The Arts Learning Area

Introduction

The Arts Learning Area at Shenton College includes the art forms of Dance, Drama, Media, Music and Visual Arts. All students will do a course of study in the Arts based on a minimum of 2 hours of contact time per week (120 minutes). Students may choose additional courses in the Arts depending on their interests and future career aspirations, but only if they don't study a LOTE in Year 10.

A Special hybrid Arts course called Arts Link is also on offer. This course has a special focus on creative collaboration and innovation. However, a student who intends to study an upper school course in an Arts discipline should not rely totally on this as a sole grounding for Year 11 studies in those subjects. They are advised to choose single discipline courses in addition to any Arts Link courses selected.

Specialist courses in Photography (Media) and Ceramics (Visual Arts) are available.

Students involved in the Special Music Program are instrumentalists. Their program is separate and includes extra tuition and contact hours. Instrumentalists may, however, choose additional courses in the Arts, if they are not studying a LOTE. Again this depends on their interests and future career aspirations.

General Guidelines for Course Selections

Every student in Year 10 must select a minimum of two Arts courses to study over the year. The maximum number of courses a student can study in the Arts is four.
There are 5 disciplines in the Arts – Dance, Drama, Music, Media and Visual Arts. If a student chooses the minimum of 2 courses within the Arts Learning Area, each course must be a different Arts discipline. It can however, include an Arts Link course.
Every student’s total program in the Arts Learning Area over the year, must include a minimum of 2 different Arts disciplines.
If a student chooses 3 or 4 courses in the Arts, no more than 2 of the 4 can be in the same Arts discipline. However, Arts Link does not use up one of these discipline choices.
It is highly recommended that students, who wish to study an Arts subject in Year 11, select 2 courses in that particular Arts discipline in Year 10. This may include an Arts Link course.

Courses on Offer Through the Arts Learning Area

Arts Link B (Visual Arts / Media) [CALB]

This is a hybrid Arts course. It seeks to replicate the way that professional artists / performers work in the outside community. Students will engage in 2 Arts disciplines, working towards a final joint project which utilises skills in both areas. In this course students will learn and apply processes and skills in visual Arts and Media with the intention of creative innovative artworks. This course has a specific focus on sculptural modelling, set design, cartooning and video animation.

Dance 1 [CDA1]

This course extends a student’s repertoire of dance styles, placing emphasis on the development of jazz dancing – tracing its origins from its primitive roots through to modern styles including Hip-Hop, Street Jazz and Break Dancing. (Requirements – suitable dance attire.)

Dance 2 [CD2] (Non-LOTE Students Only)

This course concentrates on proficiency in contemporary, modern and Hip-Hop dancing. Special emphasis will be placed on group choreography. This course will provide an introduction to Dance Studies in Year 11 and 12.

Drama 1 [CDR1]

In this course students will develop and apply skills in improvisation and characterisation, voice, movement. They will explore role of audience see how lighting sound and multi-media support structures are used in theatre.

Drama 2 [CDR2] (Non-LOTE students only)

In this course students will extend their skills in stagecraft and further develop their understanding of the place of drama in society.

They will work from existing scripts from different periods of drama history as well as engaging in playbuilding for performance using conventions from a variety of drama forms.

Media 1 [CME1]

This course concentrates upon the construction of codes in the mass media specifically film, television and print. Actors are involved in the construction of characters. As part of this course, students will use digital video equipment such as cameras and editing systems to create a production incorporating stereotypes in order to sell a product that they will develop.

Media 2 [CME2] (Non-LOTE Students Only)

This course involves students examining the various elements that combine to create a specific film genre. Whether it is the hi-tech special effects of the latest action blockbuster or the hilarious antics within a classic comedy, students will be given the opportunity to analyse and identify the elements that go into creating a specific film genre. As part of this courses students will use a range of digital video equipment including cameras and editing equipment to create a video production that contains all the hallmarks of a genre of their choice.

Media (Photography) [CMP] (Non-LOTE Students Only)

This is a course for those who like both the technical and the creative. Students will learn specific camera and processing skills. In particular they will learn how to compose good photographs, how to develop their own films and how to enlarge, print and present their own black and white photographs compiled in a folio.

Visual Arts (Art) 1 [CA1]

This course is suitable for those students who enjoy the creative process and like to work in the studio fields of sculpture, college and mixed media, painting and printmaking. All Visual Arts courses include drawing and design skills, plus historical and cultural research. As a general theme, students will explore the natural and built environments and aspects of the way people live, through projects such as stone carving, card and papier mâché models, clay modellings, screen printing, landscape and portrait painting.

Visual Arts (Pottery) [CP] (Non-LOTE Students Only)

This course is suitable for those students who enjoy working in clay. Students will be taught hand building techniques and will also learn how to use the electric pottery wheel. All Visual Arts courses include drawing and design skills plus some historical/cultural research.

Visual Arts (Craft / Design) 1 [CD1]

This course is suitable for those students who enjoy the creative process and like to work in the studio fields of ceramics (pottery), jewellery, textiles, papermaking and other crafts. All Visual Arts courses include drawing and design skills, plus historical and cultural research. As a general theme, students will explore the natural and built environments and aspects of the way people live, through projects such as ceramic coiled pots, screen and block printing, batik and mixed media jewellery.

Visual Arts (Craft / Design) 2 [CD2] (Non-LOTE Students Only)

This course is suitable for those students who enjoy the creative process and like to work in the studio fields of ceramics (pottery), jewellery, textiles, papermaking and other crafts. All Visual Arts courses include an emphasis on drawing and design skills, plus historical and cultural research. As a general theme, students explore the way that astists generate ideas and express unique and personal thoughts. They will engage in design areas such as graphics, textiles, and interior design through projects such a packaging, posters, shop design, advertising and fashion, screen and transfer printing, and fabric painting including banners.

The Extension Music Program

The Extension Music Program is a course for talented music students. It is based on continuous study of an instrument, paired with broad theoretical studies of music, plus participation in orchestral and / or ensemble activities. Special Music students are highly valued by the school due to their dedication to their study as well as the contribution they make to the cultural ethos of Shenton College.

The Instrumental Program for Music Extension includes woodwind, string, brass, guitar and percussion. Students in this course commenced their Music Extension studies in upper primary school. There are also excellent opportunities for students who demonstrate talent in music, to enter the program in Year 8 at Shenton College.

Introductory Notes:

Class Music and Instrumental and Ensemble Music courses are linked therefore both must be selected when choosing the Music Extension Program.

Class Music courses are all taken in school time but students’ instrumental lessons may be given by teachers within the school, or by visiting teachers.

Instrumental Music lessons will require a student to come out of another school subject for approximately 30 minutes once per week, to study their instrument. Instrumental Music teachers often use a rotating timetable to reduce the impact these absences may cause on other subjects.

Ensemble Music will be held out of school time and assessment will be based on regular attendance as well as performance skills. Students will be required to perform in a school-based ensemble – ie concert band, choir, orchestra or guitar ensemble.

In summary, Music Extension students receive credit for two music courses: Class Music (taken in school time) and Instrumental and Ensemble Music (taken partly in another subject time and partly out of school time).

Students may be required to audition for entry into the Music extension courses.

Students who wish to choose Year 11 Music (TEE stream) in the future, should study the following courses in Year 10:

Special Class Music 1 and 2

Instrumental and Ensemble Music 1 and 2

Courses for Special Music Program Students

Special Class Music 1 & 2 [CSCM1] [CSCM2] (Course lasts for 2 semesters)

This course continues the development of musicianship skills in conjunction with Instrumental and Ensemble Music. In this course students will study:

Musical perception and basic knowledge, which will include rhythm (simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple), pitch (treble, bass and alto clefs) and major and minor tonality.

Orchestral and keyboard instruments.

The organisation of a music composition as binary, ternary, Minuet and Trio, Scherzo ad Trio, Rondo, Theme and Variations and Sonata form.

Special Class Music 1 is a special compulsory course ONLY for those studying an instrument through the school instrumental program.

Instrumental and Ensemble Music 1 & 2 [CIEM1] [CIEM2]

This is a practical music course and is studied in conjunction with Special Class Music 1. Students will study an instrument either with a teacher from the Education Department (School of Instrumental Music) or a private teacher, and all students will be required to perform in an approved ensemble. These are the school band, string orchestra, guitar ensemble or choir, as appropriate. Each course continues the practical development of instrumental and musicianship skills.

In this course students will study:

technical studies and pieces commensurable with their expertise on a particular musical instrument

a wide-ranging repertoire suitable to the ensemble group

Instrumental and Ensemble Music 1 and 2 are special compulsory courses ONLY for those studying an instrument through the school instrumental program.