Background to the VELS – The Arts domain
Level 6
At Level 6, both The Arts VELS and the CSF II, focus on style in the Arts with the intention that students explore the conventions of a particular style and demonstrate development of a personal style. Both documents require students to demonstrate technical competence in their use of skills, techniques and processes when engaging with the more specialised range of means offered by individual arts disciplines at this level. The VELS and the CSF II - where appropriate to the arts discipline - require that students individually and in groups, create, design, and refine arts works as well as use appropriate arts language to analyse, interpret and describe the communication of ideas and meaning in their own and others’ arts works. Both documents acknowledge the influence of a range of contexts on students’ arts works and emphasise the consideration of aesthetic qualities in own works and when responding to their own and others’ arts works from a range of contemporary, traditional, stylistic, historical and cultural contexts.
The standards dimension Exploring and responding requires that students refer to specific examples in the arts works they are analysing. This component in the processes of critical analysis is used when commenting on the impact of arts works on society and for describing ways arts works communicate and challenge ideas and meaning. Students were not required to refer to specific examples when commenting on other people’s arts works in the CSF II. The Level 6 standards do not include student use of evaluation or self-evaluation or require student engagement in comparing arts works or researching about arts works and about vocations and careers associated with the arts. Teachers are recommended to consider appropriate aspects of the Level 6 standards for Thinking Processes, Communication and/or Personal Learning when assessing these aspects of students’ work.
At Level 6 when using:
- Art to address the Arts standards, students investigate specialised two- and three-dimensional art forms. They explore issues, personal responses to themes and concrete and abstract concepts to develop art ideas. Students use a range of media to record, experiment with and refine ideas to develop art works influenced by the style of particular artists or cultures and develop their own art style. They explore compositional relationships when using and manipulating art elements, principles and concepts selectively and in combination. They investigate and show competence in their use of skills, techniques and processes to solve technical problems. Students plan and modify the presentation of art works, considering presentation qualities and visual effect and the requirements of a range of audiences. They reflect on their progress at each stage of the creative process and evaluate their work. Students use appropriate art terminology when making, discussing and writing about art. They focus on the development of particular art forms in a range of cultures. They describe the content and purpose of art works and compare themes, aesthetic qualities styles and artistic movements, focusing on cultural issues or influences. They apply knowledge of visual composition in their personal interpretations of the works of particular artists or styles, clarifying and reappraising their aesthetic preferences, and offer supporting arguments for their preferences. Students research and discuss ways in which technological change and scientific discovery have changed or influenced the shape and direction of particular art forms and how particular art works have communicated ideas that reinforce and challenge social, cultural and artistic values.
- Dance to address the Arts standards, students generate ideas both individually and in groups and communicate these ideas through the competent and refined use of dance elements, skills and processes. They draw on dance traditions and styles from a range of cultures and times to develop their own dances. Through solo and group improvisation, composition and performance, they adapt and use established dance structures and techniques. They demonstrate technical competence in making and presenting dance, using specific styles and forms and begin to develop a personal style. They create dances to meet the needs of a specific audience or for a particular purpose, using a variety of performance spaces and incorporate a range of production elements when presenting their dance works. Students apply specific dance terminology when creating and describing their own and others’ dances. They describe and analyse dance making processes, the use of elements, forms and modes in works from several cultures and from different periods in history. They compare meanings communicated by dances and explain ways in which dances reinforce or challenge social, cultural and artistic values. They evaluate own and others’ dance works and provide personal interpretations with supporting arguments about the qualities of dances. They discuss distinguishing characteristics of works in particular styles and analyse multimedia dance forms which reflect current usage of digital technologies.
- Drama to address the Arts standards, students develop drama ideas individually and in groups as they develop their acting and stagecraft skills applying them to both improvised and scripted drama. They create characters, write scripts and treatments and interpret texts, characters and scripts from a range of cultural and historical sources. Students identify themes and issues in their work and use dramatic elements, forms, styles and conventions to convey meaning to an audience. They design and construct sets, costumes and props, and consolidate their knowledge of stagecraft. They refine and present works for particular audiences and purposes. Students critically analyse and evaluate their own performances and those of theatre practitioners, using drama terminology. Students discuss the dramatic and theatrical styles, conventions and forms of selected cultures and historical periods. They identify characteristics of these forms that exist in present contemporary drama and theatre and demonstrate their skill in incorporating them into their own drama. They explain ways in which drama reinforces or challenges social, cultural and artistic values.
- Media to address the Arts standards students experiment with the properties of different media to explore ideas and learn about the aesthetics, styles and formats of a chosen medium. They use and manipulate media elements, techniques and conventions to develop media texts in specific styles and different media forms. They develop a range of skills when using different types of equipment at different stages of the production process for particular media forms. Students vary and adapt promotional material, for different media forms and show detailed planning in their media productions for a particular audience. They use appropriate media terminology and personal interpretations to describe the structure, content and aesthetic qualities of media texts. They use critical approaches to analyse and interpret media texts and demonstrate an understanding of the histories and traditions of the media of selected societies and different cultural groups. Students learn how audiences participate in the construction of the meaning of media and explain ways in which media texts reinforce or challenge social, cultural and artistic values. They learn how media organisations have evolved and compare production styles, treatment of themes and production intentions in media texts as they investigate the social and industrial contexts in which production, circulation and reception of media texts occurs.
- Music to address the Arts standards, students individually and in groups, explore processes for developing ideas for original works and interpretations. They draw upon approaches to composition evident in their own and other cultures. They develop a personal style as they create, perform and interpret instrumental and/or vocal works in a range of styles, demonstrating aural awareness and technical competence. They compose and arrange works, experimenting with ways of using the elements of music as well as skills, techniques and processes appropriate to the music style or genre. They prepare and interpret both conventional and unconventional notation. Students document the development of their ideas and choice of musical processes, using a range of formats and appropriate music terminology. They prepare and present works in selected styles, as a soloist, ensemble member and/or conductor catering for specific audiences and purposes. They use analysis and rehearsal to refine their interpretation and prepare musical works for performance. Students participating in an instrumental or vocal program develop a higher level of technical competence and performance skills and use these in a range of contexts. Students develop critical and aesthetic responses to musical works, styles and genres from a diverse range of cultural, historical and social contexts. They use appropriate terminology to describe, analyse and interpret compositional and expressive devices used in a range of works, including unity and variety, repetition and contrast, tension and resolution. Students explain ways in which music works reinforce or challenge social, cultural and artistic values. Students analyse works and performances and provide personal interpretations with supporting arguments about the qualities and distinguishing features of the works of specific composers, performers, particular styles and periods. They explain the impact of music derived from other cultures on contemporary performance and composition practices and research the ways in which technological change, including digital technology, has influenced the shape and direction of music historically and culturally.
- Visual communication to address the Arts standards, students interpret information from a wide variety of sources for ideas and use a visual communication production process to respond to a range of briefs representative of different fields of practice. They explore and develop ideas using a range of materials and media and use design elements and principles and a variety of production systems and related conventions. Students develop their understanding of the conventions and standards of technical, architectural and orthogonal drawing. They learn and experiment with freehand, instrumental and computer drawing techniques and processes and explore the use of mixed media in their two-and three-dimensional drawings. They develop individual approaches, skills and processes and use the most appropriate format for their intended solution. They explore the client-designer relationship and produce final presentations which meet the needs of a given brief for particular audiences. Students focus on the communication need of the work, considering layout and a range of presentations. They observe conventions but understand these may be varied to suit a particular audience or personal interpretation. Students refine their final presentations by evaluating mockups and assessing their effect on the target audience. They use appropriate visual language to describe and critically analyse work and demonstrate an understanding of histories and traditions of the visual communications of different cultural groups. Students analyse the visual communication work of others to develop an appreciation of contemporary design practices and describe the application of design elements and principles. They describe specific factors, such as technological change, and social and cultural events that have influenced the work of designers.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Creating and making
Exploring and responding
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At Level 6, there are six ‘strands’, each of which focuses on an arts discipline - Art, Dance, Drama, Media, Music and Visual communication with four Learning outcomes in each strand. The outcomes for each strand (arts discipline) follow a similar construct.
In Arts practice – ideas, skills, techniques and processes
students: 6.2 Structure and present art works/ dances/ dramatic works /media texts / music works/ appropriate to chosen / specific styles and forms. Or 6.2 Use a visual communication production process to develop and present visual communications appropriate to a brief.
In Responding to the arts – criticism, aesthetics and contexts
students: Or 6.3 Analyse and evaluate the purposes and content of visual communications. 6.4 Analyse the characteristics and role of art/ dance/ drama/ the media/ music/ the visual communications in different cultural contexts.
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