In creative arts, students discover a variety of art forms through a study of dance, drama, music and visual arts.
Studying the Creative Arts, students learn to appreciate, compose, listen, make and perform. Each art form has its own unique knowledge and skills, elements or concepts as well as a capacity to inspire and enrich lives.
Students must study 100 hours of both music and Visual Arts during Years 7 to 10. They also have an opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills in other art forms through elective subjects. Students can then select from a range of courses in Years 11 to 12.
Dance is an elective subject in years 9-12. In this course students are taught to appreciate and understand the narrative nature of dance compositions through a study of choreographers and their works. Dance movements and their effect on the structure of the human body are also examined during the course of study. In practical lessons, students work as solo and group performers to explore a variety of Dance styles and learn to choreograph their own dances whilst developing confidence and poise.
There are also extracurricular Bollywood, Hip Hop and Contemporary dance ensemble groups available to interested students from all year groups.
Music is studied as a mandatory course in Years 7 and 8 and may be continued as an elective option in Years 9 to 12. From preliminary studies in music notation and different genres, students are provided with basic training on the keyboard, Djembe drum and guitar which may be extended with further study. Performance is a key component of this course and students are also encouraged to develop their vocal skills as an instrument. The identification of the sounds made by various instruments and the contribution they make to musical compositions provide students with the basis for constructing and performing their own compositions.
Students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular lessons on the Djembe drums and may participate in performances at different venues outside of the school.
Visual Arts is studied as a mandatory course in Years 7 and 8 and may be continued as an elective option in Years 9 to 12. By applying critical thinking and analysis to a study of historical and contemporary artworks and artmaking practices, students are taught to understand the methods artists use to communicate with their audiences. This provides the basis for them to develop their own skills in making two, three and four-dimensional works in a range of diverse media.
Students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular lessons in an afternoon Masterclass.
Photography and Digital Media is an elective course for years 9-12. Students explore the recording of images with a focus on composition and light before working with graphic software programs to develop their skills in digital manipulation and enhancement. Critical and historical studies of important photographers and their practices compliment the students' practical studies and develop analytical and critical thinking in the interpretation of works. Classes are also introduced to contemporary digital equipment such as the graphic tablet, drone and three-dimensional printer.
