Camden Haven High School

Aim for the Highest

Creative arts

In creative arts, students discover a variety of art forms through a study of dance, drama, music and visual arts where they learn to appreciate, compose, listen, make and perform.

Each art form has its own unique knowledge and skills, elements or concepts as well as a capacity to inspire and enrich lives.

Students must study 100 hours of both music and visual arts during Years 7 to 10. They also have an opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills in other art forms through elective subjects. Students can then select from a range of courses in Years 11 to 12.

The Creative & Performing Arts Faculty at Camden Haven High School gives students the opportunity to study across a range of disciplines including Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts. It is a mixture of critical studies and creative practice giving students the chance to develop their own performance and or exhibition skills, underpinned by the academic discipline of creative and critical thinking.

Visual Arts

Students in years 7 and 8 study a mandatory visual arts course. They have the option to choose visual arts as an elective in years 9-10.

Our school offers a variety of courses in the HSC and can include Visual Arts, and Photography, Video and Digital Imaging. Both of these courses requires students to submit a major Body of Work that can take a significant commitment.

Music

Students in years 7-8 complete a mandatory Music course, learning the skills involved in performing, composing, listening and appreciating a variety of music genres. Students then have the option to choose Music as an elective in years 9-10.

At Camden Haven High School, we offer the Board Developed Course Music 1 during the HSC that allows students to further develop their skills and talents. The course focuses on Musicology theory, Performance practice and Composition.

In addition, students have many extra-curricular opportunities including the Concert Band, Band Camp, Choir, and Schools Spectacular. Students have the opportunity to perform at major school assemblies, at local community events and at the Big Night Out showcase.

Dance

We offer Dance as an elective in years 9-10, depending on teacher availability. Students learn to express their ideas creatively as they perform and compose their own dances, analyse dances as works of art and study the theory and history of dance.

In year 11 and 12 students study the Board Developed Dance course in three interrelated components: Performance, Composition and Appreciation. The assessments include practical exams, written exams and select a major area of study.

We proudly offer students of local schools the opportunity to study dance as a distance education elective. For more information, see our Distance Education page.

Students have many opportunities for extra-curricular involvement in dance in the School Dance Company and Junior Dance Ensemble. These include eisteddfods, Regional Dance Festival, NSW State Dance Festival, Schools Spectacular and performances at school including the Big Night Out showcase.

Drama

Students can choose drama as an elective in years 9-10 where they explore familiar and unfamiliar aspects of their world, learning to portray human experiences, emotions, issues and ideas.

Camden Haven High School offers a Board Developed Course Drama to senior students, where they study theatre and investigate how Australian practitioners use dramatic forms, performance styles and techniques to convey ideas and engage audiences. Students perform an individual piece, a group work and a written examination.

Students are given opportunities to perform at school events like the Big Night out showcase, attend excursions both locally and to Sydney, teach drama activities to primary students, and write their own scripts to be performed at local school audiences.

School Performances

At Camden Haven High School, we offer students the opportunity to practice their performance skills and showcase their talents at many school performances.

At the end of each year we host the annual Big Night Out where all students showcase their skills in dance, drama, music and visual arts. This is not limited to Creative Arts students and is a great opportunity for parents and members of the community to appreciate our talented students.

In 2018 we hosted the local Rock Fest heats, a high-school competition in NSW, VIC and QLD. Year 11 student band Nana Klumpp won the local heat and competed at the Finals in Melbourne. For more information, see the Rock Fest Website

Each year, our school competes in the local Battle of the Bands. This is a fun event that attracts a large local crowd.