Through the study of theorists and practitioners of the arts, students discover the aesthetics of art forms and are able to analyse and communicate in specialized language. Using explicit and tacit knowledge alongside an understanding of the role of the arts in a global context, students inform their work and artistic perspectives.

In order to reach the aims of arts, students should be able to:

i. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art form studied, including concepts, processes, and the use of subject-specific terminology

ii. demonstrate an understanding of the role of the art form in original or displaced contexts

iii. use acquired knowledge to purposefully inform artistic decisions in the process of creating artwork.

The acquisition and development of skills provide the opportunity for active participation in the art form and in the process of creating art. Skill application allows students to develop their artistic ideas to a point of realization. The point of realization could take many forms. However, it is recognized as the moment when the student makes a final commitment to his or her artwork by presenting it to an audience. Skills are evident in both process and product.

In order to reach the aims of arts, students should be able to:

i. demonstrate the acquisition and development of the skills and techniques of the art form studied

ii. demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art.

The arts motivate students to develop curiosity and purposefully explore and challenge boundaries.

Thinking creatively encourages students to explore the unfamiliar and experiment in innovative ways to develop their artistic intentions, their processes and their work. Thinking creatively enables students to discover their personal signature and realize their artistic identity.

In order to reach the aims of arts, students should be able to:

i. develop a feasible, clear, imaginative and coherent artistic intention

ii. demonstrate a range and depth of creative-thinking behaviours

iii. demonstrate the exploration of ideas to shape artistic intention through to a point of realization.

Students should have the opportunity to respond to their world, to their own art and to the art of others. A response can come in many forms; creating art as a response encourages students to make connections and transfer their learning to new settings. Through reflecting on their artistic intention and the impact of their work on an audience and on themselves, students become more aware of their own artistic development and the role that arts play in their lives and in the world. Students learn that the arts may initiate change as well as being a response to change.

In order to reach the aims of arts, students should be able to:

i. construct meaning and transfer learning to new settings

ii. create an artistic response that intends to reflect or impact on the world around them

iii. critique the artwork of self and others.