Setting benchmarks across all Arts Disciplines

with extensive on-site and industry training


The Australian School of The Arts’ (ASTA) comprehensive and innovative Co-Curricular Arts Program, caters for students in Preparatory to Year 12 across all facets of Arts Education. This includes Drama, Dance, Visual Arts (including Fashion and Costume Design), Film, Television & New Media and Performance Music.

The ASTA Co-Curricular Program builds on Arts curriculum to identify, equip, extend and nurture students who show a passion and talent for any area of the Arts, enabling them to become resilient, confident, creative individuals and equipping them to follow their chosen pathways post school.

The various ASTA Co-Curricular Programs have over 1000 students enrolled across all facets of the Arts.

ASTA Co-Curricular is made up of a diversity of ensembles, groups, troupes and programs, with enrolled students attending regular weekly classes or rehearsals. Some of these groups involve an additional fee, some are contingent on involvement in the Performance Music Program and some are free. In the earlier years, participation is open to all interested students, whilst in the later years, participation tends to become audition based - a progression from “choose to do” to “invited to do”. 

In support of our Co-Curricular Program, ASTA hosts a variety of Arts events over the course of each year, providing students with industry standard performance and learning experiences across all areas of the Arts. This means that every student, enrolled in any aspect of the Arts Co-Curricular Program, is able to work towards one or more performance opportunities each year.

Australian School of the Arts Programs

Australian School of the Arts Programs

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ASTA Dance Programs

ASTA Dance offers tuition for students in Prep to Year 12. Students learn a range of dance styles whilst developing coordination, strength and confidence.

The ASTA Dance Academy provides students with a supportive and encouraging learning environment that builds their confidence in every way. There is a focus on storytelling and documenting the human condition through Dance.

Students are empowered to take creative risks as they explore a wide variety of styles and many students build their personal choreographic style. We believe that learning to dance gives birth to performance and thus endeavour to provide students with many and varied performance and learning opportunities.

The Dance Academy is made up of Ensembles and Performance Troupes:

Ensembles, Prep-Year 9

Prep - Year 9 students can elect to join a Jazz or Hip Hop Dance ensemble. Students enrolled in these groups focus on developing fundamental movement skills to develop competence and confidence in Dance. Students learn and develop technical and expressive skills in the specific style studied.

Performance Troupes (Platinum & Gold), Years 5-12

Elite students in Years 5-12, with highly developed technical and performance skills, can audition for a place in a number of specialist dance troupes, e.g. Contemporary, Hip Hop and Jazz. These Performance Troupes are divided into Gold (Years 5-9) and Platinum (Years 10-12).

Each year, all groups are carefully constructed based on the skills, ability and age of individual students. Teachers are proactive in monitoring student progress to ensure that students are placed in a suitable ensemble. Student numbers vary each year and are a consideration when finalising classes.

All ASTA Academy dance groups perform in the annual dance celebration, ‘Just Dance’, in June each year. Other performance opportunities include weekly College Assemblies, Arts Academy Awards and the annual Arts Festival in November. Members of the Performance Troupes also compete in local dance eisteddfods.

For more detailed information regarding the Co-curricular Dance opportunities at Sheldon College, as well as an example timetable, please download the Arts Co-Curricular Brochure.

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ASTA Drama Programs

ASTA Drama offers students in Prep to Year 12 the opportunity to gain skills and excellence in the Performing Arts. Enrolled students attend regular weekly classes with a focus on performance skills and Drama training. 

There is a focus on storytelling and documenting the human experience through Drama. Students are able to develop empathy and emotional control whilst building their creative capacity. There is also a focus on transferring the skills acquired in Drama to other subject areas and strengthening these cross-curricular links.

ASTA Drama is made up of a variety of groups and programs catering for different ages, experience and area of interest amongst our student body.

Prep to Year 6 Drama Academy Program

  • Drama Fundamentals, Prep to Year 6: Various groups exist to introduce dramatic skills in order to develop the “actor’s toolkit”.
  • Junior Production Group, Prep to 6: An invitation-only project created to provide a platform and opportunity for younger students to participate in a production ensemble. Musical Theatre Fundamentals, Years 3 to 6: This program allows students to participate in a Musical Production.
  • Students will explore and combine the three skills specific to musical theatre; dancing, singing and acting.

Year 7 and 8 Pre-Professionals Program

This program provides talented students in Year 7 and 8 with the opportunity to experience Dramatic Theatre and/or Musical Theatre.

  • Year 7 & 8 Musical: An opportunity for interested students to participate in the presentation of a full-length Junior Musical.
  • Dramatic Production: Students participate in the production of a dramatic play, focussing on the truth of the spoken word and the believability of their character.

Theatresports

A form of improvisational theatre, the Theatresports program teaches students in Years 7 to 12 to think under pressure, general creativity, performance skills and self-confidence. Junior and Senior teams compete in the Queensland Youth Theatresports Challenge.

For more detailed information regarding the Drama co-curricular opportunities at Sheldon College, as well as an example timetable, please download the Arts Co-Curricular Brochure.

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ASTA Visual Art Programs

ASTA Visual Art offers an exciting, encouraging and supportive environment for students in Years 1 to 12 to explore their artistic and creative talents through new mediums and techniques.

The industry standard ArtScapes studios, provide a nurturing home to the development of visual literacy, aesthetics, technical skills, creative problem-solving and critical thinking. Higher order thinking skills and hand eye coordination are built through the study of different media, techniques and art history. Students are encouraged to express themselves through their work and to understand that, in a diverse and technologically advancing world, Visual Art serves as an expression of our culture’s deeper values.

All programs include, exhibition of student work, access to professional practices, materials and techniques, gallery visits, professional artists as tutors and cutting edge digital experiences.

ASTA Art Stars - Junior

These weekly workshops give students in Years 1-4 the opportunity to engage in a 7 or 8 week course of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture or combinations of these, with a practicing artist as their tutor.

ASTA Art Stars - Middle

These weekly workshops give students in Years 5-8 the opportunity to experiment and extend their skills and creativity with practising artists as dedicated tutors.

Wearable Art

Interested students in Years 8-12 can elect to join weekly Wearable Art classes. Also known as “art to wear”, Wearable Art refers to individually designed pieces of handmade clothing or jewellery created as fine or expressive art.

For more detailed information regarding the Co-curricular Visual Art opportunities at Sheldon College, as well as an example timetable, please download the Arts Co-Curricular Brochure.

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For more detailed information on all Arts Co-Curricular offerings please download:

ARTS ACADEMY AWARDS 2019 THE GREATEST SHOW

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS NEWS

THE SHELDON COMMUNITY CELEBRATE IN STYLE
WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER, 2021
The 2021 Sheldon College Australian School of the Arts’ Arts Academy Awards night was, once again, a dazzling success.  After so many months of living with COVID uncertainty, the College Community were delighted when the night finally arrived, and...
VOCAL NOMINEES PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES
TUESDAY 31 AUGUST, 2021
The 2021 Arts Academy Awards Vocal Nominees recently had the opportunity to attend a vocal workshop run by Professor Paul Sabey, Head of Performing Arts...
GOLDEN TICKET!
MONDAY 02 AUGUST, 2021
The Cast of QPAC’s Charlie & the Chocolate Factory was recently announced and we were delighted to see that two of our own have won...
WILLIAM OLUFSON IS SHOOTING FOR THE STARS!
FRIDAY 30 JULY, 2021
Sheldon College Year 12 student, William Olufson is taking his shooting career to new heights, whilst managing to stay heavily involved in College life.  Will has...
2021 ARTS ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINEES
FRIDAY 23 JULY, 2021
The Nominees for the Australian School of the Arts’ 17th annual Arts Academy Awards, to be held on Saturday 18 September, were announced during today’s...
SHELDON ALUMNI SHINE ON THE SMALL SCREEN.
TUESDAY 06 JULY, 2021
Sheldon College Alumnus, Ryan Harrison (Class of 2006) continues to make a name for himself as an Australian Actor and Producer, with his current role in Network 10/Netflix’s...
JUST DANCE 2021
FRIDAY 11 JUNE, 2021
When you dance your body releases endorphins, the chemical that triggers positive energy and good vibes, and this was most definitely in evidence at the Australian...
MACKENZIE EMBRACES OPPORTUNITIES AND FINDS HER OWN EXTRAORDINARY
WEDNESDAY 02 JUNE, 2021
There is a Chinese Proverb that states "Teachers open the doors, but you must enter by yourself.”  Young Year 3 student, Mackenzie Allen, seems to have done...
LES MISÉRABLES – EQUIPPING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
FRIDAY 14 MAY, 2021
The Australian School of the Arts’ recent 6 show run of the iconic international musical, Les Misérables, was a resounding success, not only in terms...

Contact Australian School of the Arts

For further information about the Arts at Sheldon College, please email [email protected] or call us on (07) 3206 5594.