Purpose

• To develop the intellectual, perceptual and expressive potential of students through aural, spatial, kinaesthetic, interpersonal and visual experiences.
• To equip students to use and understand the arts forms as symbolic languages by:
• developing skills, techniques and processes,
• developing abilities to perform or present arts works, and
• exploring how different social and cultural groups engage in, and convey meaning through, The Arts.
• To develop students' skills in arts criticism and aesthetics through describing, analysing, interpreting and evaluating their own and others' arts works.
• To develop students' understanding that The Arts evolve within particular social and cultural contexts by:
• studying how The Arts reflect, construct, reinforce and challenge values in different cultures
• studying The Arts from both historical and contemporary perspective.
• To demonstrate the accessibility and relevance of The Arts skills and experiences to life, particularly in recreation and employment.
• To expose children to a broad range of Arts experiences.

Implementation

• Students will be given the opportunity to experience all the strands in The Arts: dance, music, drama, visual arts and media.
• Students will experience each of The Arts strands as a discrete learning experience.
• The skills and understandings for each strand will be developed on a sequential basis.
• The strands of The Arts will be interlinked and The Arts program integrated across the curriculum.
• Each art strand will be organised under the following sub-strands:
• Creating, making and presenting – this will involve children in exploring and developing ideas, using skills, techniques and processes and presenting by performing, exhibiting or viewing,
• Arts criticism and aesthetics – this will involve children in listening to, talking about and reading and writing about arts works. They will reflect on and respond to their own arts works and those of others, and
• Past and present contexts – students will study the social, cultural and historical context in which The Arts are produced.  They will develop skills in analysing, researching, interpreting and questioning to expand their understanding of The Arts in past and present contexts.