Performing arts education in Australia

Performing arts education in Australia refers to the teaching of different styles of creative activity that are performed publicly. The performing arts in Australia encompasses many disciplines including music, dance, theatre, musical theatre, circus arts and more.[1][2] Performing arts education in Australia occurs both formally and informally at all levels of education, including in schools, tertiary institutions and other specialist institutions.There is also a growing body of evidence, from the Australian Council for the Arts and the Parliament of Australia, showing that First Nation’s participation in the arts and culture has significant economic, social and cultural benefits to Australia and further supports the outcomes of the Australian governments ‘Closing the Gap’ campaign.[3][4] There has been an increasing number of scholarships opening up in educational institutions for Indigenous Australians aimed at encouraging this participation in the arts.[5][6][7]

Main articles: Performing arts in Australia and Performing arts education

History of performing arts in Australia

The first Australian Educational Curriculum, drawn up in Victoria in 1872, was based on approximately 7 subjects, which were reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, drill, gymnastics as well as sewing and needlework for females.[8] These were all skills or knowledge based subjects lacking creative and visual appeal.[9] Therefore, in the early history of Australia, performing arts education was outsourced from schools and taught privately.[9] The current Australian Curriculum is similar in that it is still based on a subject system, however includes performing arts subjects, with the main focus on Music and Visual Arts.[9] A lot of the changes that improved performing arts education in Australia can be attributed to an enquiry into the major performing arts entitled ‘Securing the Future’’ [10] headed by Helen Nugent in 1999, which lead to significant changes most notably an increase in the amount of government support for the sector through the Australia Council and what was then the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.[10]

Integration into education

Performing arts education in Australia includes a plethora of disciplines, the most common being theatre, dance, music, musical theatre and circus.[11] Dance and music are disciplines that are studied specifically as subjects in school, whilst other disciplines require specialist training from other institutions.[11]

At a school level the Australian Education Curriculum includes 3 distinct subjects (Dance, Drama and Music) which come under the umbrella of the performing arts. These subjects are incorporated into student’s learning from Foundation to the end of primary school. Individual schools are left to decide how this should occur. Students are then able to experience one or more arts subjects in depth in the first two years of secondary school (years 7 & 8) and then will be able to choose to specialise in one or more arts subjects in years 9 and 10.[11] Each subject focusses on its own unique practices and terminology. Music is an aurally based practice where students will not only perform but listen to and compose music in a range of different styles and traditions. The aim of the subject is to gather and use knowledge of musical practices and musicians in order to critically analyse music. In drama, students are educated in using body language, speech, gesture and space to express and portray themes in both fictional and non-fictional contexts. They also explore how to respond and analyse to the drama performances of others. Dance involves the expression of meaning through movement and is where students develop skills in choreography, performance and the appreciation of dance. The Australian Curriculum of these subjects emphasises the close relationship of making and responding in the arts, and views understanding performing arts practices as just as important as performing.[12]

The Voice's Prinnie and Mahalia Singing with 600,000 kid's in Sydney; Haberfield Public School


The Australian Education Curriculum, notes that the complimentary partnership between the arts industry and the provision of the arts curriculum is integral in performing arts education. The industry provides opportunities for students to experience professional performances, demonstrations, artists in residence and gain access to performance facilities, as well as providing other services such as educational programs and teacher development.[12] For example, the Australian School of Performing Arts (ASPA) are a prominent organisation for promoting performing arts education especially through their personal development programs for teachers. These programs help equip teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver exciting and meaningful performing arts programs in their schools.[13]  

Schools Spectacular 2005; NSW.


New South Wales and Victoria are the only states in the country to have a funded department to support the arts. The ‘Arts Unit’ supported by the NSW State government provide state wide infrastructure and run programs for students inside and outside of school hours for all aspects of the arts. Each year over 44,000 students and 6,000 teachers are directly involved with programs run by the Arts Unit.[14] The ‘Arts Unit’ also run the ‘Schools Spectacular’ annually, which is a performing arts show held at Qantas Credit Union Arena, to showcase the students talents from New South Wales public Schools.  The show includes a cast of over 2300 dancers, a 2500 person combined choir, an 80-piece orchestra as well as a 25 piece stage band.[15] The ‘Performing Arts Unit’ supported by the Victorian government helps give students of Victorian public schools the opportunity to participate in programs to do with dance, music, drama and visual arts. Over 20,000 students have been involved in educational experiences run by the Performing Arts Unit. Similarly to NSW, this unit also have a ‘Schools Spectacular’ showcase each year.[16]

Education providers

Performing arts in Australia is provided in schools, tertiary institutions as well as other specialist institutions. State governments are responsible for providing funding to both primary and secondary schools as well as community organisations that teach the performing arts. Whilst tertiary institutions also do receive some funding from state governments, recent reforms have meant the price of arts degrees in particular creative arts (which encompasses the performing arts) have increased by 13%.[17]

The Australian Federal Government provides funding support to the performing arts through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communication with the aim to “foster Australia’s vibrant performing arts sector”.[18] There are eight specific ‘national elite training organisations’ which the government have funded for the past 30 years that aim to encourage “artistic and cultural excellence” [19] and form the ARTS8: the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence. They are:

-       Australian Ballet School:

The Australian Ballet school, located in Southbank Victoria, is the national centre for elite vocational classical dance. The school aims to train dancers of the highest calibre who will then be able to move into The Australian Ballet and other professional dance companies. Students are able to study in the after school or full time programs.[20]

-       Australia Film television and Radio School

The Australia Film television and Radio School (AFTRS) is a tertiary institution that provides several different courses in film and radio broadcasting. It is the only school in this sector in Australia to repeatedly make ‘The Hollywood Reporter’s' list of the top film schools around the globe. It is located in the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, New South Wales.[21]

-       Australia National Academy of Music

Australia National Academy of Music’s (ANAM) aim is to train outstanding young classical musicians. They offer year long performance programs for solo, orchestral and chamber musicians. Students may reapply after completing their first year for two extra years of training. It is located in South Melbourne, Victoria.[22]

-       The Australian Youth Orchestra

The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) offer musical development to the best young instrumentalists in Australia. They provide tailored training programs to younger emerging musicians all the way through to those wanting to pursue a professional career. Students can be anywhere between 12 and 30 years old.  AYO is located out of Sydney, New South Wales.[23]

-       The Flying Fruit Fly Circus

The Flying Fruit Circus are the only education institution in the country to offer a full time circus training program. The Flying Fruit Circus are an annexe built onto Wodonga Middle Years College in South Albury, New South Wales, for circus students from grades 3 to 10. Students from grades 10 to 12, or tertiary student have the opportunity to complete a two year course which will accredit them with a certificate III in circus arts. This program is run in partnership with the National Institute of Circus Arts, Swinburne University and Wodonga Secondary Senior College.[24]

-       National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College

The National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College is a place of both learning and cultural connection for dance. The training includes guidance from professional dancers and choreographers The College offer four accredited courses; Certification III, Certification IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma of dance performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The college is located on Darkinjung land, which is north of Sydney, New South Wales.[25]

-       National Institute of Circus Arts

The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) is a non-for-profit training organisation for talented circus performers. Through NICA students are able to complete a three year Bachelor of Circus Arts course. NICA also offer recreational community programs, and are located in Prahran, Victoria.[26]

-       National Institute of Dramatic Art

The National Institute of Dramatic Art is one of Australia’s largest and most revered educational institutions that caters to multiple disciplines of the performing arts. NIDA offer undergraduate, graduate and diploma courses which allow students to specialise in areas such as writing for performance, technical theatre and stage management, acting, stage and screen performance and more.[27]

New South Wales is the only state to have selective high schools specifically dedicated to the performing arts. NSW has 9 government, and 4 non-government selective schools for students who wish to excel in this sector.[28]

Indigenous performing arts education
21 March 2016, Jakarta, Indonesia: Australian Indigenous navy members doing traditional dance at the opening of the new Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

Indigenous Australians have a rich and unique cultural and artistic expression which has a long deep rooted history.[29] According to the Australia Council (OZCO) for the arts, performance in Indigenous cultures is about “expressing cultural belonging”.[29] Performance is a part of several aspects of life in Indigenous culture including ceremony, celebration, storytelling, mourning and coming together to share events of Indigenous people’s lives both past and present.[29] In Indigenous culture performance encompasses acting, dancing, directing and dramaturgy. It is often a collaborative process and may integrate other visual artforms.[29] It is through performance that Indigenous culture is transmitted and is seen a primary means of passing on laws and customs and sharing experiences as well as providing entertainment.[29]


Some notable organisations that currently offer performing arts education specific to the culture of Indigenous Australian’s include the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, NAISDA Dance College, Blak Dance, Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts (Aboriginal courses) and the Aboriginal Dance Theatre Redfern. The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA), run out of the Judith Wright Arts Centre in Brisbane, Queensland is the only educational organisation that offers all disciplines of the performing arts focussing on Indigenous Australian culture.[30] All Indigenous identified schools in Australia are run on the principles of self-determination and self-management with Indigenous culture, history and values at their core.[31]

In terms of Indigenous Australian performing arts being taught outside of these institutions, in schools and other tertiary institutions, the Australia Council for the Arts (a government supported unit), have outlined protocols that should be considered and undertaken when educating about Indigenous culture. These protocols are aimed to endorse Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights. They are based on themes of respect, Indigenous control, communication, consultation and consent as well as interpretation, integration and authenticity. Examples of such protocols in practice include knowing how to conduct an appropriate acknowledgement of country and understanding and researching the context and meaning of Indigenous language, songs, dances and symbols before interpreting or performing them. The protocols also heavily encourage consulting with Indigenous peoples and elders as much as possible when undertaking any performance or educational activity that involves Indigenous Australian culture.[29]

See also

References
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  2. "Performing arts definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  3. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts | Australia Council". www.australiacouncil.gov.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  4. corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Chapter 3 - The benefits of Indigenous art". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "Indigenous Scholarships". apgs.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. "Scholarship opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people". indigenousscholarships.com.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. "Grants & Funding Data for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander arts | ArtsHub Australia". www.artshub.com.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  8. Government of Victoria. (1872). The Victorian Education Act: Schedule 1. Melbourne: Government of Victoria.
  9. Ewing, R. (2010). The arts and Australian education : realising potential . ACER Press.
  10. Nugent, H, Chaney, M; Gonski D,; Walter, C (1999). Securing the Future - Inquiry into the Major Performing Arts. Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
  11. "ACARA - The Arts". www.acara.edu.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  12. "Structure". www.australiancurriculum.edu.au. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  13. "Performing Arts Teacher PD". Australian School of Performing Arts. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  14. "About Us | The Arts Unit". www.artsunit.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  15. "Schools Spectacular | The Arts Unit". www.artsunit.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  16. "Performing Arts Unit". www.education.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  17. Karp, Paul (18 June 2020). "Australian university fees to double for some arts courses, but fall for Stem subjects". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  18. Australian Government: Department of  Infrastructure, Transport, regional Development and Communications. Performing arts: National elite training organisations in the performing arts. Retrieved from: https://www.arts.gov.au/what-we-do/performing-arts/national-elite-performing-arts-training-bodies
  19. Australian Government: Department of  Infrastructure, Transport, regional Development and Communications. Performing arts: National elite training organisations in the performing arts. Retrieved from: https://www.arts.gov.au/what-we-do/performing-arts/national-elite-performing-arts-training-bodies
  20. "About Us - Overview". The Australian Ballet School. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  21. "Australian Film Television and Radio School". www.aftrs.edu.au. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  22. Ltd, August Pty. "About ANAM | Australian National Academy of Music". ANAM. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  23. "ABOUT - Australian Youth Orchestra". www.ayo.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  24. "Learning – Flying Fruit Fly Circus". fruitflycircus.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  25. "Who We Are". NAISDA Dance College. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  26. "National Institute of Circus Arts". www.nica.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  27. "National Institute of Dramatic Art".
  28. "List of Selective high schools". education.nsw.gov.au. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  29. "Home | Australia Council". www.australiacouncil.gov.au. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  30. "About Us". ACPA. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  31. Milne, Geoffrey (2010). "Indigenous Performing Arts Training in Australia". Australasian Drama Studies. 57: 148–162 – via Proquest.

THE TRUST The rise and fall of an Australian icon by Brian Adams charts the establishment and nurturing of professional performing arts in Australia by The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, founded in 1954 by Dr HC (Nugget) Coombs. This unique organisation spawned the independent opera, ballet and theatre companies of today, as well as the development of arts education in post-WW2 Australia. Available at amazon outlets.


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