Performing arts
A specialist course exploring how performing artists craft and control performing arts protocols to intentionally engage a live audience.
About the Performing arts course
Specialist department-approved elective courses have specific requirements. Due to this, running specialist department-approved elective courses may require substantial investment in areas like staffing, professional learning, school resources, infrastructure and equipment.
This course aims to develop student skills, knowledge and understanding essential to the performing arts. They will understand the important role of collaboration, preparation and the performer-audience relationship. Throughout the course, students will engage in learning experiences that encourage purposeful play, creative risk-taking and problem-solving. Working individually and collaboratively, students will build, develop and refine skills as they engage with creative processes and performance protocols to produce a live performing arts event for an audience.
Performing arts allows students to undertake specialised study across one or more performing art forms. As such, it has the flexibility to be taught by any teacher/s with relevant skills and knowledge in one or more performing art forms.
The broad scope of this course allows it to be contextualised for a range of performing arts forms. This includes:
- classical ballet
- musical theatre
- circus skills
- technical production
- contemporary or hybrid performance work.
Some performing art forms such as classical ballet, circus skills and technical production must only be taught by teachers with specialist training. This includes training for applicable skills and the use of equipment. These highly specialised forms require risk assessments and approval by the principal prior to teaching the course.
Performing arts may be delivered as a 100 or 200-hour course.
School resources
Ideally students will have access to performing art studios or performance spaces, allowing them access to specialist equipment. This equipment will be dependent on the performing art form being studied. This may include:
- costumes and props
- set dressing materials
- music and sound effects library
- lighting and sound equipment
- circus equipment
- ballet barres and mirrors
- sprung dance flooring.
When selecting theatre and performance spaces, teachers must ensure that:
- the space is large enough for the type of movement and the number of performers
- spaces are well ventilated
- entrances and exits are clear
- backstage areas can be supervised
- all electrical equipment is certified, safely housed and operated by trained technicians.
WHS considerations
Performing arts is a course with a practical focus, with students often using specialist equipment and working in purpose-built spaces and outside a classroom setting.
In the Core 1 topic, students recognise and apply safe working practices in their chosen form, including:
- physical safety protocols
- the role of preparation
- safe use of specialist equipment, such as lighting, sound or circus apparatus
- psychological and emotional safety.
Schools undertaking public performances and working in professional theatre spaces will be required to complete detailed risk assessments and follow public audience and WHS guidelines issued by the venue.
Class sizes
Class sizes for this course are not addressed specifically in the staffing agreement. It is recommended that no class need exceed 22 students. This aligns Performing arts with class size requirements of other practical courses, like Visual Arts and Food Technology.
Additional subject-specific requirements
In Performing arts, students regularly engage in practical making and performance activities that may include:
- working in small groups outside of a classroom setting
- working with specialist equipment such as circus apparatus, sound and lighting, props and costumes
- working in theatres and purpose-built performance spaces.
Presentation of a live performing arts event to an audience is an essential component of the course. Schools will need to provide a variety of opportunities for students to share their work with an audience. These opportunities will be largely determined by the chosen performing art form and provide an opportunity for schools to showcase and promote student works.
In specialist performing arts high schools, this course offers an extension for high-potential and gifted students and allows them opportunities to build industry connections and explore performing arts career pathways, as they assemble a practical portfolio or showreel of their work.
Schools may need to consider the following if delivering Performing arts:
- provision of adequate time for planning and programming
- resourcing, including:
- staffing
- new teaching resources and materials
- budget implications to upskill teachers, including casual release.
Course documents
Schools must use the Performing arts course document (DOCX 230 KB) to develop educational programs for this course. They must comply with the:
- Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K–12 policy
- associated Curriculum policy standards.
The content is organised into ten modules which are all mandatory and should be taught in chronological order.
Assessment advice
Performing arts assessment advice (DOCX 172 KB) is available to assist teachers to select a range of different activities for the purpose of assessing and reporting.
Assessment activities should:
- reflect the school's organisation of the course
- provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
Department-approved elective courses are not eligible for credentialing on the Record of School Achievement (RoSA).
Teaching resources
Schools may choose to adapt or modify this content or use other materials suitable to their local context, provided they comply with the course documents.
Sample scope and sequences:
Contact
For more information: