Years 7 & 8 All students in Years 7 & 8 undertake Drama for one term as a taster and runs two periods a week.
Year 7
In Year 7, Drama students will be allowed to plan, develop and present Drama to peers by safely using processes, techniques and conventions of Drama. Drama will be improvised, or taken from appropriate, published script excerpts (e.g. Australian or world drama), using selected drama forms and styles (Note: students will have an opportunity to present a scripted drama and improvisation performance at least once over Year 7 and Year 8). Student work in devised and/or scripted Drama is the focus of informal reflective processes using generalised drama terminology and language. Teachers must address Drama knowledge and skills through one or more of the forms or styles below. Other forms and styles may be used in addition to teaching knowledge and skills in Drama. Drama forms and styles for Year 7 may include restoration comedy, circus, Kathakali, medieval theatre or ritual theatre.
Year 8
In Year 8, Drama students will be given opportunities to plan, refine and present Drama to peers by safely using processes, techniques and conventions of Drama. Drama will be based on extended improvisations or taken from appropriate, published script excerpts, using selected drama forms and styles (Note: students will have an opportunity to present a scripted drama and improvisation performance at least once over Years 7 and 8). Student work in devised and/or scripted Drama is the focus of informal reflective processes using more detailed drama terminology. Teachers must address Drama knowledge and skills through one or more of the forms and styles below. Other forms and styles may be used in addition to teaching knowledge and skills in Drama. Drama forms and styles for Year 8 may include readers’ theatre, children’s theatre, naturalism or realism.
Year 9 Drama is an elective in Year 9 and runs two periods a week for the whole year.
In Year 9, Drama students will be given opportunities to refine their knowledge and skills to present Drama as an event by safely using processes, techniques and conventions of Drama. Students develop Drama based on devised drama processes and appropriate, published script excerpts (e.g. Australian drama pre-1960 or world drama), using selected drama forms and styles. Student work in a devised and scripted drama focuses on reflective and responsive processes supported through scaffolded frameworks using drama terminology and language. Teachers must address Drama knowledge and skills through one or more of the forms and styles below. Other forms and styles may be used in addition to teaching knowledge and skills in Drama. Drama forms and techniques for Year 9: melodrama, neoclassical Drama, multi-formed devised drama, Commedia dell’ arte, or Kabuki theatre.
Year 10 Drama is an elective in Year 10 and runs two periods a week for the whole year.
In Year 10, Drama students will be given opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills to present Drama for purposes and wider external audiences, safely using processes, techniques and conventions of Drama. Students develop Drama based on devised drama processes and taken from appropriate, published script excerpts (e.g. Australian drama post-1960 or world drama), using selected drama forms and styles. Students will have opportunities to research devised Drama and read selected script excerpts in context. Student work in a devised and scripted drama is the focus of reflective and responsive processes. Students are encouraged to develop their use of extended answer forms and interviews, using drama terminology, language and different forms of communication-based on their Drama and the Drama of others. Teachers are required to address knowledge and skills in Drama through two or more of the forms and styles below. Other forms and styles may be used in addition to teaching knowledge and skills in Drama. Drama forms and techniques for Year 10: Grotowski’s Poor Theatre, Youth Theatre, Contemporary Aboriginal Theatre, Theatre of the Absurd or Butoh.
Senior School Drama
Year 11 General
The Drama General course focuses on aesthetic understanding and Drama in practice as students integrate their knowledge and skills. They use the elements and conventions of Drama to develop and present ideas and explore personal and cultural issues. They engage in drama processes, such as improvisation, play building, text interpretation, playwriting and dramaturgy, which allow them to create original Drama and interpret a range of texts written or devised by others. Their work in this course includes production and design aspects involving sets, costumes, makeup, props, promotional materials, stage management, front-of-house activities, and sound and lighting. Increasingly, students use technologies such as digital sound and multimedia. Students will present Drama to various audiences and work in different performance settings.
Students work independently and collaboratively, learning time management skills, showing initiative and demonstrating leadership and interpersonal skills. The Drama General course requires them to develop and practise problem-solving skills through creative and analytical thinking. They develop their capacity to respond to, reflect on, and make informed judgements, using appropriate terminology and language to describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate Drama, drawing on their understanding of relevant aspects of other art forms.
In this course, students engage in both Australian and world drama practice. They understand how Drama has changed over time and will continue to change according to its cultural context. Through the Drama General course, they can understand the experience of other times, places and cultures in an accessible, meaningful and enjoyable way. They know the economic factors that affect drama practice and explore the vocational opportunities that Drama offers.
Structure of the syllabus: The Year 11 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one-semester duration, typically delivered as a pair. The notional time for each unit is 55 class contact hours.
Unit 1 – Dramatic storytelling | This unit engages students with dramatic storytelling skills, techniques and conventions.
Unit 2 – Drama performance events | This unit focuses on drama performance events for an audience other than their class members.
Each unit includes:
- a unit description – a short description of the unit’s focus; and
- unit content – the content to be taught and learned. This includes each unit’s acting and non-acting roles and a suggested text list.
The course content is divided into three content areas:
- drama language
- contextual knowledge
- production and performance
Year 12 General
The Drama General course focuses on aesthetic understanding and Drama in practice as students integrate their knowledge and skills. They use the elements and conventions of Drama to develop and present ideas and explore personal and cultural issues. They engage in drama processes such as improvisation, play building, text interpretation, playwriting and dramaturgy which allow them to create original Drama and interpret a range of texts written or devised by others. Their work in this course includes production and design aspects involving sets, costumes, makeup, props, promotional materials, stage management, front-of-house activities, and sound and lighting. Increasingly, students use technologies such as digital sound and multimedia. They present Drama to various audiences and work in different performance settings.
Students work independently and collaboratively, learning time management skills, showing initiative and demonstrating leadership and interpersonal skills. The Drama General course requires them to develop and practise problem-solving skills through creative and analytical thinking. They develop their capacity to respond to, reflect on, and make informed judgements using appropriate terminology and language to describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate Drama, drawing on their understanding of relevant aspects of other art forms.
In this course, students engage in both Australian and world drama practice. They understand how Drama has changed over time and will continue to change according to its cultural context. Through Drama, they can understand the experience of other times, places and cultures in an accessible, meaningful and enjoyable way. They know the economic factors that affect drama practice and explore the vocational opportunities that Drama offers.
Structure of the syllabus: The Year 12 syllabus is divided into two units delivered as a pair. The notional time for the pair of units is 110 class contact hours.
Unit 3 – Representational, realist drama | This unit focuses on representational, realistic Drama. Students explore characterisation techniques through different approaches to text interpretation, particularly those based on the work of Stanislavski and others.
Unit 4 – Presentational, non-realist drama | This unit focuses on presentational, non-realist Drama. Students explore techniques of role and/or character through different approaches to text interpretation, particularly those based on the work of Brecht and others.
Each unit includes:
- a unit description – a short description of the focus of the unit; and
- unit content – the content to be taught and learned.
The course content is divided into three content areas:
- drama language
- contextual knowledge
- production and performance
CUA20215 Certificate II in Creative Industries – Live Production (RTO 2401 – Skills Strategies International)
Two-year course offered across either Years 10 and 11 OR Years 11 and 12
The Certificate II in Creative Industries – Live Production course is designed to reflect the role of individuals who perform a range of mainly routine tasks and who work under direct supervision. It is a flexible entry-level qualification that can be customised to meet a broad range of industry needs. This is a basic introduction to the industry and can assist in obtaining a traineeship position within an entertainment workplace.
This Certificate II course is most suited to high school students wishing to undertake a qualification through Vocational Education and Training (VET) studies.
The course is delivered using a combination of processes through workshop-based projects, online training and a structured work environment. All skills are delivered via workplace integration or simulated tasks throughout the course. Links and associated partnerships with local businesses in the entertainment industry allow further opportunities for structured work experience programmes. These opportunities can also be undertaken within a student’s traineeship agreement.
Students must complete ten (10) units, including three (3) core compulsory units and seven elective units. The course is delivered through a flexible learning environment and is suited to each individuals learning needs. On average, the course for high school students takes 24 months to complete. These include approximately 250 hours of combined study and live practical experience.
