YEARS 9 AND 10 ACADEMIC INFORMATION HANDBOOK

THE ARTS - CURRICULUM OPTIONS

DANCE - SPECIALISED TECHNIQUE 

Extend your physical capabilities in multiple genres with the guidance of staff and industry professionals to further techniques and create performances for the College Dance Concert.

 

Explore a range of dance practices and techniques with staff and industry professionals to create performances for the College Dance Concert and develop physically, creatively, artistically, emotionally and intellectually. Body awareness, alignment principles and components of fitness will be developed through the understanding and execution of technique exercises. Students will work collaboratively with staff and industry professionals to create two intention driven works to perform at the College Dance Concert, gaining an intrinsic sense of enjoyment and personal achievement through expressing and challenging themselves physically. Students will engage with dance as a form of expression and investigate how it can represent a variety of motivations, through their own performance and through the viewing of professional works.

 

Students should consider this unit if they are contemplating ATAR Dance. Some experience in dance or a physical movement discipline is suggested. Participation in this unit may lead to opportunities for future study in Dance or related arts fields. This unit can also be taken in conjunction with the Dance - General Technique unit.

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Dance Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DANCE - GENERAL TECHNIQUE

Work with staff and a guest artist in multiple genres to learn techniques and create performances for the College Dance Concert.

 

Through participation in the Dance General Technique course, students will be given the opportunity to develop body awareness, alignment principles and components of fitness. Students will work with College Staff and Guest Artists in a range of genres to learn the technique and create two routines which will be performed in the College Dance Concert. Students will also develop life skills including communication, collaboration and teamwork skills, problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to organise themselves and others. Students will learn and be expected to demonstrate safe dance practices throughout this course and gain an understanding of anatomy and the benefits of warming up. Students will reflect on, respond to, and evaluate how different dance styles and genres are derived. 

 

This course is open to all students with a willingness to share their passion for dance. No prior experience required, however, participation in this unit can lead to opportunities for future study in Dance or related arts fields. This unit can also be taken in conjunction with the Dance Specialised Technique unit.

Please note that if you are currently on a Dance Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DRAMA SPECIALIST 1 (SCRIPTED PERFORMANCE)

Drama Specialist 1 (Script Performance) is designed for (but not exclusive to) the students who have an ambition to study and perform Drama in Years 11 and 12 and beyond. The rigour of the course will demand that students can engage creatively with agile minds to analyse a published play script and to develop the skills to perform and realise the play. 

 

Students will approach the texts as both actor and director while also being introduced to roles that will include production and design aspects involving set, costumes, props, promotional materials, sound and lighting. 

 

Guest artists will be invited to coach and direct work in class as we analyse and realise scripts. Additionally, the course is designed to support students grow their capacity for empathy and interpersonal skills. Students will perform the work that we produce in a fully realised performance for an audience. 

 

It is important to note that Drama Specialist 1 can work alongside Drama Specialist 2 as a complete unit across the year or can be studied individually.  The unit can also work alongside Drama Production Play/Musical for a truly immersive and dedicated experience.

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Drama Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DRAMA - MUSICAL PRODUCTION

In this Drama - Musical Production option, you will explore the genre of the Musical (you don’t have to be a great singer/dancer or actor - you just need to be willing to give it a go and learn). Whether it be as a solo artist or working in a chorus you will explore and experiment with the many elements required to perform. We will explore the Broadway version of the musical as well as having the opportunity to create contemporary and personalised versions of the show. 

 

Guest professional choreographers/directors from the industry will be invited to the class to work on musical numbers with students, as we workshop our way through sampling as many numbers and experiences as possible. Students will perform the work that we produce in a fully realised performance for an audience. 

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Drama Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

HCoFAB - PRODUCTION COMPANY

HotHouse Company Film and Broadcast (HCoFAB) invites students to apply for a position on a team that will create specific content for the College community. The HCoFAB team will comprise of specialists in the field of media to create a publication according to the needs of the College. The team will have to make deadlines, adhere to briefs and receive genuine feedback from their clients and their audience. The HCoFAB Team allows our students to experience authentic working conditions in the world of media and create content that will provide genuine product for e-portfolio and other platforms that will allow you to demonstrate your work. 

 

HCoFAB will also create original content specific but not limited to the ideas generated in the studio through a host of various programs and competitions (platforms) that HCoFAB produces. Authentic learning will occur as a bi-product of building the content that will be created on behalf of the College and communicated to the community audience. 

MEDIA PRODUCTION (FICTION)

This course focuses on the genres, styles and movements of fictional film, television and online industries. Students will develop their existing knowledge of using cameras, lenses, tripods, rigs, microphones and editing software in production to allow them to tell screen stories in live action, animated or hybrid mediums. They will take inspiration from the classics of cinema to create their own stories and experiment with ways of communicating ideas. 

DRAWING AND PAINTING - TRADITIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL 

Do you want to improve your drawing and painting skills? In this class you will explore diverse approaches to working on paper and canvas by creating a series of small studies and a larger resolved work using a variety of media.  You will develop your observation of objects and subjects as you draw them from life, learn how to draw realistically using traditional techniques, and to express yourself using more contemporary processes. 

Students will learn: 

  • Traditional drawing techniques including tonal shading, cross-hatching, stippling using pencil and charcoal.
  • Composition, proportion and the use of light and chiaroscuro techniques when composing an artwork.
  • Painting techniques including traditional grisaille underpainting, impasto, glazing and theories behind colour mixing and blending.
  • Contemporary gestural and expressive techniques in both drawing and painting.

Students use visual art language and artistic conventions, in both written and practical work. They further develop and refine their ideas and techniques to resolve artwork by documenting the design, production and evaluation processes of their artwork. Students extend their knowledge and practise of safe and sustainable visual arts practice.

CERAMIC HAND BUILDING

Love getting a little messy…. why not explore the tactile world of clay? The flexibility of hand building with clay offers endless opportunities for creating a variety of interesting forms. This unit will introduce students to the fundamental hand building techniques of pinching, coiling and slab building. Using these techniques, students will create a range of sculptural objects and explore a variety of surface decoration and finishes.

 

Students will learn:

 

Ceramic techniques

  • Pinch pots
  • Coil pots
  • Slab construction

Glazing techniques

  • Shellac resist
  • Oxide staining and under glazing
  • Speciality glazing

Students will extend their knowledge of art practices, such as manipulation and the control of clay, and use their understanding of a variety of ceramic styles in the making of their own 3D artwork. Students will extend their knowledge and practise of safe and sustainable visual arts practice.

DANCE - SPECIALISED CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE 

Delve deep into the choreographic process using improvisation and other techniques to create your own work for Student Choreography Night and for a site-specific performance. As an art form, dance encourages artistic creativity and the active use of the imagination. Dancers will play, explore and improvise to create new moves and choreography in the genre(s) of their choice.

 

Students will learn frameworks for critical decision-making, in individual and group work, to manipulate movement to reflect intention. Inspired by a range of creative processes including improvisation, tasking and the use of choreographic elements and devices, dancers draw on their own physicality and the interpretation of existing work of others to make dance works. Dancers will be guided by both staff and industry professionals to develop new skills and movement material.

 

Design concepts and technologies will be explored and implemented to enhance dance works with the students having opportunities to develop their own sound, lighting and multimedia if desired. The opportunity to present dance to an audience enables students to understand and undertake a range of production roles and skills. Students will develop transferable skills essential to their future. These include communication skills, collaborative teamwork skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to organise, analyse and evaluate.

 

Students should consider this unit if they are contemplating ATAR Dance. Some experience in dance or a physical movement discipline is suggested. Participation in this unit may lead to opportunities for future study in Dance or related arts fields. 

 

This unit can also be taken in conjunction with the Dance - General Choreography and Performance unit.

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Dance Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DANCE - GENERAL CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE

Begin learning the processes to create your own choreography using improvisation and other techniques to create your own group dance work for Student Choreography Night.

As an art form, dance encourages artistic creativity and the active use of the imagination. Dancers will play, explore and improvise to create new moves and choreography in the genre(s) of their choice.

 

Students will work individually and in groups to manipulate movement through the creative process. This will include improvisation, tasking, the use of choreographic elements and devices and interpretation of others works. Dancers will be guided by both staff and industry professionals to develop new skills and movement material. Design concepts and technologies will be explored and implemented to enhance dance works with the students having opportunities to develop their own sound, lighting and multimedia. The opportunity to present dance to both a live and virtual audience enables students to understand and undertake a range of roles and skills. Students will develop transferable skills essential to their future. These include communication skills, collaborative teamwork skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to organise.

 

Participation in this unit may lead to opportunities for future study in Dance or related arts fields. This unit can also be taken in conjunction with the Dance – Specialised Choreography and Performance unit.

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Dance Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DRAMA SPECIALIST 2 (DEVISING) 

Drama Specialist 2 (Devising) is designed for (but not exclusive to) the students who have an ambition to study and perform Drama in Years 11 and 12 and beyond. The rigour of the course will demand that students can engage creatively with agile minds to create original work that will be devised and realised. This work is key to further academic success in Drama and the curriculum as a whole. Students will study theories of existing practitioners and take on various roles to create their own work. The process of creating original work will sharpen student’s creativity and equip them with the tools to cultivate and communicate their own voice. Script writers, directors and creatives will be invited to coach and inspire the students' work that they will prepare for live audiences.

 

Additionally, the course is designed to support students grow their capacity for empathy and interpersonal skills. Students will perform the work that we produce in a fully realised performance for an audience. 

 

It is important to note that Drama Specialist 2 can work alongside Drama Specialist 1 as a complete unit across the year or can be studied individually. The unit can also work alongside Drama Production Play/Musical for a truly immersive and dedicated experience.

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Drama Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

DRAMA PRODUCTION - PLAY 

Students will work as actors and/or designers in their own company to create a fully realised performance for a live audience. The performance will offer an opportunity for students to engage in all elements of production, including lighting, set, sound, and costume design as well as directing and acting. Through the creative process students will develop their empathy, teamwork and leadership skills as they take the responsibility for the production and the company. 

 

This course is designed for students of all different abilities and experiences. It will be flexible and adapt around the interests and skills of the group, providing a variety of different roles to suit each student’s passions. Guest directors and actors will be invited to coach and direct in class as we create the production. 

 

Please note that if you are currently on a Drama Scholarship you must take at least one option per semester.

MEDIA PRODUCTION (NON-FICTION)

This course immerses students in the world of non-fiction media productions. Students will learn about more traditional forms of non-fiction storytelling in documentary production, where documentary is studied as truth and commentary, and new and emerging forms of communication in podcasting and vlogging. They will also continue to develop practical productions skills such as sound recording techniques, cinematography and editing. Students may choose this course as a follow on from the Semester 1 elective - Media Production (Fiction) - or as a stand-alone option.  

HCoFAB - PRODUCTION COMPANY 

HotHouse Company Film and Broadcast (HCoFAB) invites students to apply for a position on a team that will create specific content for the College community. The HCoFAB team will comprise of specialists in the field of media to create a publication according to the needs of the College. The team will have to make deadlines, adhere to briefs and receive genuine feedback from their clients and their audience. The HCoFAB Team allows our students to experience authentic working conditions in the world of Media and create content that will provide genuine product for e-portfolios and other platforms that will allow you to demonstrate your work. 

 

HCoFAB will also create original content specific but not limited to the ideas generated in the studio through a host of various programs and competitions (platforms) that HCoFAB produces. Authentic learning will occur as a bi-product of building the content that will be created on behalf of the College and communicated to the community audience.

WEARABLE ART 

Art does not have to hang on the wall or be displayed on a plinth. This unit allows you to experience the creation of a three-dimensional artwork that is designed for the human form. Creatives such as Alexander McQueen and Madame Peripetie will influence and inspire individual students’ and their approach to exploring conceptual themes for their final artwork.

 

Students will learn:

 

Sculptural Techniques

  • Assemblage
  • Mixed media
  • Construction and joining

Conceptual Approaches

  • Thematic development
  • Symbolic approaches
  • Communication of meaning

This unit is designed to extend student’s knowledge and practise in the creation of 3D artworks. Students will develop greater understanding of contexts of conceptual art and how these impact on the development of ideas and the production of art forms. Students will use equipment and materials in a safe and sustainable manner.

EXPERIMENTAL PRINTMAKING

This class is for those who love to learn new art techniques and experiment with a variety of different media. Printmaking is an extremely versatile and creative medium, as numerous techniques and processes can be used to achieve a variety of effects. To make a print, an artist applies ink to paper not by directly drawing on its surface, but through a transfer process, which results in multiple originals. You will learn etching, lino-cutting and mono-printing among other techniques. 

 

Students will learn: 

  • Contemporary gestural and expressive techniques to design and carve a drypoint etching plate and print it using a printing press.
  • Additive and subtractive mono-printing including paper-cut stencil methods.
  • How to design and safely carve a lino block and print a reductive print.
  • Other relief based, textural mark making print-making processes.

This unit is designed to extend students’ knowledge and practise in the creation of 2D artworks. Students will develop greater understanding of contexts of culture, time and place and how these impact on the development of ideas and the production of art forms. Students continue to explore artistic influences, while being encouraged to express greater individualism in their application of ideas and materials.