The Performing Arts Program is based at Croxton School, located at the Northcote campus. The program caters for students from Foundation to the Secondary Department, including our Multi-age students. It is designed to develop all students’ creative and expressive capacities, where they are both the artist and audience, through making, responding, and learning to appreciate the specific ways this occurs in the disciplines of Dance and Drama. as well as a specialised bucket and fit ball drumming component, DRUM-Tastic.
In Dance, students learn how a dancer moves through space and time with energy using relationships (dance elements), safe body practices (warm up/cool down), fundamental dance movements, basic dance steps and styles. In Drama, students engage in social games, dramatic and puppet play, verbal and non-verbal communication, movement, mime, and relaxation practices. In DRUM-Tastic, students learn correct and safe drumstick technique, beat, tempo and rhythms as well as a variety of basic drum hits, patterns, sequences and routines.
The program emphasises building an understanding of the importance of an ensemble in Performing Arts and development of general skills such as focus, cooperation, trust and teamwork, alongside the school-wide positive behaviour values of being safe, respectful and responsible, to create confident, competent and socially aware students. Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, these practices encourage students to play, imagine, create, and communicate through a variety of creative, practical processes. Students also explore props and costumes, using them as creative stimuli to enhance their ideas and performances. The application of skills learnt through weekly sessions enable students to further develop their audience and performance skills through involvement in a range of events – on a small and large scale – to audiences at Croxton School and/or a venue within the local community.
