Erin Middleton Class of 2014
Achievements at Elderslie High School
· Most Outstanding Student in Year Group, six years in a row (Year 7 to Year 12)
· Band 6 result for HSC Drama | ATAR of 93.2
· Vice-Captain for 2014
· Academic Awards:
o Fraser Murray Memorial Award for Mathematics (2012)
o Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute School Science Award (2013)
o Western Sydney University Scholarship (2013)
o USNW Academic Achievement Award (2014)
o Ministers Award for Excellence in Student Achievement (2014)
· Other awards:
o State Semi-Finalist in the Plain English Speaking Award (2013)
o Long Tan Youth Leadership & Teamwork Award (2014)
· Creative:
o Member of the NSW State Drama Ensemble (2011)
o YMCA NSW Youth Parliamentarian (2013)
o Member of the Ballroom Dance Ensemble (2013/2014)
o Lead role in School Musicals:
Singin’ In The Rain (Lina Lamont)
Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie Alvarez)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Milly)
· I was one of those ‘over-achiever’ kids at school – but the truth is there’s no such thing as ‘over-achieving’. You simply do as much as you can to get where you want to be, and that’s a different journey for everyone. I certainly didn’t end up where a lot of other people expected me to be when I was in high school.
· I was a very academic student, and that was where everyone thought I would go, studying Science or Law. Instead I followed my creative passions, and every day I’m glad that I did. Success doesn’t have to be measured in exam results or what kind of degree you hold; it can be how you feel when you get up in the morning, the simple joy of being on a stage, the thrill of putting words on a page and creating a story.
Achievements since 2014
· Travelled to & volunteered in Cambodia for a ‘gap month’ after graduating, building fences and gardens in a rural village & teaching English at the local school; celebrated my 18th birthday at Angkor Wat, one of the Great Wonders of the World
· Started a Bachelor of Arts program as UNSW, achieving a place on the Deans List for 2015, before transferring to an Acting course at Sydney Theatre School
· Mid-2015, had a major knee reconstruction – afterwards, learning how to walk again, regaining confidence in my body & finding my strength
· Wrote my first short play ‘Beard’, which premiered at Short + Sweet Sydney 2017, and was selected as a Festival Director’s Choice Finalist
· Graduated from Sydney Theatre School with a Diploma of Arts: Acting (2017)
· Moved to England in mid-2017 for seven months; travelled extensively in Scotland and Europe (Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Budapest, Bruges, Prague, Vienna, Venice), worked in a British pub, reconnected with my family, lived independently
· 2018:
o Assistant Directed the play ‘Things Not To Do After A Breakup’ by Wayne Tunks, at The Depot Theatre in Sydney
o Played Robin Starveling / Moth in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with Holroyd Musical and Dramatic Society, dir. Laura May
o Played Curley’s Wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’ with Campbelltown Theatre Group
o Worked as the Script Supervisor (a behind-the-camera production role in film) on award-winning short horror film ‘Zebra’, dir. Peter Spann
o Worked as the Script Supervisor on the second season of award-winning web series ‘Thirty’, dir. Leah Pellinkhof
· 2019:
o Scholarship recipient for Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin
o Member of PYT Fairfield’s Ensemble program
o Wrote and produced my first one-act play ‘Kallistēi’, which premiered at the Sydney Fringe Festival
o Played the role of Phebe in ‘As You Like It’ with Wollongong-based emerging theatre company SHEkespeare, which produces all-female casts of Shakespeare plays
