Rationale
The Creative Arts syllabus encompasses learning in Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts. Each arts focus area has a distinct body of knowledge, creative and critical practices, and individual ways of understanding the world. Each arts focus area is acknowledged for its unique contribution to the creative arts.
The creative arts are central to the human experience. All cultures engage in artistic and aesthetic practices, representing ideas and communicating meaning through the arts to reflect the rich cultural practices of communities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples use the arts to share and celebrate Cultural Knowledges and Practices. Learning in the creative arts expands students’ perspectives of cultural diversity in Australia and the world, which fosters intercultural understanding.
In Creative Arts, students engage in practical experiences that develop knowledge, understanding and skills in creative arts practices. They develop artistic and aesthetic understandings and the ability to think critically and analyse creative works. Students develop insights into personal, social, cultural, historical and contemporary contexts and perspectives.
In Dance, students engage in composing, performing and appreciating and develop an understanding of dance as a distinct form of human movement that uses the body as an instrument to express and communicate ideas. In Drama, students engage in making, performing and appreciating and develop an understanding of drama as a practice of embodied storytelling and a way of communicating meaning using imagination to enact people, worlds and experiences. In Music, students engage in performing, listening to and composing music, developing an understanding of music as a form of personal and cultural expression and a way of connecting through sounds and silence. In Visual Arts, students engage in making, appreciating and exhibiting, developing an understanding of the ways subject matter and ideas about the world are represented in artworks and how artists communicate ideas to audiences.
The arts provide students with opportunities for creativity, self-expression, self-awareness, enjoyment and creating shared meaning. The arts are central to the development of creative, confident, compassionate and resilient individuals. Learning in Creative Arts establishes the foundations for students’ cultural citizenship, providing students with opportunities to participate in and contribute to cultural life.