THE ARTS
The arts offer our students meaningful forms of personal, social, and cultural expression that recognise, value, and contribute to the unique bicultural and multicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand. They stimulate imagination, thinking, and understanding, challenging our students perceptions of themselves and others, uplift and entertain, and enrich their emotional and spiritual lives. Through movement, sound, and image, the arts transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate layered meanings.
As expressions of culture, the arts pass on and renew our heritage and traditions and help to shape our sense of identity. Through the arts students are able to participate in collaborative and individual pursuits that contribute to their growing sense of self and their personal identity.
Visual Art
Learning Area Leader - Jasmine Birch
jasmine-birch@morrcoll.school.nz
Art offers a unique opportunity to not only learn about ourselves, but to think about our own ideas, feelings, values and beliefs. Studying Art can bring new perspectives on how other people and cultures have shaped our world through their creativity and imagination.
The Art course and associated assignments are carefully selected and planned to include local and international artists, and themes that are relevant and meaningful to a New Zealand and global context.
Our students are fortunate to have the Morrinsville Art Gallery on our doorstep and regular visits to view and exhibit artworks is a normal part of our art education at the College.
Drama
Learning Area Leader - Louise Keenan
louise-keenan@morrcoll.school.nz
Drama is more than “just acting”. Drama is about working with others, gaining confidence, looking at the world through a new lens and perhaps changing the way society sees itself.
Our Junior school programme gives students a taste of what Drama is all about. Year 9 is a taster course of one semester, introducing you to basic theatre skills. Year 10 is a whole year option subject and takes a closer look at different aspects of theatre, including performing short scripted scenes. Each year you build on your skills and push yourself to achieve more with your performance.
Taking Drama as a senior subject will help you in any career that involves interacting with others. It is a University accredited subject and will challenge you. Drama helps you out in other subjects such as Classics, History and English, as the texts we study often overlap with other curriculum areas. Drama offers an alternative method of learning from the traditional ways of teaching literacy. It is hands on and interactive.
Our senior students get the chance to be involved in special projects when the occasion calls for it. The Senior Drama classes endeavour to perform plays every year and we do a whole school musical when we have the opportunity. Year 13 gives our very able students the chance to sit the NCEA Scholarship Drama exam which, if successful, rewards candidates with $500 towards their first year of tertiary study.
Why don’t you come and see for yourself what Drama at Morrinsville College has to offer you? Follow us on Instagram : dramallama_mc for updates on what we are doing.
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Dance
Learning Area Leader - Louise Keenan
louise-keenan@morrcoll.school.nz
Dance is an exciting, practical subject that exposes students to different ways to be creative and express themselves. Dance has been used for thousands of years to communicate ideas, remember history and whakapapa, myths, and legends, inspire and entertain. This course will cover the basics of correct hand and foot technique and give students the chance to learn new genres of dance as well as choreograph their own work. Public performance will be offered in conjunction with other Arts areas, as well as a showcase of work each year.
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Te Ao Haka
Learning Area Leader - Raylene Beazley
raylene-beazley@morrcoll.school.nz
This course is for students passionate about kapa haka. It allows them to use their passion to work towards their NCEA Levels 1 and 2. Students are required to do both practical and theory aspects of this course.
Music
Learning Area Leader - Ryan McIntyre
ryan-mcintyre@morrcoll.school.nz
Music at Morrinsville College is a sophisticated approach to performance, composition, music knowledge and theory as well as Theory of Music. Our aim is to develop confidence. Music students work very diligently in both group and solo performances learning skills in stage craft, presentation, building rapport and in developing confidence. We have a strong culture in the Music Learning Area where everyone feels safe to perform.
Possibly one the greatest skills one can develop is self-management. Our students are required to do a large amount of self directed learning, particularly in the development of their instrument major. Students a carefully coached and mentored to develop the skills necessary to manage self.
Music is a challenging academic subject. Students develop knowledge in a wide range of areas. These include Music History, Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Music Analysis, Composition, Aural Skills, and Practical skills.
Music students are constantly required to be creative. At every level, students are required to compose music, developing ideas and exploring various song writing techniques. Students are also given the opportunity to create music videos, history presentations, genre specific performances and much, much more.