Environmental Perspectives in the Creative Arts
The syllabus provides opportunities for students to understand and appreciate the physical environment (natural and built), and the socio-cultural environment.
In each of the artforms, students can:
- explore examples of works where the artist has used the natural or built environments as a source of ideas, e.g. a stimulus, a theme, a concept or an issue
- explore works where the audience interacts with the natural or built environment
- interpret and discuss works that communicate expressive qualities of the Australian landscape, e.g. spaces, colours, flora and fauna
- investigate natural and built environments that are significant to our cultural heritage
- investigate Indigenous works that establish a connection with place
- make works that use the natural or built environment as a source for ideas.
Dance
| Quantum leaps units of work provide opportunities to incorporate environmental perspectives. See the Stage 1 unit Splish splash for thematic activities based on water in the environment, the Stage 2 unit Tap... stomp for performance activities that use the environment and the Stage 3 unit Contrast for opportunities to use a range of stimuli drawn from the environment to develop dance ideas. |
Drama
| Exploring the worlds of K-6 drama units of work provide opportunities to incorporate environmental perspectives. See the Stage 2 unit Creatures of the sea or the Stage 3 unit Rainforests, for drama activities that explore marine and rainforest environments and the Stage 3 unit Designing Kiola Park School playground for opportunities to use problem-solving in environmental design. |
Music
| There are many opportunities within the syllabus to use aspects of the environment as the stimulus for composition activities. The Stage 1 unit, Where the forest meets the sea, focuses on developing a soundscape using environmental sounds. |
Visual Arts
Many artists explore environmental themes in works. See examples such as Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, Australia in Enter Art and South Coast from Coalcliffe mine to D H Lawrence, in Beyond the frame. See units of work Our animals (Early Stage 1), Creature feature (Stage 1) and Mapping a place (Stage 3) for learning experiences that include opportunities for students to explore the physical and socio-cultural environment. |
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