Studying the creative arts, students learn to appreciate, compose, listen, make and perform. Each art form has its own unique knowledge and skills, elements or concepts as well as a capacity to inspire and enrich lives.
Creativity in the Arts
Study within the area of Creative Art and Performing Arts provides students with strong discipline based knowledge and the fundamental skills, creative expertise, a creative learning mindset and critical capabilities for the future world of work. Creative Arts students experience and develop the complex skills required to create and test ideas, generate creative works with confidence, shape inquiry and critically evaluate and reflect on what they do. Study in the Creative Arts prepares students to be significant producers and informed consumers in an ever changing world.
In addition to high academic achievement, we celebrate imagination and creativity and encourage students to challenge themselves and to pursue "unfamiliar paths".
Creativity can mean so many different things. It is a sought after skill, along with collaboration and critical thinking. A creative person has ideas about new ways of doing things, but most importantly is optimistic, shows initiative, is keen to form healthy relationships and is accepting of the drafting process.
Developing talents in the creative and performing arts
In creative arts, students discover a variety of art forms through a study of dance, drama, music and visual arts where they learn to appreciate, compose, listen, make and perform.
Each art form has its own unique knowledge, skills, elements or concepts designed to inspire and enrich student lives through a creative form.
Riverside Girls High School has a proud history of success in developing knowledge and skills in the creative and performing arts.
All students are encouraged to be part of Riverside’s tradition of excellence in Music through the school’s orchestra, jazz and vocal ensembles and choir.
Dramatic and artistic skills are fostered through performing arts and drama programs. Students also have the opportunity to participate front or backstage in school productions, which supports skill development across various aspects of the discipline.
Throughout the school year, Music and Drama students are provided with many opportunities to perform, including participation in variety nights, performance evenings, community events and the biennial school musical. We also pursue every opportunity to extend these experiences through entry in exhibitions, eisteddfods and competitions and we are recognised within the community for our achievements at these external events.
Through Visual Arts, students are able to engage and apply a range of creative attributes in and across the school through initiatives such as the School Production, Art Exhibitions and Competitions.
Riverside Girls High School is located on the Parramatta River, which also offers our Visual Art students many opportunities to invite a range of environmental aspects into their studies and creations.
Visual Arts 2019
2019 was a most successful year within the Visual Arts Faculty with 6 of the 19 students achieving a Band 6 and we also received five nominations for Art Express. To be considered for this honour students needed to have achieved a final mark for their Practical Body of Work between 48 to 50 out of 50. Two of the five gained selection in Art Express for 2019.
Major Works Exhibition Gallery 2018 for more photos
Major Works Exhibition Gallery 2019 for more photos
Major Works Exhibition Gallery 2020 for more photos
Wicked 2019 for more photos
Mecca Night 2019 for more photos
Structure of Creative and Performing Arts Courses
Students must study 100 hours of both Music and Visual Arts during Years 7 to 8 (stage 4). They then have the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills in other Creative and Performing Art subjects (which includes Visual Arts and Music) by choosing alternative selective subjects in year 9 and 10 (stage 5) which include Drama, Dance, Photography and Digital Media. Beyond this students can then select from these courses in Years 11 to 12 (stage 6) to deepen their knowledge and understanding and which will contribute towards the Higher School Certificate.
Creative and Performing Arts courses
Visual Art
Visual Arts provides opportunities for students to enjoy the making and studying of art. It builds an understanding of the role of art in all forms of media, both in the contemporary and historical world, and enables students to represent their ideas and interests in artworks. Visual Arts enables students to become informed about, understand and write about their contemporary world.
Music
All students should have the opportunity to develop their musical abilities and potential. As an artform, music pervades society and occupies a significant place in world cultures and in the oral and recorded history of all civilisations. Music plays important roles in the social, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual lives of people. At an individual level, music is a medium of personal expression. It enables the sharing of ideas, feelings and experiences. The nature of musical study also allows students to develop their capacity to manage their own learning, engage in problem-solving, work collaboratively and engage in activity that reflects the real world practice of performers, composers and audiences.
Photographic and Digital Media
Photographic and Digital Media provides opportunities for students to enjoy making and studying a range of photographic and digital media works. It enables students to represent their ideas and interests about the world, to engage in contemporary forms of communication and understand and write about their contemporary world. Photographic and Digital Media enables students to investigate new technologies, cultural identity and the evolution of photography and digital media into the 21st century. Students are provided with opportunities to make and study photographic and digital media works in greater depth and breadth than through the Visual Arts elective course.
Dance
Dance provides students with opportunities to experience and enjoy dance as an artform as they perform, compose and appreciate dance. In an integrated study of the practices of performance, composition and appreciation, students develop both physical skill and aesthetic, artistic and cultural understandings. The course enables students to express ideas creatively and to communicate physically, verbally and in written forms as they make, perform and analyse dances and dance forms.