|
Most people seem to think that only the talented people can be active in the arts. In our courses we challenge all students to discover the artist within themselves. That's quite an adventure, sometimes scary, but highly rewarding when you realise that not only can you do it but there is so much to learn about the arts and artistic thinking - about making art; about yourself and yourself in your world. It's a course which has the potential to impact upon your life and to extend your learning beyond the classroom.
What do we do in our courses?
We make art, music and drama, we look at the arts and we think about how best to teach them in today?s world. We see art making as a unique way of thinking and investigating ideas. We respond to these ideas uniquely through each of the arts, solving problems in ways which often surprise us. This enriches both the quality of our work and its meaningfulness.
Do you need to be a good artist?
All you need is the desire to do it and the willingness to work. A talented person who doesn't develop through their work will not thrive in these courses, while a beginner who grows, even from shaky beginnings, can excel. It really happens all the time in our course
How does this help us as teachers?
As teachers we are also on a growth path. This continued growth is essential if we are going to be the kind of people who offer meaningful education. Through the arts we see ourselves and the world in new ways which can be a potent stimulus to growth. If you can bring these perspectives into the way you teach, you will have a strong basis for creative practice across the curriculum.
Are the arts relevant in schools today?
The country needs creative and flexible thinkers. Although the arts are not the only way to grow creativity, they are globally accepted modes of creative expression and that makes them important. They also model an authentic teaching and learning approach that involves doing, reflecting and discussing and that goes way beyond standardised performance testing. Even those who are not going to have careers in the arts need to develop this side of themselves. The arts provide learners with enriched perspectives on the world, on themselves and their abilities - and also on other cultures.
For those who ultimately decide on careers in the arts, there is a very wide range of careers available in each of the arts as well as in forms of art most of us haven t even thought about. Teachers play important roles both in helping their learners to encounter the arts and by being informed enough to bring these options to the attention of their learners.
Head of Division:
Dr Alta Van As
Members of Staff:
Chitambire, K
Giorza, T
Kearney, A
Lemmenyane, G
Connell, J
Sher, S
Van As, A
|
