The arts are as old as humanity. They are part of every culture and central to the diverse and continuing cultures of First Nations Australians. Through the arts, people share stories, ideas, knowledge and understanding. The arts engage our senses and give us ways to imagine, celebrate, communicate and challenge ways of knowing, being, doing and becoming.
Participating in quality arts experiences and practices enriches our social and emotional wellbeing. It fosters development of our imagination and enables us to reach our creative and intellectual potential. The distinctive languages, knowledges and practices of each arts subject in the Australian Curriculum enable learners to play, explore, question, challenge and imagine new possibilities as they create, embody, design, represent, collaborate and communicate ideas, emotions, observations and experiences. The arts foster rich cross-curriculum opportunities for learners as they grow in their understanding of self and others, and as they make sense of, interpret and respond to their real and imagined worlds.
Rich in tradition, the arts play a major role in the development and expressions of diverse cultures and communities, locally, nationally and globally. The exploration of cultures and histories through Arts learning strengthens understanding of Australia’s cultural diversity and develops critical intercultural understandings to inform decision-making and aesthetic choices. Students communicate meaningful ideas in conventional and innovative arts forms. They use arts knowledge, practice and understandings to learn and make meaning as artists and as audiences, taking opportunities to engage with arts organisations, creative industries and arts professionals.
Through the arts, students learn to express their ideas, thoughts, questions, understandings and opinions. They develop aesthetic knowledge and learn that the creative and critical processes of each Arts subject are essential to learning in, about and through The Arts.
The arts are core to the development of creative, confident, compassionate and resilient individuals who can think and reflect critically, celebrate and challenge ideas, people and events, and work towards making a difference in sustaining and reimagining their own and their communities’ futures.