Creative arts is mandatory for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
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 and skills, elements or concepts as well as a capacity to inspire and enrich lives.
Students can unleash their creative flair through dance and drama performances, competitions, exhibitions and enrichment programs.
Students with particular interests and talents can participate in local and statewide activities in visual arts, music, dance and drama.
Visual arts - operation art
Every year schools across New South Wales are invited to participate in operation art, an initiative of the children's hospital at Westmead in association with the New South Wales Department of Education. The operation art program provides a forum for schools and students to demonstrate their visual arts achievements through exhibitions at the Armory Gallery, Sydney Olympic Park and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. We are allowed to submit up to four artworks to be entered in the competition. Teachers have selected 2 students each from their class to be involved in this competition. Mrs Joanna Savage has been leading this initiative and has given students from Kindergarten to Year 6 the opportunity to deeply explore visual arts through art appreciation and making. They have learnt specific drawing, painting and collage techniques and investigated colour, composition and tone. Artworks were inspired by the work of artists including Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Ken Done and Shay Docking. Students were highly engaged, motivated and creative during these sessions.
Encouraging creative confidence, self-expression and innovation are essential for supporting visual literacy in an increasingly visual world.
