11–12Drama 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

The Drama 11–12 Syllabus provides opportunities for students to become informed dramatic practitioners through the central and interrelated practices of making, performing and critically reflecting. Students explore dramatic contexts, elements and processes, building their knowledge of dramatic conventions, forms and styles to extend and enrich their own creative and critical works.

Students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to communicate their ideas through the interrelated practices of drama: making, performing and critically reflecting.

• Through making, students workshop and create ideas, images and stories through enquiry, research, embodiment and experimentation, shaping concepts with dramatic contexts, processes and elements.
• Through performing, students refine skills and apply dramatic elements and conventions to stage and perform works to create experiences that communicate concepts and vision that engage audiences in different contexts.
• Through critically reflecting, students analyse dramatic works and experiences through processes, contexts and elements to understand how creative intent and vision are shaped in their own works and the works of others.

Year 11 course structure and requirements

The Year 11 Drama course comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 3 focus areas.

Year 11 focus areas	Indicative hours
Forms and styles	40
Improvising and devising	40
Scripts in practice	40

Drama is created through the interrelated practices of making, performing and critically reflecting. In the Drama 11–12 Syllabus, content of these interrelated practices is designed to be taught in an integrated program of study to support student learning and artistic development.

Year 12 course structure and requirements

The Year 12 Drama course comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 3 focus areas.

Year 12 focus areas	Indicative hours
Australian drama and theatre	40
Approaches to drama and theatre	40
Individual project	40

Australian drama and theatre

Students explore how Australian practitioners use dramatic forms, styles and conventions to convey ideas and perspectives through the study of TWO prescribed Australian dramatic works.

Approaches to drama and theatre

Students collaboratively devise ONE ensemble performance which draws on the approaches of ONE prescribed practitioner as inspiration.

Individual project

Students initiate, structure and shape an individual project in ONE of the following dramatic forms:

• design (costume OR promotion OR set)
• director’s folio
• performance
• scriptwriting
• short film.

Drama is created through the interrelated practices of making, performing and critically reflecting. In the Drama 11–12 Syllabus content of these interrelated practices is designed to be taught in an integrated program to support student learning and artistic development.

Requirements for the study of dramatic works

The study of dramatic works in Drama 11–12 Syllabus enhances students’ knowledge, understanding and skills, broadening their perspective and enriching their dramatic expression.

Across Year 11 and Year 12, the study of dramatic works must give students experience of:

• a range of forms, styles and conventions specific to purpose and audience
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dramatic practitioners and works
• diverse artistic, cultural, social and personal contexts
• live and recorded productions.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural and creative Practices in Drama

Across Year 11 and Year 12, students engage with drama from a broad range of conventions, forms and styles, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dramatic practitioners and works. This content supports students to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, Cultures and perspectives.

The study of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should consider the following.

Cultural context and connection to Country or Place

• Students explore how dramatic works reflect relationships to Country or Place, kinship systems and Community values. These connections shape creative choices and guide how meaning is made through dramatic conventions, forms and styles.

Historical and political perspectives

• Students explore how dramatic works respond to historical experiences. They consider how works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples reflect historical and social change and invite reflection on Cultural identity, resilience and continuity.

Representation, identity and voice

• Students explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners express identity and share perspectives through drama. They consider the importance of self-representation and how dramatic works challenge stereotypes and offer alternate viewpoints.

Creative and collaborative processes

• Students investigate how dramatic elements are used in ways that reflect Cultural Practices and collective Story telling. They consider the role of collaboration, consultation and Community involvement in the creation and performance of works.

Ethical and respectful engagement

• Students engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works in ways that respect Cultural protocols and integrity. This includes understanding the importance of permissions, Cultural ownership, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and respectful representation when studying or performing these works.

Social and Cultural dialogue

• Students reflect on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drama contributes to broader social and Cultural conversations. They consider the role of performance in truth-telling and promoting understanding across communities.

Language and Story sharing

• Students explore the role of language in dramatic works, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages and their role in shaping voice, identity and meaning. They consider how language is used, reflecting on how meaning and Cultural authority are embedded in language.

Intercultural collaboration

• Students consider how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners collaborate with other practitioners. They consider how these works navigate issues of representation, authorship and Cultural safety.

Contemporary expressions and innovation

• Students explore how contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners adapt traditional Practices into new forms, technologies and performance contexts.

Audience and reception

• Students reflect on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works are received by diverse audiences and how these impact meaning-making.

Documenting dramatic processes

Documenting the development of creative and critical ideas in Drama 11–12 supports students to develop, refine and shape dramatic works. Through documentation, students strengthen their aesthetic knowledge and understanding, supporting their growth as dramatic practitioners. In the Year 12 course, students are required to document the development of their ensemble performance and Individual project including:

• development of creative intent through research, planning, reflection, decisions and judgements
• development of ideas, concepts and directorial vision
• application of dramatic processes and elements in different dramatic contexts
• experimentation with dramatic form, style and meaning
• exploration of how dramatic meaning can be communicated for an audience
• refinement of creative decisions.

Students must clearly cite all sources used in the development of their ensemble performance and individual project, including processes, products, applications, software and print references. They must also document all matters that arise, including Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols. The material and acknowledgements must comply with the requirements outlined in ACE 10.2 All My Own Work.

Safety and risk management

Schools are required to ensure they follow Loading  in delivering the Drama 11–12 Syllabus.