Overview:

The Arts Department at Rockhampton State High School fosters creative and expressive communication in a variety of subject offerings. As well as in-school subjects (including ‘Rich Studies’), extra curricula activities feature prominently, providing students with opportunities to express their learnings to a wider audience. Students may choose one or more of the creative pathways to develop skills and talents.

Subject Offerings:

The Arts comprises four distinct areas: Drama, Music, Visual Art and Dance. The first three are offered to Senior level.

The Junior School offers the following:

Drama: Students investigate storytelling, comedy, clowning, Australian drama, and skills necessary to take a production from thought or script to the polished production.

Music: Rock music, the music of film, musical theatre, the history of music, and Jazz form the basis of this study of music.

Visual Art: A variety of media is experimented with, including modelling, drawing, painting, and constructing. Arts movements studied include Dada, Surrealism, Pop, Expressionism, Modern and Post-modern, Australian, Egyptian, and North American.

Dance: Various styles of dance are investigated and examined, including aerobics, children’s theatre

(HI-5), dance through the various eras, and the dance of musical theatre.

In the Senior School, subjects offered in The Arts are:

Drama (QSA):

Music (QSA)

Art (QSA)

Creative Art (SAS subject)

Many extra-curricula activities occur as a follow-up to in-class activities. These include (but vary from year to year):

· MADD (Music, Art, Drama and Dance), an expo of student talent, held in November;

· Showcase, to display the talents of our students to feeder primary schools;

· Monster stomp, a co-production between primary and secondary students;

· A joint secondary school production, with input from the Qld Theatre Company, usually July/Aug;

· An annual musical (2007: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), held in June, which allows artists, actors, musicians, and set constructors to combine for a common outcome;

· The Minister’s Art Awards;

· Various play-outs of orchestras and bands; and

· Community projects painting.

The Arts is a vital opportunity for students to express themselves. Every opportunity is provided for our students to do this.

Staff:

The 8 teachers in The Arts show a great commitment to the creativity of students. Most are young, and have only recently been involved in the Arts and exhibitions themselves. They strive to have students present their best works to audiences, both within and outside the school environment.