different locations across the southern end of Sydney Olympic Park.
Schools and teachers also need to be aware that teachers must actively supervise their students at all times at rehearsals and performances of Pulse Alive. It is not appropriate for students to be left unsupervised at rehearsals or performances or for teachers to be completing marking or other busy work while students are rehearsing. Teachers are expected to support the conductor/choreographer and the students and participate in the rehearsal process where possible.
Risk management and COVID-19 safety plans
A risk assessment for all rehearsal and performance venues, as well as a detailed COVID-19 safety plan for the event will be made available to all schools involved in the event on acceptance.
Pulse Alive is committed to offering a COVID-19 safe event.
This program works in conjunction with the Department of Education and is supported by The Arts Unit to ensure that the operation of this program is contingent on the COVID-19 advice provided by the department in consultation with NSW Health.
As COVID-19 information is rapidly updating, procedures and adjustments may be made with short notice prior to the event start date.
Teachers are encouraged to remain up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 advice on the department intranet.
Schools are also required to ensure the consent statement provided by the department is included in permission note paperwork for the festival to seek additional parent or carer consent around the risk of COVID-19.
Student behaviour
Student behaviour
Pulse Alive is a Department of Education program and as such, just as at school, all students are expected to abide by the Department’s Behaviour Code for Students. Students are representing themselves, their families and their school whilst being a part of this event.
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets for Pulse Alive 2024 will go on sale on Tuesday 6 Feburary 2024 via Ticketmaster.
The show will not be televised and, due to copyright restrictions, will not be live-streamed - so the only way to experience it is to purchase a ticket and be there in person!
Current planned ticket Prices are as follows:
Lower Bowl (reserved seating): $65 per ticket
Upper Bowl (general admission): $25 per ticket
All tickets in each category are the same price - there are no consession, child or seniors ticket prices.
Please note, these prices may change as the final configuration of the venue is confirmed closer to the date that tickets go on sale.
Students performing in Pulse Alive 2024 will not require a ticket - they are just for family, friends and school communities to watch the show.
Third-party content attributions
Pulse Alive 2021/22 images 1-19, photographer: Anna Warr
