Performing arts education in Australia
Performing arts education in Australia refers to the teaching of different styles of creative activity that are performed publicly. The performing arts in Australia encompasses many disciplines including music, dance, theatre, musical theatre, circus arts and more. Performing arts education in Australia occurs both formally and informally at all levels of education, including in schools, tertiary institutions and other specialist institutions. There is also a growing body of evidence, from the Australian Council for the Arts and the Parliament of Australia, showing that First Nation's participation in the arts and culture has significant economic, social and cultural benefits to Australia and further supports the outcomes of the Australian governments ‘Closing the Gap’ campaign. There has been an increasing number of scholarships opening up in educational institutions for Indigenous Australians aimed at encouraging this participation in the arts.
History of performing arts education in Australia
The first Australian Educational Curriculum, drawn up in Victoria in 1872, was based on approximately 7 subjects, which were reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, drill, gymnastics as well as sewing and needlework for females. These were all skills or knowledge based subjects lacking creative and visual appeal. Therefore, in the early history of Australia, performing arts education was outsourced from schools and taught privately.On 12 October 1924 Sir Bernard Heinze organised the first concert for children in Melbourne, which has been regarded as the first education project by an Australian performing arts organisation.
On 23 March 1974, the National Youth and Children's Performing Arts Association of Australia was created during the Adelaide Festival. The organisation was developed after the Australian Council for the Arts To stimulate, promote and develop the performing and community arts by and for young people; 2) To encourage and co-ordinate the exchange of ideas and information between members, producing bodies, funding bodies, schools, colleges, universities and all interested persons through newsletters, journals, workshops and festivals; 3) To encourage and facilitate the exchange of personnel as widely as possible in the field.In the following year, the organisation became a constituted body and rebranded as the Australian Youth Performing Arts Association. The association began to fulfil its role through organising the Children's Programme for the Australia 75 Festival of the Arts and Science held in Canberra in March 1975. Contributed generously by funding from the Schools Commission, the program was a comprehensive educational experiencing ranging from performances by youth theatre groups and theatre-in-education companies to drama camps.
The amount of activity occurring in the performing arts sector grew quickly in the 1970s, as indicated by the records of the 1977 Directory of Youth Performing arts in Australia. In Queensland, the youth and junior Little Theatre movement flourished, in addition to theatre-in-education groups initiated by La Boite, the Queensland Theatre Company, Twelfth Night Theatre, and the Education Department. By then, youth orchestras, choral music activities, and dance were prevalent in most states.
A lot of the changes that improved performing arts education in Australia can be attributed to an enquiry into the major performing arts entitled ‘Securing the Future’’ headed by Helen Nugent in 1999, which lead to significant changes most notably an increase in the amount of government support for the sector through the Australia Council and what was then the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
Music
In the 60s and 70s, the main teaching method for music education in Australian classrooms was ‘exploration.’ Introduced by music educators Carl Orff, Emile Jaques Dalcroze, R. Murray Schafer, and George Self, the technique of ‘exploration’ was a means of engaging students in making new music and sounds. These were often combined with formal theory lessons, however it was deemed that this learning style was not effective in student's music learning.Towards the late 80s, a new direction on music education teachings was implemented. Performance, composition, and listening and the interrelationship between the components became central to music programs. One of the main changes in practical music studies was from the use of Orff instruments and recorders to classroom instruments and vocal music. More common classroom instruments included keyboard, guitar, and percussion.
In the 80s, optional small group instrumental music programs were offered by State Departments of Education except for New South Wales. As for NSW and most independent schools across Australia, instrumental teachers were either classroom teachers or hired externally by the school for individual lessons. Bands, orchestras, and facilities to support associated activities such as music camp were offered by all states.
Certificated courses were revised by the late 80s to allow students’ interests and requirements to be met more easily. The Year 12 syllabus was revised by most states to offer at least two music subjects, such as Performance and Theory in South Australia. Performance is the most assessed component and was weighted upwards from 25%. Another change was the shift away from norm-based assessments used in 70s and early 80s to criteria-based assessments. The proportion of internal and external examination varied by state.
Outside the classroom, most states provided students the opportunity to experience touring performing arts and music programs of various styles. For example, Queensland's art council had an extensive music program that offered over 4000 performances a year for school audiences.
Dance
Before dance education was included in the Australian Curriculum, the Theatre Board of the Australia Council held a Dance Education Conference in 1974 to initially communicate the issues of performing arts companies and its connection to Australian education. From 12–15 August 1977, there was another conference with 240 people in attendance. Discussed in the conference were of the major issues facing dance education in Australia. These included:- The articulation of dance to the broader community
- The experimental “fringe” associated with finding a new articulation of dance
- Education of dance teachers
In a 1991 position paper, the Australian Association for Dance Education proposed a framework for dance studies in the P–12 curriculum, stating their purpose that:
Dance is part of the history of human movement, part of the history of human culture and part of the history of human communication. These three elements are brought together and realised through dance activity. Therefore, dance activity is an important factor in human social development.The global framework proposed 3 key outcomes: making dance, performance, and appreciation.
Drama
On 21 September 2015, the Australian Curriculum included The Arts for all students in the compulsory years of schooling under the new draft of the Foundation – Year 10 Australian Curriculum: The Art. Within this new published framework, drama is presented as one of the new arts subjects, along with dance and media arts. These were added to the traditional arts subjects of music and visual arts.Integration into education
Performing arts education in Australia includes a plethora of disciplines, the most common being theatre, dance, music, musical theatre and circus. Dance and music are disciplines that are studied specifically as subjects in school, whilst other disciplines require specialist training from other institutions.At a school level the Australian Education Curriculum includes 3 distinct subjects which come under the umbrella of the performing arts. These subjects are incorporated into student's learning from Foundation to the end of primary school. Individual schools are left to decide how this should occur. Students are then able to experience one or more arts subjects in depth in the first two years of secondary school and then will be able to choose to specialise in one or more arts subjects in years 9 and 10. Each subject focusses on its own unique practices and terminology. Music is an aurally based practice where students will not only perform but listen to and compose music in a range of different styles and traditions. The aim of the subject is to gather and use knowledge of musical practices and musicians in order to critically analyse music. In drama, students are educated in using body language, speech, gesture and space to express and portray themes in both fictional and non-fictional contexts. They also explore how to respond and analyse to the drama performances of others. Dance involves the expression of meaning through movement and is where students develop skills in choreography, performance and the appreciation of dance. The Australian Curriculum of these subjects emphasises the close relationship of making and responding in the arts, and views understanding performing arts practices as just as important as performing.
File:Prinnie_Stevens,_Mahalia_Barnes_.jpg|thumb|330x330px|The Voice's Prinnie and Mahalia singing with 600,000 kids in Sydney at Haberfield Public School
The Australian Education Curriculum, notes that the complimentary partnership between the arts industry and the provision of the arts curriculum is integral in performing arts education. The industry provides opportunities for students to experience professional performances, demonstrations, artists in residence and gain access to performance facilities, as well as providing other services such as educational programs and teacher development. For example, the Australian School of Performing Arts are a prominent organisation for promoting performing arts education especially through their personal development programs for teachers. These programs help equip teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver exciting and meaningful performing arts programs in their schools.
New South Wales and Victoria are the only states in the country to have a funded department to support the arts. The ‘Arts Unit’ supported by the NSW State government provide statewide infrastructure and run programs for students inside and outside of school hours for all aspects of the arts. Each year over 44,000 students and 6,000 teachers are directly involved with programs run by the Arts Unit. The ‘Arts Unit’ also run the ‘Schools Spectacular’ annually, which is a performing arts show held at Qantas Credit Union Arena, to showcase the students talents from New South Wales public Schools. The show includes a cast of over 2300 dancers, a 2500-person combined choir, an 80-piece orchestra as well as a 25 piece stage band. The ‘Performing Arts Unit’ supported by the Victorian government helps give students of Victorian public schools the opportunity to participate in programs to do with dance, music, drama and visual arts. Over 20,000 students have been involved in educational experiences run by the Performing Arts Unit. Similarly to NSW, this unit also have a ‘Schools Spectacular’ showcase each year.