As part of our International Women's Day celebrations, we have been hearing from members of our School community, past and present. As we heard from first female Head of School, Elle Tivey, it also seemed fitting to catch up with our current Head of School, Millie Clark:
"Hi, my name is Millie, and I’m Head of School. As well as talking or playing my flute in assembly, I also love meeting people in the wider Norwich community and sharing with them everything the school is doing. Next year I am hoping to study music and, ultimately, I would love to perform as a solo flute player, and also work in orchestras and on the West End. I think it’s so important that all kinds of music can be available everyone (regardless of background), so hopefully I will also be working, playing, and teaching in schools and helping to inspire people around the country.
International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of all of the incredible women across the world who are breaking down barriers and achieving incredible things culturally, socially, politically, economically, and all other areas of life.
One of the women whom I most admire is the French composer, Cécile Chaminade, who was one of the few composers in the 19th and early 20th Centuries to achieve public success during their lifetime. She was so popular that there were clubs set up in America to appreciate her music and to spread it further. In a time when it was not permitted for women to be seen in the main centres of Parisian culture, she achieved international acclaim and is still celebrated to this day as a prolific composer – not just a “female composer”.
Another woman I look up to (literally, unfortunately!) is my younger sister, Phoebe. She is headstrong and powerful, and not someone I would want to get on the wrong side of, but she is also incredibly compassionate and caring and supports me, no matter what. She is a formidable rugby player, playing for Eastern Counties, and has recently been training to be a referee. I know there are so many other players, and people generally in her life, who strongly value her leadership and encouragement, and she is never afraid of speaking out in any situation. I admire her courage, and her ability to see the best in people. In the face of so much adversity and disadvantage in history, I am proud to be a woman who can look back on the incredible women in history and celebrate my peers today.
I think the key piece of advice I would give to the young women in our school would be to take every opportunity they can get hold of and find what inspires them. It’s so important that we feel empowered to speak up about what we are passionate about, and to share our experiences in order to lift up and help each other."