Hirsch turns creativity into fine art

King David High School Linksfield matriculant Ariella Hirsch’s passion for the arts drove her to excel at school and inspire fellow students to express themselves creatively. She was also recognised for her abundant crocheting.

It wasn’t all that easy, considering that she attended three schools across Johannesburg and Cape Town, but she made it work. Her American accent, which she acquired from watching TV, sometimes fools people into thinking that she’s from America.

Hirsch won five awards at the school’s valedictory for her arts and culture pursuits. She was awarded for things like public speaking; creative writing; and dedication to arts and culture. She was also awarded for achieving the top mark for drama theory.

Hirsch enjoys debating, public speaking and creative writing, but the thing that motivates her most about the arts is the ability to express oneself.

“It’s something not enough people focus on,” she says. “When you look at who we are as people, the one thing that really differentiates us is our ability to express ourselves and how we choose to do so as individuals.”

Throughout her rise in the ranks of the Arts and Culture Committee to eventually becoming its leader, Hirsch showed her school peers how valuable and vital creativity and expression can be.

“In my last few years, when I finally got to a place where I could teach others, I met some really great people in younger grades whom I’m now friends with. I was able to convince people to get more involved in culture and express themselves better.”

Born in Johannesburg, she attended King David Primary School Victory Park from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Ahead of Grade 4, she moved to Cape Town, and attended Herzlia Highlands Primary.

“Then, in Grade 7, I moved back to Johannesburg, but I went to King David Linksfield because my parents wanted to give us a fresh start and the opportunity to make new friends. Looking back, changing schools was challenging and had its advantages. I didn’t enjoy anything about the move after Grade 3. I struggled because I was so young, and my dad had already been commuting for two years. I was very off axis, I guess you could say.

“I was young, but looking back, I didn’t like the kind of person I was in Cape Town. I was more stuck up. I was more set in my ways. I just wasn’t the best version of myself. I don’t know if I would have become the person I am today had I stayed in Cape Town. I’m glad I ended up this way.”

In 2023, Hirsch followed in her mom’s footsteps by getting into crocheting. Since then, she could be found at school with her wool and crochet hook creating something new at break, during talks, and every opportunity she could find. “I started knitting as well, probably in April of 2024, which is a very random time to start a hobby – in the middle of matric – but I needed it to cope with the stress.”

Hirsch makes a variety of random things, often as presents for others, such as handbags, sweaters, cardigans, and little stuffed animals. “I made my friend a sheep once, and I’m working on a scarf and a pillow cover because I often just make what I’m inspired by and by the yarn I have.”

She hopes to study for a computer science or computational applied mathematics degree.